Poker Day 579: Rocket Test

They say any two cards can win a poker hand. But let's be honest: some cards are better than others, and are more likely to win. That thinking was tested today, when we joined a Friday morning deep-stack tournament at Jack Casino in Cincinnati....

BLINDS: 200/400

IN THE POCKET: Ace of spades-Ace of clubs

Starter cards don't come much better than this! And we're in the starting position for this hand, sitting to the immediate left of the Big Blind. So we apply an old strategy: limp early, bet late. We call. A man across the table to our left raises to 1,200. A young man across and to our right calls. Other players to our right fold.

What would you do in our situation? This looks like a perfect moment to three-bet. We raise to 3,400. Others who tried to limp in now fold. The man who raised thinks it over, then calls. So does the man to our right. So three players are in.

ON THE FLOP: Q-5-6

Harmless looking to us! Still in lead position, it's time for the stereotypical continuation bet.

"I'll be consistent," we say - and bet 3,400 again. The man to our left gets the hint, and folds. But the young man to our right dares to take us on - and raise to 10,000.

What could this be about? We don't think he has pocket Queens, because he probably would have three-bet pre-flop before we did. We conclude he's overconfident with A-Q, so we go for it.

"I'm all-in," we say. A few early wins gave us a top score of 29,900 chips from a starting 25,000. We do this from a hand-starting total of about 26,000.

"I'll call," he answers - as we expected, given his raise. "Two pair."

Whaaaaattt? He turns over 5-6! Phil Hellmuth might call him a "donkey" on the spot. We don't. That's not our way. Instead, we hope for cards to bail us out. Preferably a Queen, for a better two pair. Another 5 or 6 will give our opponent a full house.

ON THE TURN: 2

No help there. One card to go, and we count five outs.

ON THE RIVER: 3

It's a painful, stunning loss. Our opponent's big gamble gets a big payoff, and we leave the table after only an hour of play - eighth out of nine players at our starting table.

MINISTRY MOMENT: A man to our right wondered if he could promote an upcoming local church festival with a poster in the poker room.

"They won't let you," the dealer quickly responded. This is a casino, not the corner store.

But that didn't stop us from promoting our upcoming festival, by word of mouth. "The church group I attend is planning a big festival in October," we said. It's so big that a hotel in Cincinnati has been reserved for it.

The other man was intrigued, so we explained. "It's called the Feast of Tabernacles, based on the Old Testament - and it runs for eight days."

Have you heard or read about this event? It's mentioned several times in the Bible. Even Jesus attended it....

But when the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles was near.... after his brothers had left for the Feast, he went also, not publicly, but in secret. - John 7:2, 10

Don't be fooled by that "Jewish" label. For one thing, Jesus Christ was Jewish:

For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. - Hebrews 7:14

For another thing, the Biblical command to keep the Feast of Tabernacles (which has several names in Scripture) was given to all the tribes of Israel - all the way back at Mount Sinai:

...Celebrate the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather in your crops from the field. - Exodus 23:16

Several churches in our area have weekend "festivals" during the summer. This festival is commanded by God and lasts an entire week - with an eighth-day holy day to wrap it up (Leviticus 23:36, 39).

If you'd like to know more about this "fall Feast," it's not too late to join in - and there are places to celebrate it around the world. Many groups will start it off with a Sunday night worship service on October 13. This independent site explains what the Feast of Tabernacles is, and how to find a location near you. (We've even played poker during it, and sometimes done very well.)

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 222 final tables in 579 games (38.3%) - 48 cashes.

Poker Day 576: Power Outage?

It's a stormy weekend in the Cincinnati area - and even though the rain had stopped, we lost electricity at home during our morning prayer. But we'd already planned a Sunday morning trip to Jack Casino, hoping to repeat our last success there. Would timing the trip for Father's Day work to our advantage?

BLINDS: 100/200

IN THE POCKET: Queen-10 of hearts

A slow-arriving crowd allowed us to claim a few small pots in the first period. Now we're in the Big Blind with six at our table, and about 24,000 chips. A man sitting on our immediate left leads off with a raise to 1,000. Everyone between us folds.

"OK, OK," we say. We'll defend and call.

ON THE FLOP: 3c-8h-9h

This is a flop with lots of promise - all the way to a straight flush. But our opponent makes a continuation bet of 3,000. We sense he has a strong pocket pair, like Q-Q. But with hope, we call.

ON THE TURN: 4d

That's not the right answer for us. And we could pay for it, as our opponent throws out 6,000. Now we know he's trying to run us off, and we're still not convinced he's hit the board. It's a big risk, but with potentially big reward. So we call. Any heart or a Jack....

ON THE RIVER: 6d

Aargh! We struck out. Now our opponent goes all-in, and there's no way we can call it.

"I swung, but I missed," we say as we fold.

"So did I," he answers - and shows K-7 of diamonds! He was bluffing all along. But he still would have topped us, if we had called.

That loss was a crippler for us. We never won another hand, and went all-in with 2,700 left when we saw J-J. But a man who called with K-7 caught a King on the flop. Father's Day was not our day, as we're the second player out at our table.

MINISTRY MOMENT: "Are you an electrician?" a woman near us when she saw our card protector. We get that question a lot, when we bring out our electric adapter.

On this day, it was inspired by the power outage at home. But we added our usual explanation: "This reminds me that I receive power from the Holy Spirit of God."

The woman seemed to understand what we meant. She said she's attended a "Power and Purpose" conference the previous weekend at a Catholic university in eastern Ohio. She considered it very helpful.

"Our church congregation marked Pentecost last weekend," we noted. That's a celebration of the Holy Spirit that actually has Biblical roots, as we mentioned here recently:

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.... All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. - Acts 2:1-2, 4

What sort of "power" does the Holy Spirit provide? Among other things, it gives us the courage to speak about God in a poker room....

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. - Acts 1:8

In the days of the early church, that power was evident in more than flames of fire (Acts 2:3)….

...By the power of signs and miracles, through the power of the Spirit. - Romans 15:19

That woman had spoken before the game about escaping damage from recent tornadoes in southwest Ohio. We can't say for sure, but perhaps it was a case of God miraculously intervening.

When in doubt, we recognize God as our powerful King who can do powerful things through His Spirit. It certainly beats trying to claim credit yourself - right?

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 221 final tables in 576 games (38.4%) - 48 cashes.
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Poker Day 574: Race Day

Monaco had Formula 1. Indianapolis had IndyCar. Suburban Charlotte had NASCAR. And we had our own version of racing today - at the Jack Casino poker room. In fact, several races were in the cards....

BLINDS: 600/1,200/1,200 ante (Big Blind only)

IN THE POCKET: Q of hearts-Q of clubs

The Sunday brunch poker tournament has a deep stack - 25,000 chips for early birds. We built ours to 28,200 in the early going. But then setbacks knocked us down to 12,200 at the 90-minute first break. Now we have only 7,600 left, and are looking for something to start a rally. With players to our right at this table of eight raising to 3,200, this had better be it.

"I'm all-in," we say; "76 trombones led the big parade."

This reference sparked a discussion of Broadway musicals. We performed in this one in high school. A young man to our right knew right away it was The Music Man, because he'd seen the movie on cable TV.

But oh yes, the hand: two men across from us call. But the man to our immediate right then goes all-in as well - with a lot more chips than we have! This doesn't look good. A man across from us thinks for a long time, then folds. The musical buff to the right ponders, then calls.

Now it's show-and-tell time. The big re-raiser has.... 3-3! The musical fan went for it with 8-10!

"You mean I'm in the lead?!?!" we say with surprise as we show our cards. Suddenly this feels good, but anything could still happen....

ON THE FLOP: As-6s-9c

Thankfully, no one has an Ace. But the Music Man has a straight draw.

ON THE TURN: 4s

 This is more trouble, because the opposing pair includes 3s. Can we dodge all the bullets?

