The First Part

A recent post noted a tax lien placed on professional poker player Phil Laak, because he owed back taxes in California.  We checked news websites this morning, and there's no update on whether he paid off or not.

But we noted a statement of Jesus that people should "give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's" (Matthew 22:21).  What should poker players (and, for that matter, everyone else) give to God?

Jesus was talking in Matthew 22 about money -- and the Bible challenges readers to give some of that to God:

"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house.  Test me in this," says the Lord Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it." - Malachi 3:10

Some poker players put together or compete in charitable tournaments, and there's nothing wrong with that.  But God expects a tithe to go to him -- a donation of ten percent.

Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me.  But you ask, "How do we rob you?"  In tithes and offerings. - Malachi 3:8

God's talking tough here -- saying if you don't pay Him a tithe, you're robbing Him.  Yet He also says you're robbing yourself of blessings.

So where is this storehouse where the tithe should go?  In ancient days, the "house of our God" had storerooms for grain and other offerings (Nehemiah 13:4-5, 12).  Since there's no main house for worship in our world today, we think it's acceptable to pay the tithe to the place where you're worshiping.

But of course, this assumes you are worshiping God.  If you're not.... well, you're robbing God there as well.

But the Lord, who bought you up out of Egypt with mighty power and outstretched arm, is the one you must worship.  To him you shall bow down and to him offer sacrifices.... and do not worship other gods. - II Kings 17:36, 38

Why worship God?  Because without Him giving you life, health and a working mind, you can't play poker in the first place.

But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth.... - Deuteronomy 8:18

Note also God expects an offering over and above the tithe.  The amount of that is up to you -- but ask yourself: how much has God done for you?  How much has He blessed you in poker, and other areas?

One fringe benefit of paying tithes and offerings is that in the U.S. (and perhaps other countries), many ministries allow you to deduct the gifts at tax time.  It's too late to make such gifts for your 2013 taxes -- but it's not too late to give God His share of your poker success.

Laaking In Something?

Top poker players are ethical, right?  They don't take shortcuts or cheat, right?

Wellll.... tell that to the state of California.  One website reports Phil "Unabomber" Laak owes two years of back taxes there, for almost $25,000.

We don't know from that short story whether the state is right, or Laak has some explanation for this. (His Twitter feed seems to be as much about dining as poker these days.) But we know the ultimate right answer....

Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words.... "Tell us, then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?" - Matthew 22:15, 17

This was a potential trap for Jesus, since He claimed to be the Son of God.  Would such a Son of God consider Himself higher than laws of the land?

Jesus responded to this by asking for a Roman coin....

....And he asked them, "Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?"  "Caesar's," they replied.  Then he said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's." - Matthew 22:20-21

Jesus advised us to pay taxes to the government -- whether you like the rulers or not.  Sadly, some Christians spread ideas from time to time about ways to get out of paying them.  If they read their Bibles carefully, they shouldn't.

Give everyone what you owe him: if you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor. - Romans 13:7

As the end of 2013 approaches, consider this a friendly reminder to get your "poker math" in order.  Money you've won probably is taxable, at least at the U.S. federal level.

But oh yes -- did you notice what else Jesus said?  About giving "to God what is God's?"  There's something God expects as well.  Do you know what that is?  Comment if you'd like, and we'll discuss that in a future post.

National Heads-Up Week 1: In Several Languages

A new season of the National Heads-Up Poker Championship began on NBC Sunday. (No, we didn't forget -- we simply were very busy.) We noticed several of the usual poker site advertisers were missing. Hmmm -- we wonder why?!

But admittedly, we were surprised by one moment when confessed Christian Daniel Negreanu was surprised by a hand he lost to Phil Laak. "What the h**l?" Negreanu asked aloud.

We're old enough to remember when the "H-word" was considered profanity. Times have changed so much that it's considered nothing now -- and we even hear church pastors toss the word around loosely during sermons. But a believer still has to watch his words, whether at the poker table or a worship service.

But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned. -- Matthew 12:36-37

When Harry Truman was U.S. President, he said he simply told the truth -- and others considered it, uh, not very heavenly. Such was the Laak-Negreanu hand, as Laak disguised three of a kind very well. (He went on to win the match.)

