The Marathon Man (WSOP Edition)

As this year's World Series of Poker rolls on in Las Vegas, we're struck by how may events now have catchy titles. The "Deuce-to-Seven Lowball Triple Draw" admittedly sounds awfully nerdy. But we've mentioned the "Colossus" - and this weekend, the "Marathon" concluded.

Courtesy WSOP.com

Australia's Michael Addamo won the five-day Marathon, which had more than 1,600 entries. The name apparently comes from the fact that each level of blinds lasted 100 minutes, while your neighborhood poker room might increase the blinds after 15 or 20.

But let's be honest - don't most poker tournaments feel like marathons? Especially if you survive deep into the final table? The first table or two might seem like a sprint, as wild players take their chances and go bust early. But the fight to make the money takes time, and usually isn't easy.

A wise man once wrote about that - even though we don't think he ever played poker:

I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all. - Ecclesiastes 9:11

We've been surprised by how long "turbo" tournaments can last in our new area. Even with 15-minute blinds, it took more than three hours in our last event to whittle 14 players down to four.

Outside the poker room, our lives also can be like that. While Addamo won a bracelet at age 23, it came after four years of effort at the WSOP and other events. To reach the ultimate success in life can take far longer - a lifetime, in fact. But consider what's promised:

To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations... I will also give him the morning star. - Revelation 2:26, 28

Jesus Christ made this promise to a church in the city of Thyatira (verse 18). National authority under Jesus is the reward to those who "endure," as the King James Version puts it. That will happen when the Kingdom of God comes to Earth.

There's been some sad news lately about famous names dying from suicide. It's hard to argue they truly "endured to the end." If you're thinking about doing the same thing, read this letter from a church President. Then seek professional help, if necessary. Save the desperation push for A-Q in a Small Blind - while ending your marathon of life successfully.

Nguyen As In Win

The World Series of Poker's Main Event is not a "turbo" sprint. It's a marathon. And the final night proved it.

Qui Nguyen captured the title, the bracelet and about $8 million - but not before Gordon Vayo tested his will and endurance. The two played heads-up poker for eight hours, with Nguyen not prevailing until 3:20 this morning Las Vegas time - close to sunrise on the U.S. east coast.

Nguyen lives in the U.S., but immigrated from Vietnam in 2001. He admitted to ESPN while he won money in poker rooms in recent years, he lost a lot of money playing baccarat. "I decided myself to stop gambling," Nguyen said before the final table. "I will only play Baccarat for fun now ... small amounts and go home.”

That's a lesson many people who go to casinos should learn. Stay too long in a poker room or playing some other game, and odds are you'll lose a lot of money. There's a spiritual parallel to that....

Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy?... - Isaiah 55:2

We've heard preachers over the years turn this into a nutrition commentary - for whole wheat bread, and against "Wonder Bread." But we think there's a deeper point. There's more to life than the labors of work, or the indulgences of nice food:

...Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. - Isaiah 55:2b

What should we be eating for our souls? This may seem weird to some, but....

I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.... Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever. - John 6:51, 58

Jesus Christ said those words - and many people had trouble with them (verses 52, 60). While it can refer to a communion or "Lord's Supper" celebration, it also can refer to feasting on the things of God every day - through reading and studying the Bible, for example. After all, many people pray....

Give us each day our daily bread. - Luke 11:3

Jesus called Himself "the bread of life" (John 6:35). Living by His example can lead to eternal life - something far more fulfilling than games of baccarat, or even a WSOP bracelet. We hope Qui Nguyen comes to see his need for that bread of life - and that you will, too.

Survivor: Las Vegas

Perhaps the World Series of Poker Main Event should have that title above.  Out of 6,352 players, only nine will sit down at the final table in Las Vegas Monday evening.

The biographies of the finalists show a range of backgrounds -- players from Israel and the Netherlands, along with the U.S.; players who like to surf and play table tennis on their free time.  But we're struck by the fact that at least two of the "November Nine" are not full-time poker pros.  One is called simply a "hobbyist" -- which in a way describes us as well.