ON THE RIVER: 2c

We do! The "76 trombones" turn into a full, quadrupled-up big band of 35,200 chips!

That started another of those amazing second-hour rallies for us. An all-in gamble with pocket 5's won a race. Q-7 in the Big Blind brought a 6-10 straight on the river. Add a heart flush, and we survived to the final table at 24,300!

Patiently waiting for good cards paid off there. A push with A-7 looked bad against A-K, but a 7 on the board brought a gain to 84,000. A-Q led to two pair on the flop, and he jumped to 208,000. A Big Blind win made our high chip mark 249,500!

With 28 people playing, the top three would earn money. With four players left, we still had 155,500 amid massive blinds and antes. All fours agree to pay a "Bubble Boy" $20 - and the ma who appeared likely to take that title then hit a series of big hands, to eliminate someone else.

After a few more minutes of play, that man suggested a three-way chop of the prize money. The man with a huge stack had been gunning for the win, but after some setbacks was ready to settle. Of course, we accepted as well.

After more than four hours of holiday weekend "work," all three of us took home $560. That's our biggest one-day payoff since 2015, our second cash in a row and our third in 11 tournaments this year. We praise God for the success He's providing!

MINISTRY MOMENT: We were saddened as we drove to the casino, due to news this weekend that a familiar voice from our old home area had died. Rod Bramblett of Auburn University sports was killed with his wife in a Saturday night SUV crash.

"The good news," we told a woman sitting next to us, "is that I believe in a resurrection of the dead."

The woman indicated she believes in that as well. We let it go there - but perhaps we should have probed deeper to see if she believes in Who will bring it.

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies...." - John 11:25

At the time when Jesus Christ walked the earth, many Jews (but not all) believed in a resurrection of the dead:

Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." - John 11:23-24

But Jesus went farther - declaring He was the resurrection. He did it in this section of the Bible with Lazarus (verses 43-44). And He plans to do it on a grander scale when he returns to Earth....

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. - John 14:3

Where will Jesus take the dead? Contrary to what you may have heard, it's not a place in heaven:

Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights in the day of battle. On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem... Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him. - Zechariah 14:3-5

Some believers in God had an understanding of His plan to save humankind, even before Jesus came the first time. The next time, there will be no doubt:

Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him.... - Revelation 1:7

If you're feeling down or depressed as the U.S. marks Memorial Day over the loss of a loved one, consider these Bible promises carefully. Jesus will come again, bringing a resurrection (actually more than one - check Revelation 20 for more about that). The dead will live again. What a wonderful time that will be!

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 220 final tables in 574 games (38.3%) - 48 cashes. Since we passed the 500-tournament mark in April 2017, we've made exactly half of our final tables!

First-Century Gambling

When you hear a Baptist preacher say the word "gambling," you might think he's about to go on a tirade against poker and casinos. But we heard a radio sermon the other day which used that word in a very different light.

The minister talked about two "heroes" in the Bible who took a big risk. OK, it wasn't for a poker hand - but it was something bigger. One risked his life to help an apostle in the early church....

But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow workers and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger…. he almost died for the work of Christ, risking his life to make up for the help you could not give me. - Philippians 2:25, 30

The radio preacher put it this way: "God honors people like that - people who are willing to gamble it all away, risk it all, for the service of Christ."

Anytime a poker player goes all-in, his "life" in the tournament or cash game is at risk. A loss means elimination, or at least a trip to the ATM for more money. But that man with a long name risked everything "for the work of Christ." What sort of service is that? You might be surprised....

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance form the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. - Colossians 3:23-24

"Whatever you do," the verse says. If you're working for Jesus, be diligent about it. Can that include a poker night, which might not really be "work?" We think it can, if you focus on serving the Lord instead of your own desires of the flesh.

For everything in the world - the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does - comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever. - I John 2:16-17

The point is to go all-in for God, not yourself. Be an example and a witness for Jesus. And if you can have some fun along the way, enjoy it. That's what Epaphroditus did. Are you willing to take the same sort of gamble?

Poker Night 560: Brave-Hearted

Over the river (Ohio) and through the woods (we think; it was dark)…. to poker night we did go. With no time after work to make a long drive to see relatives, we went to Hollywood Casino Indiana for a Thanksgiving Eve tournament.

You may not realize Thanksgiving Eve is a party night for some people. In fact, the tournament in Lawrenceburg attracted the biggest Wednesday night crowd we've seen. This time, we'd have to earn our way to a final table.

BLINDS: 25/50

IN THE POCKET: Ace-King of hearts

The first round of blinds is about to end, and it's been a nightmare for us. A-Q lost to a club flush. Then A-K lost. Then A-Q failed again. Our starting stack of 12,000 chips is already down to about 8,000.

So sitting in leadoff position at a full table of ten, we limp in. A man across from us raises to 425. Others fold, but we clearly don't. We're quickly heads-up.

ON THE FLOP: 5h-7c-7h

No big cards, but a big flush draw for us. We check to the aggressor. He tosses out 800. We feel we must go for this, so we call.

ON THE TURN: 3d

Swing and a miss. So we check again. Our opponent adds to the temptation, with a bet of 1,600. We're slightly tempted to respond by going all-in, but we don't. Yet we're committed to this, come what may. We call again.

ON THE FLOP: Jh

Thank you, Lord! We hit the monster flush! But since our opponent is being the aggressor, we check again.

"I'm all-in," he says. We don't even think twice - even though he might have a longshot full house.

"I'll call." For our last 5,200 or so.

"You win. Congratulations on hitting your heart," he answers. He mucks his cards without a show. We have to show ours to claim the prize, and we gladly do. That opponent is still in the game, but we're really in the game with a double-up to more than 17,500!

That was one of only two hands we won in the first hour, as we reached the break with 16,775. Hour Two brought ups and downs, as our misreads cost us hands. Yet we doubled up again by winning a race of A-J versus A-10, to soar above 20,000. We reached the second break at 18,800.

But then a crippling loss came when our A-Q lost to a woman with pocket 6's, followed by a lot of bad cards. With the field dwindling, we finally saw A-J of clubs and pushed with them. But a caller with pocket Queens topped us. A hard fight ended with us finishing 15th out of 39 players.

MINISTRY MOMENT: "It's the eve of Thanksgiving," our first dealer declared at the start of the evening.

"Can I go ahead and be thankful now?" we asked jokingly.

The dealer allowed that - and then we asked a couple of players next to us what they're thankful for this year.

"Five-six of hearts," one man told us. "Then 2-3-4 on the flop."

Funny, yes. But we meant to be serious. "I'm thankful that I know Jesus Christ as my Savior," we said.

"There you go," that man said.

"Do you know Jesus? Is He your Savior?"

"It's hard to know," he answered.

Well..... is it, really? To some people, the Christian faith is indeed a mystery....

In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ.... - Ephesians 3:4

Full-length books have been written about the "mystery of God". Yet somehow, some of them don't mention these words where the apostle Paul clarifies things....

This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise of Christ Jesus. - Ephesians 3:6

If you don't have Jewish lineage, you qualify as one of "the Gentiles." You can share in the promise of Jesus. And knowing that promise, as well as Him, is to some extent up to you:

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen. - II Peter 3:18

We think that growth comes from reading the Bible carefully, then following what it says. And if you do....

I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection of the dead. - Philippians 3:10-11

A resurrection to eternal life is promised to those who accept Jesus as their Savior, then endure with Him to the end (Matthew 24:13). Whenever you keep a day of thanksgiving (national holiday or not), be sure to thank God for that promise - and the love He showed in providing Jesus for us.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 210 final tables in 560 games (37.5%) - 44 cashes. We've missed back-to-back final tables for the first time since July.

Poker Night 557: Couple's Therapy

It was a dark and rainy night. Then suddenly.... a poker game broke out.

That's as far as we'll go, in comparing Wednesday night's tournament at Hollywood Casino Indiana to Halloween. We made a good decision to avoid the "holiday" by playing poker there. Scarcely anyone there put on costumes. And the only "scares" at the table were the usual ones. You know....

