Up, Down and In Love

The man was in line to buy chips for a poker cash game. We stood next to him, buying into a tournament. As we waited, he shared some of his experiences with cards.

The man had traveled to Chicago a few times and started well, but it didn't last. That's because he went to the table with a relatively small stack of chips, and was crowded out by people betting with bigger stacks. So he tired of that, and returned to our area.

"Don't play scared," was his advice to us. "If you're afraid, you won't succeed." His words rang familiar, as we heard similar advice years ago playing free tournaments in Georgia bars.

Then we had a thought. "I read in a book that perfect love casts out fear." The man wasn't familiar with that, but liked the idea.

What book did we read? Regular visitors should know where we found that line....

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear: because fear has torment. He that fears is not made perfect in love. - I John 4:18 (KJV)

Those words from the Bible set up a contrast you may not have considered. Love and fear are opposites. It can be true in all kinds of human relationships - whether romantic, international,  interracial, or even with other poker players. If you're afraid of someone, can you truly love them?

The Bible shows which side God is on in this clash:

Dear friends, let us love one another, for loves comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. - I John 4:7-8

Love is the basis for all God does - even things that may not seem so loving, such as destructive or deadly intervention in human affairs. In response, He wants us to be loving in all that we do:

Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.... if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. - I John 4:11-12

In poker, that can mean being considerate with your words and actions. It can even mean not being afraid to lose to someone, and wishing the best when you do. After all, whatever the format, not everyone wins at a poker table.

We never saw that man the rest of the night, so we don't know how successful he was. But we hope you're not afraid to show some love to other people at the poker table. Some might say it sounds syrupy. But how many of us actually have tried to do it?

Put Your Hands Together

We've been so busy with other tasks that we hadn't played any poker in a month. But we had time to enter a National League of Poker tournament Thursday night. It turned out very well - 23rd place out of 1,190 entries! (Of course, only the top five earned money.)

Late in the evening, the chat went this way when two players split a big pot:

Dealer:  sloso splits Main Pot ($3,273) with Full house, aces full of deuces
Dealer:  hornytoad splits Main Pot ($3,273) with Full house, aces full of deuces
Me:  (church clap)
hornytoad:  Is that a socil disease you catch in church?
Me:  No.
Me:  :-O
Mr_BarnYard:  really
Me:  Polite applause for something
Mr_BarnYard:  church clap all day
Me:  I'll be in church this weeekend, though.
hornytoad:  OK dont need a shot for that*** lol

People who attend certain churches should know what we mean by "church clap." It's applause that agrees with a speaker's point or some member's success - but not as wild as the celebration for winning a ballgame.

With some poker players as well as some churches, even polite applause is discouraged. We personally think that's a shame, and here's why....

Come, everyone! Clap your hands! Shout to God with joyful praise! For the Lord Most High is awesome. He is the great King of all the earth. - Psalm 47:1-2  (NLT)

In this psalm, noise-making is encouraged - as long as the focus of the noise is on God.

You will live in joy and peace. The mountains and hills will burst into song, and the trees of the field will clap their hands! - Isaiah 55:12 (NLT)

We mention this verse whenever someone suggests noise-making in a church service is a bad idea. If trees can "clap their hands" - and they don't have hands - why can't I?

But we realize there should be a balance here. There's a time to be quiet at a poker table - especially if a player asks for it, so he can think about a big decision. The same is true for worshipping God....

But the Lord is in his holy Temple. Let all the earth be silent before him. - Habakkuk 2:20 (NLT)

Some poker players and church groups go to one extreme or the other - either overly silent or excessively noisy. We suggest praying for God to provide the wisdom to know when to react in either direction, so you don't cause offense.

But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others.... - James 3:17 (NLT)

Have fun at the table, and even at the church you attend. (Yes, we recommend that.) And don't be afraid to make some noise - as long as you keep things under control.

Free, Indeed?

"I've noticed a couple of you come here and don't buy anything," the Tournament Director at Yvie's said before Monday night's game began. He was in a mood to give some people a lecture.

"If you're not going to spend money, don't bother showing up," he continued bluntly. He went on to explain his point - that bars such as Yvie's host poker nights because they expect players to buy food and drinks.

