Poker Day 571: H.O.R.S.E. Play

"All I need is your card and $200."

That was easy for the cashier to say. The $200 buy-in Sunday at Hollywood Casino Indiana was the biggest buy-in we've ever made. But it was our least inexpensive and most convenient way of being part of the Heartland Poker Tour, which was making its first-ever stop in Lawrenceburg.

The buy-in put us in an unusual tournament - a "seven-game mix." Five kinds of poker spell out the word "H.O.R.S.E.," then Pot Limit Omaha (with no high/low) and No Limit Hold' Em are thrown in. The version changed after every eight hands, in a rotation.

About half of the table had played H.O.R.S.E. before. We never had, and finding places to practice online proved impossible. So we took our chances, learning as we played. It was admittedly confusing and a bit dangerous, but we had plenty of company.

GAME: Omaha 8 (high/low)

BLINDS: 50/100

IN THE POCKET: Kc-Qs-10s-5h (fourth card not precise)

We've already won our first hand, by making a full house of Kings and 10's (never shown) in Seven-Card Stud. Now we have several high cards - but by rule, we can only use two of them (and we must use two of them) to make a winning hand. We call, and no one raises. About four players at the table of six get in.

ON THE FLOP: Jh-7d-Ks (Suits on first two cards not precise)

We have top pair. But if everyone has four cards, the chances of someone making two pair go up sharply. We bet 200 to gauge interest, and two players (as we remember it) call.

ON THE TURN: As

This is a hopeful sign, because we now have a draw for the best flush. We check, and a man bets 200. We call, and we're heads-up.

ON THE RIVER: 7s

Victory!? Well, maybe not. We could be burned by a sneaky full house. We bet a cautious 500. Our opponent raises to 1,000, and we call. Our old line for this moment is revived.

"You can call me Planters, 'cause I've got the nuts."

The nut flush wins, because our opponent could do no better than Jacks and 7's! It's a healthy pot for us.

But the first 90-minute segment had more down moments than up. Mandatory antes for some games became a drain, and feeler bets failed. We were concerned with our 6,500 chips (from a starting 12,000) at the break. The drain continued in Segment 2 - and we finally were first to make an all-in bet, with 575 to go. But we had A-K, made two pair on the river in Seven-Stud and jumped back to 9,000!

A "low win" or two in Stud and Omaha proved handy after that, and we stood at 9,050 at the second break. But then we missed a few hands of Razz while the casino "Eatery" forgot about our simple order of a cold chicken sandwich while focusing on bringing out pizza slices. Yet we won a couple more pots, to hit a high of 13,800.

A critical moment came in Segment 3 when we had pocket Aces in Seven-Stud, and a man down the table made three Jacks. That loss left us with only 1,200 chips, entering an Omaha hand with blinds at 600/1,200. We were dealt 5-6-7-8, but our hope of a low hand failed when another man had a 3 for something lower.

Our final result: about 40th place in a field of 58. At least we can say we tried it - but we plan to find a place to practice those unusual games, before daring to enter that kind of tournament again.

MINISTRY MOMENT: Breaking news occurred as the tournament began, as the U.S. Attorney General provided Congress with a summary of "The Mueller Report" on President Trump and possible connections with Russia.

"There's Someone who knows everything that happened there," we said as the table assembled. "And when Jesus comes back, He's going to judge the world."

A player across the table from us seemed shocked that we brought up that name. He said nothing, but the dealer discussed it further with us.

"What do you think of Jesus?" we asked him.

After a moment of thought, the dealer answered, "I believe in Him."

"Is He your Savior?"

Another thought moment for the dealer. "Yes, He is."

"I can't count on any politician to save me," we continued. "Only Jesus can do that."

The dealer quickly agreed on that point. We hope you can, too. If you're counting on political leaders to save this world from destruction, your faith is in the wrong place. And if you think things are bad now....

Immediately after the darkness of those days "the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken." - Matthew 24:29

These are words of Jesus Christ, after disciples asked Him for a sign of "the end of the age" (verse 3). Things will become so bad that....

If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. - Matthew 24:22

That's "the elect" - not necessarily the "elected" office-holders. A time of what some Bible translations call "great tribulation" will lead to the Lord's dramatic intervention:

At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens. - Mark 13:26-27

Jesus is coming to the rescue, for his "elect!" But what do we mean by that word? We'll explain in a future post.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 217 final tables in 571 games (38.0%) - 46 cashes.