BLINDS: 100/200

IN THE POCKET: K-Q offsuit

The one-hour break is approaching, and we need a rally. Despite winning an early pot or two, things have not gone well. Hands like 8-8 have fallen short. Now we have good cards in the leadoff position, with 9,350 chips from a starting 12,000. We limp in, as is our custom. The players on either side of us call, with no raises.

ON THE FLOP: Jh-10c-9c

WOW! The royal couple leads the way to a straight! But what will other players do? A woman in the Big Blind does us a favor, by betting 2,000. But then comes the "scare" - because two clubs are showing, so someone might be chasing a flush. We decide a patient play would be too risky.

"All-in," we announce - for 9,150. The man to our left wants nothing to do with that. But that woman thinks things over for about a minute. We simply smile at her, to "help" with her decision.

"I'll call," she finally says.

"Do you have the straight?" we ask.

"I'm on the way." She shows K-10, with no clubs.

"Because I do have the straight." We show our cards.

"Nice," she admits. But could she escape with a split, by getting the complete straight?

ON THE TURN: 9s

The board pairs. No worries there.

ON THE RIVER: 2s

We go to the first break thanking God! We double-up to 20,200 chips, while the woman is left with only about 800.

After the break, we quickly reached the final table after a round of blinds with 19,600. But attempts to be creative failed from there. We survived to the second break with 8,200. Then with blinds climbing, we tried to force the issue by pushing with K-J. But a different woman made a full house to knock us out. Our money run ends, with an eighth-place finish on a 14-player night.

MINISTRY MOMENT: Only one dealer dressed up in a "costume" of any kind for the tournament, and that man simply put on an orange reflective vest. "Keep it as simple as possible," he explained.

We thanked our opening dealer for the fact that the poker room seemed to be a "Halloween-free zone." And we said a couple of times about the event, "Give the devil his don't" - as opposed to "his due."

If you think Halloween is simply a big money-making project for costume companies and other businesses.... well, that's true. But its roots are in something very ungodly:

The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. - II Corinthians 4:4

That "god of this age" isn't the God of creation. It's Satan the devil - promoting darkness instead of light. Or have you noticed how dark, scary things dominate Halloween-related events and traditions? Here are some examples....

Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. - Deuteronomy 18:10-11

It may seem like harmless fun in late October. But the Bible shows God views it differently:

Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord.... You must be blameless before the Lord your God. - Deuteronomy 18:12-13

As one study Bible explains in its notes: consult with God about the questions of life - maybe even about whether you should play poker. Any other method goes outside God, and will not have his blessing.

Visit this link to learn more on the history of Halloween (and related events such as the "Day of the Dead" and "Guy Fawkes Day").

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 209 final tables in 557 games (37.5%) - 44 cashes.

Poker Night 556: Mercy-Me

What do poker players do when their local football team has a big game on TV? We've been in places where they showed up to play, and tracked the game between hands. In Cincinnati, they don't. The poker room at Jack Casino cleared out tonight, as kickoff approached for the Bengals and Kansas City.

That means our poker trip was well-timed. We put on a Chiefs hat (since we're from that area), entered the evening tournament - and found ourselves in a game with a grand total of 10 players. Our job was to make the money, and avoid being harassed by Bengal supporters....

BLINDS: 150/300

IN THE POCKET: 9-10 of clubs

Good cards have been scarce for us so far, and we've scarcely seen any flops. But because we've played patiently, two starting tables already have been combined into one "final" one at the third level

We're one of seven players right now, with about 12,000 chips out of a starting 15,000. This is a Big Blind hand, and no one raises. So we're happy to get in cheap with suited connectors. About four players take part.

ON THE FLOP: J-8-4 (not sure of suits, but one is a club)

We have an open-ended straight draw, so the clubs aren't really an issue. We check. So does everyone else.

ON THE TURN: Q

Bingo! The straight is ours. The Small Blind checks. We think about betting - but then notice four different suits are on the board. So we slow-play again by checking. A man across the table rewards that, by betting 700. Of course we call; other players fold.

ON THE RIVER: 2

A meaningless card. So should we bet now? We decide against it, checking to the aggressor. He responds by tossing out 1,000. Now it's time.

"I'll raise - 3,000," we say.

Then our opponent surprises us. "I'm all-in." For a lot more. This is a simple call for us.

"Did you hit the straight?" we ask.

"Two pair," he says as he turns the cards over. We never saw what the cards were. They didn't matter.

"I did hit the straight," we reveal. The opponent is surprised - and out of the running. A huge win puts us above 20,000 chips.

We kicked out a second player when we called an all-in bet with A-10. Those cards won a race over K-J, and we reached a high of 25,075 chips. The grind was on from there - reaching the two-hour break at 23,000, with only three players scheduled to earn prize money.

With four players left, we won an all-in bet with 6-6 over a skeptical man who had 6-7. Then we saw 8-8 and pushed again - but a man called us with two pair. He won that race, and we finished one slot away from....

Well, hold on. Then we made a parting humorous comment to the dealer, as we shook the other players' hands. "You'll notice no one offered to pay 'bubble boy' money" (for the player one out of the official money).

"I can do that!" said a man to our right. The other remaining players agreed with him! They reached into their wallets and gave us $20 bills! So from an $80 buy-in, we received an unofficial consolation prize of $60. Our second "bubble boy" finish at Jack Casino this year is as good as a cash win to us. So thanks to God, for three "moneys" in a row!

MINISTRY MOMENT: The man to our immediate right said at the end of one hand, "Lord, have mercy!"

Of course, that called for a reply from us. "I think God has more mercy on us than we know."

And you know.... that's what we received at the end of tonight's tournament. The three remaining players had mercy on us for hanging in there more than three hours. And it's something God is famous for giving....

Remember, O Lord, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old. - Psalm 25:6

Poker can seem like a cut-throat game at times. But we've found many players leave that attitude at the table, as they play hands. They can be very giving at other times - in fact, sometimes putting us to shame. Are you like them? We think Jesus wants you to be:

But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back.... Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. - Luke 6:35-36

If God truly gave us what we deserved, Earth would be a barren place. That's because we've all sinned (Romans 3:23), and God punishes sin with death (Romans 6:23). The Lord Jesus who said those words was a walking example of God's mercy, because His life paid the penalty of our sins. That's a Lord worth following, and a God worth worshipping.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 208 final tables in 556 games (37.4%) - 44 cashes. We have no control over how many players show up for a tournament, so a one-table game is still a "final table" to us.

Poker Night 555: The Hunt for Green October

A surprising sight awaited us as we climbed into the car for work today. Red stains were on the passenger's seat and steering wheel. A check of the wheel confirmed.... ketchup from a cheeseburger.

Why were they there, and what does this have to do with poker? The answer to the latter - everything. We'll explain the other part, as we review a memorable Wednesday night at Hollywood Casino Indiana....

BLINDS: 600/1,200 (hand is from memory, as best we recall)

IN THE POCKET: King of clubs-King of spades

It's been an evening with more ups than downs. After winning two of the first three hands, our starting stack of 12,000 chips went to 15,025 - but a big loss late in Hour 1 left us with 9,025 at the break. Then we had a "two-hand slam" (as we call it) in Hour 2, with unshown K-K and a revealed A-K gaining us huge pots.

We reached the final table with 48,900 chips. Now it's Hour 3, with eight players remaining. Nice cards like these call for a raise, and we make it 3,000 to go. Two other players call.

ON THE FLOP: 6h-2h-10c

It looks like the coast is clear. We offer a continuation bet of 3,000. But across from us sits a man who looks amazingly like a church friend from our Wichita years. He has a huge stack - and he goes all-in. The player between us folds.

"Wow," we say. We didn't expect that move, and now we wonder what's up. Does that man have pocket Aces? Did he somehow make two pair out of that flop? A call to find out would take us from a nice stack to the rail.