The Director's point is only logical. And as long as we've played in "free poker" situations like Yvie's, we've made it a point to buy at least a soda. It's simply the courteous thing to do - not to mention Biblical:

For the Scripture says, "Do not muzzle the ox while it is treading out the grain," and "The worker deserves his wages." - I Timothy 5:18

But on the other hand, that Tournament Director had better watch what he says - especially considering what's happened to poker rooms in our city in the last four months. Places expecting a "chair rental" buy-in either were shut down by police, or closed before the police showed up.

For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. For he is God's servant to do you good.... - Romans 13:3-4

The Director put it this way: buying food and drinks on poker nights benefits Yvie's. But buying a Platinum WPT League membership benefits him. We trust he's telling the truth about that distinction. Whether police see things the same way could be another matter. We'll see.

How Can You Tell?

We asked in a recent post when it's a proper time to speak up during a poker hand, and when it's not.

For us, a lot depends on the mood of the table.  If we're surrounded by quiet workmanlike players, we tend to wait for a good moment to say something to the group.  In a sense, it's like poker strategy -- only in when to be relational, instead of when to make a big chip move.

If the table is more talkative, it's easier for us to join in.  And it's usually easier for us to bring up topics related to faith and God....

Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. - Ephesians 4:15

There are two parts to the instruction here.  First, speaking the truth.  We avoid lying -- either about our cards or our faith.

....Better to be poor than a liar. - Proverbs 19:22b

If someone figures out our hand and asks what we have, we have creative truthful non-responses ready.  We might talk about the weather.  We might say we have "something" - which could mean we have anything.

The second part is speaking in love.  Some preachers talk tough about the need for people to repent of their sin, and we can understand that approach.  At the poker table, we tend to define "in love" as easing our way up to a point.  Jesus used both methods at times:

"I have no husband," she replied.  Jesus said to her, "You are right when you say you have no husband.  The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband.  What you have just said is quite true." - John 4:17-18

Jesus "sprung the trap" on this woman's background after making three other comments to her. He didn't walk up with a pointed finger and immediately call a foul on her history.  The Lord waited for the right moment to make the convicting point.

However you communicate with fellow poker players, may you do so in a truthful and loving way.  We think that's the way which best reflects the example of Jesus Christ.

Doing Your Time

We mentioned in our last post how we were penalized one "blind turn" in a poker tournament for calling a bet out of turn.  It was about a ten-minute penalty, which left us with mixed emotions.

Yes, we deserved the penalty.  We broke a rule, even though it wasn't completely spelled out before the tournament began.  We were inattentive to the other players, and we paid for that mistake.  In fact, the Bible would call it a mistake:

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.  Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. - Philippians 2:3-4

Poker normally doesn't have "tag teams."  And even when several pros are under the same sponsor's umbrella, they're on their own at the table.  So it's easy to start thinking about yourself during a hand - what I need to do, how I should respond, and countless other I's.

But to borrow from a song, poker isn't "Population: Me."  Unless you're playing heads-up against a computer, other players are around you.  It's only polite and proper to be courteous toward them.  And had we been paying close attention, our plans might have changed based on how the player before us acted.

There wasn't much to do while we waited for permission to finish the penalty and return to the poker table.  We filled a cup with soda, watched Australian rugby on TV and chatted a little at the poker room desk.  We should have brought something with us -- perhaps something good to read:

So he started out, and on is way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians.... The eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture: "He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth." - Acts 8:27, 32

This "eunuch" was heading home from a road trip - worshiping God in Jerusalem (verse 28).  He had a scroll of the Old Testament with him (the quote is from Isaiah 53).  So while riding in a chariot, he was filling his thoughts with the things of God - and as a result, he wound up encountering one of the top ministers in the early church..

There are many ways to do that during "down time" in a poker tournament - or even during the tournament, if the officials allow it.  You could play Christian music, messages or Scripture on an mp3 device or a "smartphone."  We think that's far better than playing other kinds of music - probably much more inspiring and encouraging.

So our first penalty in a big-money poker tournament taught us several lessons.  We'd ask you: have penalties in poker taught you anything of value - and if so, what?