People who do something only on a part-time basis can have a little bit of success.  (Check our final table numbers on the days we play.)  Full-time poker players probably do better in the long run, because they utilize their skills on a regular basis.  And God requires a similar commitment from us:

So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good. - I Peter 4:19

Sometimes you can spot the difference between a halfway-committed follower of God and one who's, well, all-in.  Their words or actions give them away.  If you can see it, imagine how quickly God can spot it.

Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm.  Let nothing move you. Always give ourselves fully to the  work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. - I Corinthians 15:58

Work for God will be rewarded in the end -- especially if you work for Him until the end:

....Because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free. - Ephesians 6:8

So who will be rewarded in Las Vegas this week?  We think JC Tran will utilize his experience and chip lead, to take it all.  What's your prediction?

In the Long Run

It's a historic weekend for us - not at the poker table (well, not yet at least), but in another part of life.  We stepped outside for a Saturday night run.  And we ran.  And we ran.  And without planning to do it, we finally stopped about 58 minutes later.  By our figuring, we'd made it 6.2 miles non-stop.  It was a 10-kilometer run - our first in 16 years!

Admittedly our pace was slow.  As we told a man at church earlier in the day, he could beat us in a race by a mile.  But our running is based on a trait we also try to practice at the poker table -- a trait we've mentioned here several times, and Jesus Christ encouraged.  It's called endurance.

And you shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that shall endure to the end, the same shall be saved. - Mark 13:13 (KJV)

Have you ever played poker with someone who acts (to borrow a phrase from our Dad) like they have a train to catch?  We frequently face online players who go all-in on every hand.  They can be bullies, and perhaps get on a hot streak to build a big stack.  But in our experience, we don't remember anyone winning a tournament by taking that approach from start to finish.

A classic children's story should have taught us all "slow and steady wins the race."  It's a proven strategy in investing for retirement.  And it's Biblical -- only expressed in a different way:

I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong.... but time and chance happen to them all. - Ecclesiastes 9:11

The longer you hang around in a poker game, the better the odds that a good "time and chance" will happen for you.

We're convinced that's why we make the points on a regular basis at an online "Midnight Special" poker game we play.  Some players are ready to go to bed, because they have to work the next morning.  Because we're currently out of work (an endurance contest in itself), we have the flexibility to play all night -- and waiting for good hands pays off.

The first couple of times we won money in live local tournaments, it worked the same way.  We played a "grinding" style, which took more than four hours to finish the game.  But the outcome was a payoff.  No wonder a New Testament writer concluded....

Behold, we count them happy which endure.  You have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy. - James 5:11 (KJV)

Review the book of Job and all he experienced in the beginning.  Then review the last chapter and see his holdings at the end.  We won't give away the outcome here - but enduring with faith in God worked for him.  It's working for us, in everything from poker to jogging.  It might work for you, too.

Getting Ned-led

In years gone by, scoffers might have called a Christian a "holy Joe."  But in the 21st century, the name on the label has changed.

"Hey, it's Ned Flanders," a man said when he spotted us at a live poker tournament the other night.

Come to think of it, we look a little bit like that character from The Simpsons.  But we think that man called us by that name because of the character's attributes.  Ned Flanders is the "extremely religious next-door neighbor."  Perhaps that fits us, too -- as our longtime Pastor preached against The Simpsons within two weeks of its premiere, so we hardly ever watch it.

Considering a lot of local poker is played at bars and nightclubs, the thought of a Christian stepping inside and sitting at the table might seem odd to some people.  But we think part of the duty of a believer is to live your faith so that people can see it:

In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. - Matthew 5:16

When Jesus said these words, He probably realized not everyone around Him would praise God for what He did.  In fact, the Lord wound up crucified -- and several early apostles were put to death for their faith as well.  (Review Acts 7 for one example.)  Yet the Bible advises....