"The book says to play these," we add.

"I haven't read the book," our opponent responds. Which may explain what he did.

We're in a position to make the money (top three), and don't want to blow it at a moment like this. So....

"I may regret this. But I'm going to fold." We take a moderate-sized loss, to avoid a huge mistake.

Then that man surprises us again. He shows.... 6-6! He bet big, because he had three of a kind. "I had to be careful, with hearts out there."

"Did you have hearts?" another man asks us. We reluctantly admit we did not.

We seldom do this, but we question our opponent's strategy here. If he had called the flop, he could have persuaded us to bet bigger on the turn - and potentially drain us a bit more slowly. But the push was a red flag, and we heeded it. (And another thing: would you have shown your 6-6 afterward?)

Playing it safe and steady worked for us from there. Our stack never became dangerously low, and we had 43,000 chips when the fourth-place player was eliminated. That meant we made the money for the first time in Lawrenceburg.... and the second tournament in a row!

At that point, our strategy changed. We had a regular job to do at 7:30 a.m. Thursday, so we were in a rare situation of attempting to give our chips away. After an "aggressive" gain or two (as that big-stack man put it), we finally pushed with K-J. The big stack had pocket 3's, and they won the race. (He wound up winning the tournament minutes later.)

Our $70 buy-in resulted in a $197 payoff. We drove home at 11:00 p.m., thankful to God for what's turning into a huge October at the table. And we stopped on the way to the freeway at the McDonald's drive-thru - for two victory cheeseburgers we could devour during the drive. So those ketchup stains developed in the dark - and are an unusual sign of poker success.

MINISTRY MOMENT: One man who made the final table was visiting from the Cumberland Lake area of southern Kentucky. He was in our area for the funeral of a friend he made while serving in the Vietnam conflict.

"That's why I have hope in the resurrection," we told him. "The dead will rise again."

The man didn't respond to our idea, and continued to tell war stories. But is that your hope? Do you want to see friends and loved ones again - people who may have died this month, or even decades ago?

Atheism offers no such hope. You're born, you die, and that's that. There was even a branch of Judaism in Jesus Christ's day which lacked that hope....

Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question. - Mark 12:18

Their influence apparently remained on some people, even after Jesus was resurrected. An apostle had to reassure believers....

If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. - I Corinthians 15:19

But the good news (otherwise known as gospel) is that a resurrection is coming. It was promised by Jesus while He walked the earth:

For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done. - Matthew 16:27

Why would Jesus hand out rewards to people who are dead? The only way we can appreciate them is by living again.

But here's the thing: the Bible says there will be more than one resurrection of the dead. How can that be? See if you can find it in the Scriptures, and we'll explain in a future post.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 207 final tables in 555 nights (37.3%) - 43 cashes. Since marking 500 tournaments last year, we've won money seven times in 55 tries, or almost 13 percent of the time!

Poker Night 554: Jack 360

Have you ever played a poker tournament where someone made the final table twice? We saw it happen tonight at Jack Casino. So few players entered the Sunday night tourney that at least one eliminated man was able to re-buy his way into the final table before the first break. That wasn't the only memorable part of the night for us....

BLINDS: 1,200/2,400

IN THE POCKET: Queen-Jack of clubs

While others kept spending $80 a seat for a second chance in this game, we earned our way to the final table. After winning several pots, we've built a chip stack of about 19,000 after starting with 15,000. Now with eight players left, we have strong suited connectors. No one raises, so we limp in. Two other players are with us.

ON THE FLOP: Ac-Kh-10s (Suits might not be precise)

We hit the jackpot! And we want or straight to pay off right now. So after the first player checks, we go all-in. When a man to our left also goes all-in, we smell a big payday.

But first, there's a man to our right - someone who rebought four times to reach this point. "I've got you all beat right now," he declares. (If he's trying to draw a tell from us, we're trying to avoid it.)  "Unless you've got Queen-Jack...."

"I could have a lot of things," we admit in a non-committal way.

Then the man to our right turns over his cards! They're K-10 offsuit.

"Can he do that?" we ask the dealer.

"I can," says our opponent. "I'm last up, either way." The dealer doesn't confirm that view, so the opponent goes back into the tank. Finally he chooses to fold.

"By the way, I do have the straight," we say as we show our cards.

But what about that man to the left? He flips over.... Q-J! His are in spades. So this hand isn't quite settled yet.

ON THE TURN: 8s

Uh-oh - he's one spade away from a winning flush.

ON THE RIVER: 8h

A sigh of relief from us. A fist-bump for our opponent on the left, and an overall gain from a split pot.

Big cards came in spurts for us throughout the evening. A-K was strong enough to eliminate two players at the final table. Then we went dry, as the remaining players started grinding toward the money. Three players would be paid, out of 24 total entries.

We scored timely wins with A-J and 9-8 in the Big Blind. A man to our left clearly seemed to be gunning for us, but we were cagey and refused to over-commit.

Finally, four players were left. That man refused to accept a "chop" of the prize money. But after several setbacks impacting his huge chip stack, he finally accepted the split at around 10:00 p.m. At last - we really made the money at a tournament in our new area!

The four-way split gave each player $360. And because the Tournament Director filled out the names of winners from the bottom up, being last in line gained us the unofficial position of first place. We don't really think we were the chip leader at the end. But boy, that looks good!

We thank God for finally getting a breakthrough to "the money" after a strong final-table record in the Cincinnati area. (We had a "bubble boy" game in June.) It's our third cash win of 2018, and the biggest since Thanksgiving week of 2017 - just in time for Canadian Thanksgiving on Monday.

MINISTRY MOMENT: At one key final table moment, a man to our right exclaimed, "Jesus Christ!"

"He's my hope of salvation," we said - something that's become a common response for us.

"He's the only hope I've got!" the man surprisingly replied. "He's the only one you've got, too."

This was a talkative man who had downed a few beers. Yet we agreed on that key point. If you think you can save yourself by a long list of good deeds, we point you to the apostle Peter:

After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them.... "No! We believe it is through the grace of the Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are." - Acts 15:7, 11

The words "just as they are" may bring back memories of an old Christian song. The context here is that "Gentiles" can receive salvation, as well as members of the tribe of Judah (the "they" and "we" of verse 11). How does this happen?

But because Jesus lives forever.... Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. - Hebrews 7:24-25

We all sin in one way or another, violating God's rules (Romans 3:23). But if we repent of our sins, Jesus Christ the Son can intercede at the throne of God the Father to grant us forgiveness.

Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. - Hebrews 7:27

To go back to that song, it can start right where you are. It officially did for us on a cold January night years ago. Salvation will become final and complete when Jesus returns and the saints of God are resurrected. But we're trying to walk in that path now. We hope that man at the poker table is as well - and we hope the same for you.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 206 final tables in 554 games (37.2%) - 42 cashes.

Poker Day 552: The Farm Hour

When you think of Catholics and gambling, what game comes to mind? Your first thought may be bingo. But today, we found a place where the Catholics tolerate poker.

While Cincinnati is considered a major league sports city, Dayton, Ohio about 50 miles north is considered "minor league." We headed north on Interstate 75 to see if the poker is "farm team" level as well, and found several tables set up at the Catholic Order of Foresters Hall in suburban Riverside.

On a Sunday afternoon, there was only enough interest for one tournament table. You can't blame the pricing; the $30 buy-in was the cheapest we've seen in years. Five of those dollars goes to a rotating charity; the supervisor couldn't remember if the heart or cancer society was benefiting right now. But one player left when that woman refused to turn a TV on for the opening Sunday of pro football season.

When the price of poker is cheap, the play sometimes can get wild. Take this example.....

BLINDS: 100/200

IN THE POCKET: Ace-King of spades

Arriving early and adding $5 for the "charity chips" allowed us to begin at 12,000. But a man named Bud sitting next to us has doubled that in a hurry. He had 2-4, made two pair on the flop and eliminated a big bettor with a strong pocket pair.