Poker Day 567: On the Outs

"You can move over to make yourselves comfortable," a dealer suggested during today's final table at Hollywood Casino Indiana.

"At the final table, you're never comfortable," we responded. Indeed, even reaching that point had some stressful moments....

BLINDS: 2,000/4,000

IN THE POCKET: 5-6 of spades

The blinds are this big because we're in the third hour of play. It's had highs and lows, but gone well for us so far. After about 45 minutes of action with 11 players out of 24, we finally and patiently reached the last ten with 30,800 chips.

Now we're in the Big Blind with low suited connectors. A lot of players are pushing to force the action, but no one does here. We can check, and we're heads-up with the Small Blind.

ON THE FLOP: 7c-8s-Qs

Three cards with a lot of potential for us - an open-ended straight draw and a flush draw. The Small Blind to our right offers 6,000. We start this hand with about 28,900, so any bet is steep. Yet we call in hope.

ON THE TURN: 10d (perhaps not precise)

We missed - and our opponent raises the stakes to 8,000. Now it's time for some quick math:

• Nine missing spades would make a flush.
• The other three 4's or 9's (other than spades) would give us a straight.
• TOTAL OUTS: 15, out of 46 unknown cards. The odds are almost one in three.

Would you take a risk like this? We'll be in serious trouble if we miss. But we've made the final table, so we decide to call.

ON THE RIVER: 2s

Victory! Or is it? The Small Blind ponders for a moment, then bets 8,000 more.

"I'm all-in," we say - with 8,900 left. The Small Blind calls.

"Did you hit the flush?" we ask. "Because I did."

We show it to prove it. The Small Blind turns over.... K-K! He fought for his big pocket pair, but our stubbornness gains us a double-up to more than 52,000 chips!

"Big risk," a man to our left says. Indeed, it was - but this time it worked.

Yet on the very next hand, we lost with our own big pocket pair - as Q-Q fell to A-Q when an Ace came on the turn. We survived to the three-hour break at 21,500. But with seven players remaining, we called an all-in bet with A-7 and 12,900 chips left. Our opponent's 6-6 held up, and we left in seventh place. (Only three were paid money.)

MINISTRY MOMENT: "You gave those chips right back," the man to our left said after we lost that Q-Q hand.

"The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord," we told him.

That man didn't seem to acknowledge that famous quote. Do you know who said it? It's a Biblical quote, of course. From a modern translation...

He said, "I came naked from my mother's womb and I will be naked when I leave. The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord!" - Job 1:21 (NLT)

Read the first chapter of this Old Testament book, and you'll see Job lost a lot. Due to a challenge from Satan to God, Job lost his farm animals, farmhands, shepherds, camels, servants.... and all ten of his children.

If you lost even one-tenth of this, could you say what Job said? For many people, it might seem impossible. Yet in that moment, Job worshiped God (verse 20). How did he do that?

There once was a man named Job who.... was blameless - a man of complete integrity. He feared God and stayed away from evil. - Job 1:1 (NLT)

Job worshiped God through it all, because he "feared God." Note his words above about nakedness. He realized God was the source of all he had, and God would be his hope through it all.

If a man die, shall he live again? All the days of my appointed life will I wait, till my change come. - Job 14:14 (KJV)

While the entire book of Job reveals he was not a perfect man, he truly was strong in faith. And we can understand the "change" that's coming is a change from human flesh to eternal life for believers in God.

But the one who endures to the end will be saved. - Matthew 24:13 (NLT)

Jesus said those words. Then He did them. He's now the resurrected Son of God in heaven, and the Bible indicates He'll soon come back to resurrect faithful believers as well. Is that the source of your faith? If not, what is - and do you really think it's any better?

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 215 final tables in 567 games (37.9%) - 46 cashes. That's five final tables in our last six live tournaments.

Poker Day 566: Flop-House

We arrived at Hollywood Casino Indiana today for an unusual (for us) Tuesday midday tournament, then discovered we could pick up a nice consolation prize.

A snack shop across the hall from the casino was offering free dessert, to mark National Strawberry Ice Cream Day! This was a $4.95 value - and c'mon, how many casinos offer free ice cream? If only we could survive to the first break, and not have to wait around for the coupon….