This moment actually ties together with a recent comment a player made at one of our local tournaments, about words and symbols. The symbol of Christ's crucifixion which we brought (a long nail) can have an impact. But unless we use words to explain the nail's purpose, the meaning can be missed. Which reminds us....

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.... The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. -- John 1:1, 14

Jesus is described in the New Testament in many symbolic ways. We'll let you think about those ways, and make a list of them -- but one of them simply is "The Word." The Lord spoke the words of His Father, and so should we.

Many words are being said about Jesus by ministers this week. May they be words of truth about "the Word" who called Himself "the truth" (John 14:6).

Heads-Up Week 4: Thou Shalt Not Tempt....

Bad beats happen in poker. Top players talked about their most painful losses today, during the NBC Heads-Up Poker Championship. Then we saw one, as Jason Mercier caught a 5 on the river to eliminate Phil Laak.

Mercier had pocket 5's, and only two outs. Laak decided to be playful, and put Mercier's cards on either side of the spot where the river card would come. Shame on him -- it was tic-tac-toe.

But shame on NBC's Craig Hummer for declaring Laak "tempted the poker gods." Why do we say that? Let's look at some simple statements....

"Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one." - Deuteronomy 6:4

"I am the Lord your God.... You shall have no other gods before me." - Deuteronomy 5:6-7

"For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the Lord made the heavens." - I Chronicles 16:26

We believe there are no "poker gods" -- only the one true God, presented in John 1 as a Father and a Son named Jesus Christ.

Yet Hummer was right in one sense. Jesus said during a moment of trial, "It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God." (Matthew 4:7, KJV)

Laak might have been better off doing what Chris Moneymaker did as he was eliminated -- simply turn away from the table, and be pleasantly surprised if a blessing comes.

P.S. We could go after NBC colleague Ali Nejad as well, for comparing Laak's attitude to Zen and Oprah Winfrey -- but not this itme.

Poker Night 118: Do You See What I See?

Do you dream of hitting a big hand at a poker tournament -- just one big hand? Then you won't believe what happened to us tonight at Lil Kim's Cove....

BLINDS: 500/1,000

IN THE POCKET: 10-8 of clubs

We played well getting to the one-hour break, and hold about 15,000 chips. With a smaller stack and blinds this high, this hand would be marginal. We call, sitting "on the button" (dealer). Several players join in.

ON THE FLOP: 9c-10-3 (don't really recall the last card)

The table checks to us. People have been betting big at this table all night, so we see top pair and bet 2,500. A player across from us calls; the rest fold.

ON THE TURN: 6 of clubs.

The man across from us checks. So do we -- and that puzzles one player who folded.

"You bet before, and now you're not going to bet again?!?!"

We see a straight draw, but we're not going to say that. As we hold the river card aloft, we answer: "Maybe I'm waiting. Waiting to see [dramatic pause] ....THIS!"

ON THE RIVER: 7 of clubs

The man across from us must sense weakness on our part. He bets 5,000 -- and of course we call.

"I've got a straight," we say turning the cards over. Oh wait. "And a flush."

"A straight flush," a man to our right points out. WOW -- we never even noticed that until he mentioned it! We not only win a big pot, but a 5,000-chip bonus for that huge hand.

Impressed by that? Believe it or not, another big hand came our way once the final table gathered -- as holding a 10, we hit QUADS on the river! No one bet into us that time, but the "tenor quartet" earned us another 5,000-chip bonus.

And yet, alas, we did NOT win the tournament tonight. We wound up in third place (one off the money -- losing a decisive race when our A-9 paired a 9 on the board, but another player paired a Jack to top us.

Yet all in all, it was a nice night to remember. We told ourselves as we walked to Lil Kim's Cove we were due to have a big night -- and indeed we did.

MINISTRY MOMENT: On a cold night in Columbus, we wore a black hoodie -- imitating pro poker star Phil Laak, except without the sunglasses. A man sat down next to us for the final table, wearing a white Sean John hoodie.

"I'm being an angel," the man joked as we compared clothes.

"If you're an angel, what does that make me?" we answered.

A few minutes later, we went back to that. "So are you the angel Gabriel? Or Michael?"

Our friend wasn't sure how to answer that -- but he recalled there are two angels with that name. We pointed out they're both actually archangels.