So now we're in the Big Blind, a bit wary by what others are doing. When no one at the table of seven raises, we add 500 on top with "big slick." Bud calls, but a man at the left end of the table re-raises to 1,500. We call, as does Bud.

ON THE FLOP: 7s-2d-Qs

We miss the flop, so we check. Bud doesn't. He goes all-in. The man on the far left pushes as well.

Now comes a big decision. We're one card from the nut flush, which could bring a huge payoff. But Bud by his own admission is on a roll; he's made a winning straight as well in the early going. This smells too good to be true, so....

"I'm going to fold," we say. We're not even 15 minutes into the tournament, and want to stick around a while.

Bud now shows.... 2-2! He has three of a kind. The man on his left reluctantly turns over pocket Aces.

"I had one of your Aces," we tell him. But was our hunch right?

ON THE TURN: 3h

So far it is....

ON THE RIVER: Kc

Indeed it was! We missed the flush, and our pair of Kings would have been cracked along with those Aces. The man on the left is eliminated, and we pretend to fan Bud because he's so hot.

A couple of big hands came our way as well, in a "turbo" tourney that moved so fast we were down to five players at the 30-minute mark. A-10 led to a winning full house (not shown). Then J-10 led to a flop of K-Q-8 which brought a double-up beyond 20,000.

With the one-hour break approaching, only four players remained (unless re-buys occurred during the break). We saw K-Q suited and raised pre-flop. Wouldn't you know it - Bud called. And when the flop came Q-7-3, he called our all-in bet of 14,000.

"I hit the 3," he said. "But I also have another 3."

YEOW! He did it again! The last two cards didn't save us, and we left in one hour with a fourth-place finish. It's officially a final table, and quite a memorable one at that.

MINISTRY MOMENT: We took our "Lord's Supper" card protector, which wound up fitting in well at a "Catholic" hall. It had the dealer (the supervisor doing double duty) interested.

"I don't think He looked like that," we said when she turned it over to show a depiction of Jesus Christ. "I don't think He had long hair."

If you're new here, we base that view on this section of the Bible:

Isn't it obvious that it's disgraceful for a man to have long hair? - I Corinthians 11:14(NLT)

This prompted some good Biblical thinking from several people at the table. One man remembered the following verse....

And isn't long hair a woman's pride and joy? For it has been given to her as a covering. - I Corinthians 11:15 (NLT)

But one man to our right took issue with that view. "What about Samson? He had long hair, and it was the source of his strength."

That's a good question - and we admittedly didn't have a good immediate answer for that. After checking later, we think the best answer is embedded in the Biblical account of Samson. You'll find it in the Old Testament book of Judges. Please leave a comment with your thoughts - what do you think it is? We'll compare notes in an upcoming post.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 203 final tables in 552 games (36.8%) - 36 cashes.

Poker Day 551: Going Greens

It's been about six years since we were off on Labor Day. So were took advantage of the privilege to enter a holiday morning poker tournament at Jack Casino - making sure we thanked the dealers and cashiers who were on duty. So was it a paid holiday for us?

BLINDS: 200/400

IN THE POCKET: Q-J of spades

Early efforts have not gone well for us. Our starting stack of 15,000 chips eroded to about 9,500, before we won a modest pot to begin a comeback. Now we're in the Big Blind at a seven-player table with 11,450, and have set out four stacks of lime-green chips worth 25 each.

"You don't like greens?" a man to our left asks.

"Sometimes I don't have any choice," we say. Such as now.

After the cards are dealt, that man raises to 1,200. "You don't seem to like orange," we point out. (An orange chip is worth 1,000). But with strong suited connectors, we call - taking back some of those greens as we do. We're now heads-up.

ON THE FLOP: Qc-2d-Qd

A Big Blind Special, if there ever was one! But we humbly check to the raiser. He offers 2,000.

"Raise," we say. We go up to 5,000. Our opponent calls, with a bit of a shrug.

ON THE TURN: K

This card is a bit concerning. What if he has something like K-Q? This time, we're not waiting.

"I'm all-in," we say - pushing in our last 5,250. This puts our opponent in the tank.

"So you're saying you have a Queen."

"I could be saying a lot of things," we tell him. The last thing we want to do is say his read is right.

"But I can't really get off these," he muses. After several moments, he calls with fewer chips - and shows pocket Aces. Our three of a kind will win, if we dodge one card.

ON THE RIVER: 7

Yea - for a change, we do! The man arrived late to the table, and leaves early - while we expand to more than 24,000 chips.

More success came minutes later, as K-J brought K-J-9 on the flop. We dared to call an opponent's push for more than 13,000, and our two pair wound up eliminating two men! It brought our most massive chip harvest in years, and led to a high of nearly 48,000.

That helped us through a dry period, and we reached the two-hour break at 35,350. But then, an amazing evaporation happened. We lost 3,000 to a pre-flop raise, then another 9,000 in the Big Blind when our pair of Kings lost to the Small Blind's 7-5 which made two pair.

Then with a push across the table and a caller, we saw A-J and dreamt big. We went all-in for about 19,000 - but a woman with Q-Q topped both us and the pusher with A-7. A day where we thought we could cruise to the final table ended with us falling short, finishing with a head-scratching tie for 15th place.

MINISTRY MOMENT: Jack Casino is a stickler when it comes to playing out of turn. A man at our first table received a one-hand penalty simply for a checking motion. So we waited later to be sure the player ahead of us acted, before doing anything.

"Don't want to wind up in the sin bin," a man sitting to our left said when we explained it. That phrase gave us a thought.

"You know, we've all sinned," we told the man, "and come short of the glory of God."

The man pondered a moment. "Did that come from a 2,000-year-old book? That's been translated about 5,000 times?"

Why yes.... yes, it did. Do you know where we found that?

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.... - Romans 3:23

"But that book [the Bible] has the way out of sin," we responded.

We waited for a reaction, but the statement brought nothing but silence. We're not sure if the man knows what that way is or not. Do you know?

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." - John 14:6

A lot of applications are embedded in these words. But let's focus on Jesus being the way. He likened Himself elsewhere to being a door (as the King James Version puts it) or a gate....

I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. - John 10:9

We enter God's holy throne through Jesus the Son (Hebrews 10:19-22) - and salvation comes to us through Jesus Christ. But there's something you need to do:

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. - I John 1:9

Confess them, then repent of them - turning your ways and life over to God, and away from the sins you've been doing. Perhaps you do them while playing poker. Search yourself, asking God for His help in discovering what they are. Then act on what He shows you. There's no penalty for doing that.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 203 final tables in 551 games (36.8%) - 36 cashes. After six months in our new area, we're still at 10 final tables in 18 tries!

Slot, Pop and Play

Casinos are filled with them. We tend to walk right by them. But this evening, we were challenged to be successful at them - for two minutes.

Jack Casino invited us to its August "Birthday Bash". (Now you know our birthday month.) The main event was a free-entry slot tournament, with $2,500 in free play at stake. All we had to do was post one of the five highest scores in a two-hour span.

Our game time was 6:20 p.m. We stood behind the early leader, who racked up more than 100,000 points at 6:05. Doris's strategy was simple: pound the "play" button on the slot machine as quickly as you could, and watch the screen to touch balloons that occasionally appeared for thousands of bonus points.

"May the best button-pusher win," we said to a man next to us when our turn came.

Our tongue was only partly in-cheek. This tournament reminded us of why we avoid slots and prefer playing poker. Slot machines tend to be mindless, with no real skill involved. If you think religion is that way as well.... well, it really shouldn't be. Consider what Jesus told one man:

He answered, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'....." "You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live." - Luke 10:27-28

Jesus was talking about how to obtain eternal life (verse 25). It's an "all-in" process - and that includes loving God with "all your mind." Does that mean turning your brain off at the church door? We believe it's exactly the opposite....