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. - James 1:2-3

....But he who stands firm to the end will be saved. - Matthew 24:13

Compared to the torture some believers have faced over the last 2,000 years, we realize being called the name of a cartoon character is incredibly tame.  So we're dealing with it.  And we're ready to face even worse things, should they come.

But we'd close with this question: since the Bible warns even worse times are coming for the world as a whole, are you ready to face them?  Without God and Jesus Christ in your life, can you really count on clinging to anything?

We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.... where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf.  He has become a high priest forever.... - Hebrews 6:19-20

Twelve a Clock High

One of this year's Grand Slam tennis finals took almost six hours to finish.  Playoff games in hockey have gone to four overtimes, and lasted nearly as long.  But those events seem tame, compared to what the three finalists in the World Series of Poker Main Event went through this past week.

Greg Merson won the championship after a session which lasted 11 hours, 59 minutes -- practically from dusk to dawn!  Admittedly, a WSOP event doesn't have the physical action of a tennis match or hockey game.  But think about it: could you do your job at a top level for 12 hours, through more than 250 transactions (or "hands" in poker)?  And lest we forget, Merson had to outlast nearly 6,600 other players in preliminaries last July.

Merson credited long cash games for preparing him for the final-table marathon.  He learned a trait all of us could use -- endurance.  It's not simply for poker players, athletes and hard-working laborers:

And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.  But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. - Matthew 24:12-13 (KJV)

Yes, Jesus Christ had something to say about endurance.  Believers must endure, if they want to achieve salvation.  What sort of things must they face?  Let's note one example....

We work hard with our own hands.  When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; when we are slandered, we answer kindly.... - I Corinthians 4:12-13

Christians around the world face a wide range of persecution today.  It could be as relatively tame as name-calling in a U.S. school lunchroom -- or as serious as churches being attacked in Africa and Asia.  Yet they're told to endure.

Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons.  For what son is not disciplined by his father? - Hebrews 12:7

Tough times can teach us the importance of being obedient to God, and following his Biblical instructions in our lives.  In doing that, Christians follow the best example of all....

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

Jesus endured to the end of His physical life, then was resurrected to the eternal life He had in ages past.  Believers can have the same thing -- a prize even better than Greg Merson won:

....For riches do not endure forever, and a crown is not secure for all generations.... but he who trusts in the Lord will prosper - Proverbs 27:24, 28:25

The Long Haul

We went all in.  We won the pot.  Yet the player who called in an attempt to take us out was not impressed.

"You won't be long here," he said.  "You don't have enough."

Yet when the first hour of play concluded the other night, we were still in the poker tournament -- and the scoffer who admittedly had a much larger stack was out.  He bet big on a couple of hands, but in vain.

The lesson?  It's easy to scoff at another person's moment of small success -- but that person might wind up with the last laugh and a better finish.

Some people scoff at the idea of believing in God, too:

First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.  They will say, "Where is this 'coming' he promised?  Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.'" - II Peter 3:3-4

Some people even scoffed at the miracles Jesus performed while He walked the earth.  It would be interesting to know how many of them eventually saw the resurrected Christ.  Of course, believers in 2012 face an even longer time of waiting.  Yet Peter's words of encouragement long ago still help us today.

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness.... But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. - II Peter 3:9

If your hope beyond this life doesn't rest in God.... well, what does it rest in?  Do you have any hope at all?  You can have some, if you have faith that lasts far longer than a stack of chips at a poker table.

And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many will wax cold.  But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. - Matthew 24:12-13 (KJV)

Don't be tempted to "go for broke" in the game of life.  And don't be tempted to dismiss people who are clinging to a small amount of faith in God, even when all hope seems lost.  Be like the underdog sports team that keeps "hanging around" against a stronger opponent.  Your endurance well could be rewarded -- in poker and in God's ultimate payoff.