"Gabriel plays the horn," a woman across the table said, "while Michael plays the harp. Is that right?"

We didn't recall that detail, but said we'd "have to look that up." We invite you to do the same, and we'll compare notes in an upcoming post.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 48 final tables in 118 nights (40.7%) - 10 cashes. Good to be back, after six misses in a row.

YAHOO POKER TOTAL: $13,944 - unchanged (no play)

NATIONAL LEAGUE OF POKER TOTAL: Five-player sit-n-goes - 2-3-2-1-0. Full tournaments - 4 final tables in 49 games (8.2%), no cashes.

We had a third-place finish online this week as well -- in a 46-player Tuesday qualifying tournament for the monthly Senior Championship.

Poker Night #50: Cold-Blooded

Before the windy wintry front came through town, a cool customer at my table blew me away Thursday night. Out of a table of six, I finished sixth -- and went bust on the sixth hand of the evening. (No, I don't think Rev. 13:18 applies here.)

BLINDS: 25/50.

IN THE POCKET: Kc-Kh.

I'm in the small blind, and raise 150 when my turn comes. That chases a few people -- but not a man to my left, who's wearing sunglasses and a dark hooded sweater. You know, the Laak look.

ON THE FLOP: 9d-9h-2h

Three hearts + two pair = big bet. Leading off, I throw in 500. The Laak-a-like calls. Everyone else bails out.

ON THE TURN: Jh

Four hearts + two pair + no Ace showing = another bet of 500. But this time, the man under the hood quietly raises 1,500.

He's taken one hand already, so he has me covered chip-wise. A quiet alarm bell goes off in my mind -- but I recall this man pushed me off a pot by bluffing last week. So I call the 1,500, leaving me with only 1,000 chips on hand.

ON THE RIVER: Qd

I'm hearing the alarm bell (and seeing my slim chip stack) enough to check. My opponent bets 1,000.

"That would put you all in, sir," the man sitting between us says. Yeah, I know. Thanks for the words of assurance. I'm quietly pondering this.

"Don't even bother looking at him," says a woman across the table who notices me doing exactly that. Mr. Hoodie is simply grinning.

The inner voice is telling me he has a third 9, to beat my two pair. But would he push in that many chips simply to bluff -- perhaps to fake hitting a flush on the turn? I finally conclude he just might be doing that.

"If I go bust, I go bust," I declare and push in the last 1,000. I show two K's. Sure enough, he has the third 9.

"I thought so," I say as I shake the man's hand and give him two Carmike Cinemas movie passes for KO'ing me.

In John 13:27 Jesus said, "What you are about to do, do quickly." It's obviously not fair to compare another poker player to Judas Iscariot, but he certainly made quick work of me. To borrow from Psm. 150:4, he played me like a "stringed instrument." It was not the first time I've been eliminated first on poker night -- but this one certainly stung the most.

MINISTRY MOMENT: I was out in under 20 minutes -- so fast that I never even brought up matters of God. I guess John 13:27 needs to apply to me, too.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 21 final tables in 50 nights (42%) - 6 cashes.

With seven consecutive final table misses, maybe it's time for a break -- and on Thursday nights, we'll have one. Lil Kim's Cove will be closed next Thursday for Thanksgiving, and work commitments will prevent us from playing December 4. We make no guarantees about other nights.

YAHOO POKER TOTAL: $8,888 - up $218. We were as high as $8,989 during online "warm-ups" Thursday afternoon, but couldn't quite climb to $9,000. Yet.

Look Like Laak

The last time we played poker at Lil' Kim's Cove, it was a rainy night. So we wore a hooded rain jacket to the club, and told people we were trying to look like pro poker star Phil Laak (aka the "Unibomber").

Well, except we had on regular glasses instead of sunglasses. It was raining, after all.

A few people who knew we meant. But at least one player next to us said, "Take that thing (hood) off. You're scaring me with it."

Looking back, that player may have had a point. He was African-American, and our hooded jacket was white. You can finish the logic problem from there.

"Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God." -- I Cor. 10:32, KJV

Our apologies if we came across as insensitive to anyone at the table. That wasn't our goal. We simply wanted to look, well, poker-stylish. Not that it helped us win -- it didn't.