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things. - Philippians 4:8

For instance, it means thinking over whether poker players are telling "true stories" in the way they play their hands. It also means thinking carefully about what God really expects of your life....

...But test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. - I Thessalonians 5:21 (NLT)

Sometimes the "gospel truth" well-intentioned people bring you is really "fake news." You can prove fact from fiction by comparing those comments with the Bible. If you're not a Bible reader, we recommend doing it daily to understand God properly.

But we digress....

The countdown went to zero, and our "two-minute drill" was on! We pressed the slot machine's "play" button with our right hand about six times a second, while saving our left hand for balloons to pop. We saw "second place" on our screen at one point early, and noticed we were above 60,000 points at the one-minute mark (everyone starts with 10,000).

"We want balloons!" we said to the machine several times, changing hands for the "play" button to avoid slowing down. To our knowledge, we didn't miss any balloons. But were we strong enough to win?

"You beat me!" we said to the man on our right after the clock reached zero. Our final score: 82,035 points. He was above 88,000. Based on the early results, 100,000 or more probably would be required to "make the money" - and we were only sixth in our group.

With our daily exercise (as we called it) completed, we walked over to the birthday party area. Jack's email promised cupcakes, but Jack topped that (for a change) with a full two-flavor cake, cookies and punch.

"If I had eaten the cake before the game, I might have done better," we joked to people around us. Perhaps a "sugar rush" would have made us press buttons faster. Instead, we settled for a consolation prize of a small win at a blackjack table.

In contrast to this, Hollywood Casino Indiana awarded us $15 in "birthday comps" on our card - good for a couple of free meals at one of the restaurants. Which deal do you think was better? Use your mind to comment - and even to worship the God who makes these moments possible.

Poker Night 549: Monsters' Ball

Courtesy Fox19.com

If we had gone to Jack Casino for poker tonight, we might have encountered this. A small "colony" of homeless people (their word for it) has set up a tent camp across from the casino.

We left it to that group to send someone inside, to try and win enough money to gain everyone housing. They probably would have done better than we did tonight at the alternative, Hollywood Casino Indiana....

BLINDS: 25/50

IN THE POCKET: 9-9

It's the fourth hand of the night, with a full table of ten. The previous hand brought an awe-striking fold - as a woman with pocket Kings gave them up, when a man with pocket Aces went all-in pre-flop.

We were in the Big Blind then, and folded a measly 4-8. Now we're in the Small Blind, and no one has raised.

"I'm not going to do what he did," we say, "but I'll raise." We make it 150 to go, and three players take us on.

ON THE FLOP: 8s-8d-8h

It's a toll-free flop - and an immediate full house for us! This calls for a continuation bet, to see who's simply chasing big cards. We put out 400. The first opponent folds. The second calls. The third folds. So we're heads-up.

ON THE TURN: 4h

We doubt this helped our opponent at all. But what does he have? A full house of his own? We check, hoping to get a clue - but he checks, too.

ON THE RIVER: 2h

Now three hearts are showing. If he stumbled into a flush, we still have him topped. The larger concern is a larger pocket pair. So we make a rather cautious bet of 500.... and he raises to 2,500.

We've taken the lead in this hand, so we feel compelled to see it through to the end. We call. "Do you have a full house?" we ask.

"I have the 8," he says. OUCH!!! He hit quads on the flop, then waited us out! A good, well-played monster hand for him. We won a few hundred chips back minutes later with a hidden A-Q.

But then, when a man raised to 1,100, we saw pocket Aces in the Big Blind. Pushing like that earlier player did would have seemed too obvious, so we raised to 3,500. He called - and the flop was K-Q-10. For no good reason except to scare him away, we bet 5,000. Our opponent went all-in. We feared the worst, but called anyway. His cards: Q-Q. The turn and river didn't save us, and we finished our worst poker night this year - first out, in under 30 minutes.

MINISTRY MOMENT: "We're all playing with a short deck," the dealer said at one point in the early minutes.

"Now you're getting philosophical," we told him with tongue-in-cheek. But we admitted, "I need to grow in knowledge." And when our turn with the cards came, we explained, "I need to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ."

That reminder comes right out of the New Testament:

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen. - II Peter 3:18

These closing words of the apostle Peter should be taken in their entirety. For years, we attended church groups that emphasized the "knowledge" part - but on knowing scriptures, more than knowing the One who is the focus of Scripture. The two should go hand-in-hand....

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. - Colossians 1:9

Spiritual wisdom means a "sound mind" (II Timothy 1:7, KJV). We'll admit we really didn't have it in our last hand of the night.

We should have realized the flop gave our opponent an excellent chance of hitting two high pair or three of a kind. Yet instead of making the awe-striking fold like that woman did, we did our own version of "going on tilt" - hoping the longshots that bit us recently would turn around and help us.

So the knowledge of Jesus Christ is important - but so is His grace. We need it, after clearly making a bad decision to go out for a poker night instead of staying home to work on other things. But thankfully, we can do this....

Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. - Hebrews 4:16

Do you need God's mercy for some reason - perhaps something much bigger than a poker meltdown? Ask God for it in prayer, repenting of sin if the case requires it. He's willing to listen and forgive.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 202 final tables in 549 games (36.8%) - 41 cashes.

Poker Night 548: When Push Comes to Shove

We have some serious soul-searching to do, after tonight's poker tournament at Jack Casino. We'll explain why, after we review a hand that turned our night around....

BLINDS: 200/400

IN THE POCKET: A-5 offsuit

We've won a few modest pots. We've lost a few as well, so we sit at around 10,100 chips - below our starting allocation of 15,000 chips. This hand is worth playing, but carefully. We get in small, and no one raises. As we recall, three players are in at a small table of six.

ON THE FLOP: Ah-2h-3d

We make top pair, and have a straight draw to boot. But the heavy-set man sitting to our left wants to be the aggressor. He bets 800. Given what we have, we certainly call. Now we're heads-up.

ON THE TURN: Qc

That missed for us. Maybe our opponent senses that, because he raises the stakes to 1,600. We suspect he has an Ace - but does he have a better kicker? We still have top pair, so we call with it.

ON THE RIVER: Kh

Another high card only complicates things further. Our opponent doesn't back down, betting another 1,600. We have 7,500 left, and have invested a lot of chips in this pot. We fear he has us out-kicked. So we sense there's only one thing left to do.

"I'm all-in," we say. Consider the fact that the bets have been modest, with no increase on the river. That leads us to think our opponent is not all that comfortable with his cards. Are we right?

"I was afraid you'd hit that flush," he says - and folds! Flush?!?! Oh yeah. Now we notice three hearts are showing. But we didn't have any hearts. Only, well, a "brave-heart" bluff that takes a big pot.

Some big winning cards came after that - including A-10 which turned into three of a kind, and unshown pocket Kings for a Big Blind special win. We cautiously reached the final table with 22,600 chips.

But now comes the soul-searching part. With nine players left, we limped in with A-Q. A man pushed, we called him - and he had A-J!

"I don't feel very good about this, sir," he said.

"I'm sorry," we answered....

ON THE FLOP: J-x-x (don't remember the other cards)

...."But I think you feel better about it now!" Our opponent leads. The table is entranced, as the dealer moves on....

ON THE TURN: Q

But now we lead! And we have a Jack flashback. "Two times ago when I was here [really three], this sort of thing happened...."

ON THE RIVER: J

".... and it just happened AGAIN!!" we exclaim. Another amazing case of the lead changing three times in five cards - with the opponent making a "two-outer" for three of a kind!

The opponent had a few more chips than we did. So we left the poker room mumbling to ourselves. At least we reached the final table again, but a ninth-place finish left us disappointed.

MINISTRY MOMENT: A frustrating loss for another player as the final table approached led him to mutter, "Jesus Christ."

"King of Kings and Lord of Lords," we said in response.

The man said nothing about our reaction. But it comes from a big event that may not be very far away....

I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. - Revelation 19:11

This is a vision about a coming conquering King. Can you guess the identity? Keep reading for more clues....

He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. - Revelation 19:13

The apostle John wrote these words - and he also wrote that "the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning" (John 1:1-2). That Word/God "became flesh" (verse 14), leading to the obvious conclusion that it refers to Jesus Christ. But back to that vision....

On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: King of Kings and Lord of Lords. - Revelation 19:16

Read the entire chapter to learn about the real "war to end all wars." A sword is prophesied to come out of the rider's mouth to "strike down the nations" (verses 15, 21). A time of judgment for all people will follow that (Revelation 20:12). We think it will be far better to be on the right side of Biblical history....

Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection.... they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years. - Revelation 20:6

Only three players won money at the poker tournament tonight. Many more can be part of the first resurrection, to join Jesus as He returns to Earth. Will you accept Him as your Savior, to help make that victory possible?

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 202 final tables in 548 games (36.9%) - 41 cashes.

Poker Night 545: Push or Be Pushed

President Trump revealed his latest U.S. Supreme Court nominee tonight. But in the poker room at JACK Casino Cincinnati, that was the last thing on people's minds. Their attention was focused on "Ohio Cup" baseball between Cincinnati and Cleveland, as well as the Monday night poker tournament. That was true with us, too - and you'll read why....

BLINDS: 4,000/8,000/1,000 ante

IN THE POCKET: Ace of spades-10 of clubs

If the blinds are this high and an ante has been added, you can guess it's been a good night for us. We won some modest pots early to build a stack, then scored an all-in breakthrough late in the first term when our A-Q beat pocket 9's. We finished that two-hour session at 27,200 chips.

Other pushers failed after that, allowing us to reach the final table on a three-table night with 22,200. Then with nine players left, we accepted a pushing contest with Q-Q and won it - eliminating two players, and jumping our stack above 55,000! Another big showdown with Q-Q found us against pocket Aces, yet we won that and eliminated another man with a club flush!

Now five players are left. Only three will win money. We have about 34,000 chips - but with blinds so high and antes in every hand on top of that, that's still a precarious amount. A man across from us raises to 22,200. We see our cards, ponder for a moment, then decide these are big cards in a small table.

"I'm all-in," we say. Other players get out of the way, leaving the original bettor.

"You're probably ahead," he says - but he's committed to the pot, so he calls. He shows.... J-9! Yes, we start the race with the lead.

ON THE FLOP: 9-4-K (last two cards not precise)

Uh-oh. Our opponent has a pair of 9's. Now he's in front - but we have six outs.

ON THE TURN: Ac

"Yes!" we say. We've regained the lead with top pair! If we can dodge a Jack or 9 on the river, we'll double up and be a good deal more secure....

ON THE RIVER: 9

Wow! The third lead change in as many cards gives our opponent a victorious two pair, and sends us out the door. It's as dramatic an ending as you'll see in poker, and leaves us in fifth place out of 25 entrants.

(If a few more players had shown up, Jack would have increased the payout to six players - and that would have meant money for us. So this was a double blow.)

MINISTRY MOMENT: Several times when we won big hands, we told the players around us, "I'd be writing PTL if I was online right now!"

No one asked what that meant. But a few people seemed to know, and we explained to others - it's "Praise the Lord." That shorthand was part of a religious television scandal years ago, but PTL is still good to do. And it's good to start early....

From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise.... - Psalm 8:2

The King James Version translates the start of this verse: "Out of the mouths of babes...." Have you noticed how many people stop the verse right there, to respond to a cute or stunning thing a toddler or pre-schooler says? But those mouths are supposed to praise God! And here's why....

....because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. - Psalm 8:2b

The right word at the right time, even from a child, can shut up a scoffer or an opponent. Adults should be even more ready to give praise....

I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. - Psalm 63:4

This verse explains why some people raise their hands in worship services. You can praise God in song (verse 5), as well as with regular speech. And there are many reasons to offer praise, beyond winning a poker hand or two....

Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits - who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion. - Psalm 103:2-4

The ultimate redemption for believers will come when Jesus Christ returns to Earth, as resurrected saints join Him in eternal life. That will be something worth praising - forever!

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 201 final tables in 545 games (36.9%) - 41 cashes. In our new home area, the count is now nine final tables out of 12!

Pocketing Ten

Tonight is a big moment for this little blog. Shortly after midnight U.S. Eastern time will be the tenth anniversary of our first post!

That first post was about a memorable hand a few nights before, at a west Georgia bar's weekly tournament. This blog actually is a spinoff from another blog we wrote for several years about the city where we lived. We've moved out of that city (two moves in all), but still like to play poker when we can.

From the start, we've tried to make this a blog about far more than poker. That's because we think there are parallels between the game and real life - and even spiritual life. Throughout the ten years, we've asked God to bless our efforts, because....

As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: it will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. - Isaiah 55:10-11

In other words, we want the words we put here to reflect the word of God....

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." - Isaiah 55:8-9

We don't claim to have any genius when it comes to poker. But God is smarter than anyone else, whether or not they play cards.

For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength. - I Corinthians 1:25

We've allowed you to comment on our blog posts for ten years - but to be honest, the response has been very small. So we're asking you to leave an "anniversary comment" with this post, to see what the returns from it are. Has this blog taught you anything - about poker or otherwise? Have you gained from it in some way? Are there things we could do better? Please let us know.

In the meantime, we hope you'll take the advice of a new song. Go "All In" - not necessarily the next time you're dealt cards, but in a commitment to something (and Someone) greater.  

Poker Night 541: Steal a Pot, Steal a Taco

Did you take advantage of Taco Bell's giveaway Wednesday? It was called, "Steal a win, steal a taco" because Golden State won on the road during the pro basketball finals. We claimed our free taco(s), then drove to Hollywood Casino Indiana hoping to claim something bigger....

BLINDS: 400/800

IN THE POCKET: A-J offsuit

The first hour of play was mostly lower for us, although we turned pocket Jacks into three of a kind which eliminated a player. We reached the final table with 8,900 chips out of a starting 12,000.

Now we're down to 5,000 chips in the Small Blind, with nine players left. We have pretty good cards and no one has raised, but we play conservatively and simply call. We recall four players being in the hand.

ON THE FLOP: 10-4-Q (middle card not precise)

That's why we played cautiously. We miss the flop, although we have a big straight draw. We check, but the Big Blind bets 2,000. Other players bail out, leaving us with a big decision. After pondering a moment, we decide on a power play.

"All of it," we declare - raising to 4,200. As a small stack, we don't have much to lose. If the Big Blind calls, we have about 10 outs. If not, at least we made another final table.

Our opponent spends a good deal of time thinking about this. Did we read a bluff correctly? When we think he's about to fold, he calls.

"Do you have a pair?" we ask with a bit of concern.

"Yeah," he says, "but not much of one." He turns over 2-2! So yes, he bluffed - but we have two very live cards.

ON THE TURN: 4

No, that wasn't it. One chance left.

ON THE RIVER: K

"Yes!" we say and pump our arm in victory. But for a moment, the female dealer doesn't grasp it. We're sitting to her immediate left, and she's hard of hearing in her left ear!

Other players point out the straight we made. We stay alive, and return to more than 10,000 chips.

The final table was relatively tight, and it took a long time to whittle down the field. But we took a player out with K-J, and received a 9 in the Big Blind which turned into quads!

We held on until four players were left. But after more than three hours of play, rising blinds finally were too expensive. We pushed in the Big Blind with Q-2. A woman called with K-6, and won the race when two more Kings hit the board. We finish fourth out of 14 players - the third time in six tournaments there that we've finished fourth! Too bad only the top two earned money.

MINISTRY MOMENT: A man sitting to our left won a pot with an A-5 straight, known in poker as the "wheel."

"There's an old song about that," we told him. "Ezekiel saw the wheel.... in the middle of the air."

The man seemed intrigued for a moment, but then became distracted by other players and hands. But are you familiar with that song? It's a "spiritual" that we sang in our youth, and it has its basis in the Bible....

As I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the ground beside each creature with his four faces. This was the appearance and structure of the wheels: They sparkled like chrysolite, and all four looked alike. Each appeared to be made like a wheel intersecting a wheel. - Ezekiel 1:15-16

What's going on here? The prophet Ezekiel is having "visions of God" (verse 1) - and he sees "what looked like four living creatures" (verse 5). Another section of his account helps explain....

The Lord said to the man clothed in linen, "Go in among the wheels beneath the cherubim. Fill your hands with burning coals from among the cherubim and scatter them over the city." And as I watched, he went in. - Ezekiel 10:2

So Ezekiel is watching "cherubim" in action - what our old hardbound dictionary calls "the second order of angels." It's quite different from the traditional pictures of cute angels. And one thing more about those wheels....

Their rims were high and awesome, and all four rims were full of eyes all around. - Ezekiel 1:18

Who needs "dash-cams" inside your car when you have eyeballs on wheels? And more to our point, what could all this possibly mean for us? Offer a comment if you'd like, and we'll get back to this section (and that song) in a future post.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: Tonight we mark 11 years of playing live tournaments - and we stand at 198 final tables in 541 games (36.6%), with 40 cashes. Since moving to our new area, the final table count is six out of eight!

Who's Afraid of the Big Banned Bluff?

It's one thing for towns, states or countries to ban poker games. It's another for a specific ad promoting poker to be banned.... and not because it's X-rated.

Courtesy Casino.org

Yet that's happened in Britain to a TV commercial for PokerStars (where we've played for years for free). It shows a man going all-in and winning a pot with 8-3. Britain has a government branch which monitors advertising, and it ruled the ad "could lead to financial harm."

The Advertising Authority explained some viewers (apparently poker newbies) might conclude all you have to do to win in poker is outbluff everybody else. A statement from PokerStars contended bluffing is a regular part of poker, and "not a reckless act in itself."

After thinking it over, we've concluded an absurd example (this ad) is being taken to an absurd extreme (this ban). What should PokerStars show instead? Pocket Aces? They get cracked online on a regular basis. A big winner wheeling around town in a Ferrari? That's equally as unlikely to happen as an 8-3 push.

 Of course, people should use wisdom when they play poker - especially if they dare to risk losing money in it. That's true away from the poker table as well....

Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be as wise as serpents and harmless as doves. - Matthew 10:16 (NKJV)

The people at a poker table may seem as friendly as can be. But in a cash game, make no mistake - they're hungry wolves seeking a profit. And in a tournament, it's safe to assume most of them are playing to win. So whether you bet, bluff or fold, careful play matters. And away from the table....

So be careful how you live. Don't live like fools, but like those who are wise. - Ephesians 5:15 (NLT)

That means not taking absurd poker commercials too literally. But it also can mean not being played as a fool by others who might go bluffing all-in themselves, hoping to scare you out of a good hand. Learning the balance takes time and experience - in poker and in life.

Let's open this up for your comments. If this PokerStars ad is out of bounds, have you seen other poker commercials that were even more misleading?

The Biggest All-In Ever

A poker tournament can be filled with dramatic moments. The only way to win, after all, is to accumulate everyone else's chips. So players have to go "all in" and risk everything they have, to get everything they want.

But nearly 2,000 years ago, the biggest all-in moment in recorded history occurred. The drama involved far more than poker chips. It involved your life - and the lives of all people, whether they realize it or not.

But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. - Romans 5:8 (NLT)

God the Father sent Jesus Christ the Son. They had been together in heaven for as long as anyone can envision. But Jesus came down to Earth and lived a perfect, sinless life to save us from eternal death.

This is real love - not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. - I John 4:10 (NLT)

Jesus went all the way to a hill called Calvary or Golgotha, sacrificing Himself. He had faith God would restore Him to life - and three days later, that resurrection happened. The "all in" bet worked.

The blood of Jesus can cover your sins, and bring you close to God where you might now be far away (Ephesians 2:13). Many believers in Jesus will recall that blood Thursday night, at a special worship service.

And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, "Each of you drink from it, for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many." - Matthew 26:27-28

Jesus also shared bread with His disciples, in a ceremony that's come to have many names. Some call it communion. Some say "Lord's supper." Others recall the Old Testament, and describe it as a "Christian Passover."

Whatever the name, it should be a meaningful event. To read much more about it, click here. If you'd rather play poker than keep a Passover, please read it with care and an open mind. You might find there's more to this life than a series of all-in bets.

Poker Day 529: She Persisted

If the "Time's Up" movement needs something to show how gender equity can work, we recommend checking poker tournaments. Women and men pay equal amounts to enter. Women and men have an equal chance to win the same amount of prize money. We faced what they used to call a "Battle of the Sexes" today at Kansas Star Casino....

BLINDS: 200/400

IN THE POCKET: 9-8 of clubs

The first hour of play started slowly, but then we won two nice pots - one of them with A-K. Our chip stack reached a high of 5,400 (starting from 3,500), and reached the first break at 4,925.

Now, after an attempt to hit it big failed with K-J of clubs, we have more clubs. Our stack is down to 3,800, but we hope mid-range suited connectors will give us an opportunity to make something sneaky and big. So we call, and four players are in.

ON THE FLOP: 9-K-8

Clubs, flubs. We make two pair - and with two pair showing, we're going for the pot right now. We bet 1,000. An older woman sitting to the dealer's left calls. Two other men bail out, leaving us heads-up.

ON THE TURN: 4

We can't imagine that card helped her. So we decide to be a hard-driving man. "All in," we say for our last 2,600. The woman ponders for only a moment - then chooses to call, with only 2,200 to offer.

"B", we say dramatically.... "98." We borrow from a local radio station. She turns over K-10 (the second card was so far away, it was hard to see) - top pair, but no more.

Let's analyze this. If the river is a 9 or an 8, she'll make a second pair BUT we'll make a full house. She can win the hand with either a 10 or a 4 to gain two better pair, or a third King. So she has eight outs - a lowly 18-percent chance.

ON THE RIVER: K

Ouch!!! For the second time in three weeks, a longshot river card comes up to bite us! She doubles up with change.... and we're left with a mere 400 chips.

After that loss, we were compelled to push with A-8. The board didn't pair for us, and someone made a pair of 9's to eliminate another man with us. We wound up tied for 22nd, and shaking our head again.

MINISTRY MOMENT: Kansas Star Casino has a nice deli conveniently located next to the poker room. We used points earned on our "Lucky Star" card to buy a free chocolate-chunk brownie. But we had to show not only our card, but a driver's license for identification.

"I'm legally old enough to eat this brownie," we joked to the server.

"I know," she answered, "but it's the dudes in the sky we have to answer to."

We thought about that statement a moment, then had a response. "It's God in the sky that I answer to."

Another woman behind the counter laughed at that comment. We think she got the point. We're not sure if our server heard it - but she obviously was talking about her casino bosses. We used the moment to think bigger....

This is what the Lord says: "Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house you will build for me? Where will my resting place be?" - Isaiah 66:1

The throne of God the Father is in heaven - but He's not alone there:

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. - Hebrews 12:2

The Father and Son are together in heaven. But we hope that deli server doesn't refer to the Godhead as "dudes." They are much more than that....

For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods.... ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name. - I Chronicles 16:25, 29

After all, this is the God who created you and me. He created the tongue and vocal cords for us to speak. Instead of dismissing all that with a casual word or two, shouldn't we give Him respect and honor?

Tremble before him, all the earth!.... Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let them say among the nations, "The Lord reigns!" - I Chronicles 16:30-31

You may work for "dudes," but God is divine. Be careful not to misuse His name, by taking it lightly (Deuteronomy 5:11).

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 191 final tables in 529 games (36.1%) - 39 cashes. Experiment update: down $175.