BLINDS: 300/600

IN THE POCKET: K-10 of clubs

At this point, the ice cream coupon is secured. It's the middle of Hour 2, after we overcame an early setback with pocket Kings to close Hour 1 at 13,475 from a starting 12,000 chips. We tend to fold K-10 when blinds go up and things get risky. But these are suited, so we try them. Two other players at the table of eight call.

ON THE FLOP: 10-10-K

No clubs. But no problem! We build an instant full house! A man to our right plays first, and offers 1,200. This reminds us of our last tournament in Kansas City.

"I can do 12," we say matter-of-factly. The third man can't; he folds.

ON THE TURN: 7

We doubt this helped our opponent at all. This time he checks. We want him to stick around and keep feeding our beast, so we make a hesitant-looking bet of 1,500. He calls. We're glad about it.

ON THE RIVER: 3

We should have the TV "check-mark" at this point. Now our opponent is ready to bet again - but backs off a little, to 1,100.

"No," we say. "Not enough." Forgetting it's an ice cream day, we raise to 3,100. Will our opponent take the dare? After a moment.... he does!

Then we remember the famous words a man said to oust us at a Alabama poker night years ago. "I flopped it," we say. When we show the full house, our opponent folds without showing.

"Was it that ice cream?" another player asks.

"I haven't eaten the ice cream yet," we answer with a smile.

Thankfully, the ice cream had to wait a long while. Big timely cards kept coming our way - never pocket Aces, but several winning A-K's and a couple of successful flushes. We ballooned to 36,200 after two hours of play. then reached the final table at 42,200.

Marvelous moments kept happening there. Even though we fell to 32,200 at the three-hour break, we won a sidepot with A-10 and made a big flush with 6 of hearts. Then we had three hands of 3-3 4-4 and 3-3! The first pocket pair was blown up for a full house on the river, but the other two led to double-ups - and we survived to the final three, to make the money!

After a few hands of chip shuffling, we asked a question. "Is it time to say 'chop'?" The other two men agreed to that. We wound up with $360 - seven times the $70 buy-in! We were thankful for God's guidance in making money. And since it's January, we were able to drive the free ice cream all the way home to enjoy later.

MINISTRY MOMENT: When we turned over 6-6 at the final table, one talkative opponent declared: "Satan's hand."

"Actually, that's three sixes," we said in correction.

"You'll need three sixes," he predicted in response.

That man turned out to be wrong, as the 6 of hearts led us to a winning flush. But this is a reminder that some people don't know the Bible as well as they think. Let's review his reference....

Wisdom is needed here. Let the one with understanding solve the meaning of the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. His number is 666. - Revelation 13:18 (NLT)

Many people have made guesses about what 666 means. We will not do that here. But the prophecies of Revelation indicate the future "beast-man" will require everyone to worship it, and receive some kind of mark for trading (verses 15-17). But believers in the true God should do something else....

….This means that God's holy people must endure persecution patiently and remain faithful. - Revelation 13:10 (NLT)

You don't have to wait for an end-time beast to come to do these things, you know. The best time to start practicing these traits is now:

If we endure hardship, we will reign with him. If we deny him, he will deny us. If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny who he is. - II Timothy 2:12-13 (NLT)

By the way, there's one other 666 in the Bible - the size of a Israelite family (Ezra 2:13). We didn't find any 66's in the text. But there's one big overarching one - as the standard Bible has 66 books! Can you name all of them? And even more importantly, have you read through all of them?

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 214 final tables in 566 games (37.8%) - 46 cashes. Since we crossed the 500-tournament mark in April 2017, we've had 31 finals in 66 tries.... not far from 50 percent!

Poker Night 563: We - One King

'Twas the night before.... naaaah. We won't annoy you with hackneyed lines about the night of the year when we're posting this. We'll simply say that we picked a good night to play poker at Jack Casino. And we picked some good moments to get tough....

BLINDS: 300/600

IN THE POCKET: A-K offsuit

One reason the night was good for us was because only eight people showed up for tournament poker. (As we told a man in the cashier line: "Don't people realize you're supposed to go to the casino on December 24th?") We've won a few small pots, but with no big breakthroughs.

Now we have "big slick" in the Big Blind. A woman around from us raises to 1,500. We've taken her on in the Big Blind before tonight and won. So we announce, "I will defend the Big Blind" - and call. We're heads-up.

ON THE FLOP: 5c-8s-Ks (suits may not be precise)

With top pair and top kicker, we decide to turn defense into offense. "Two-thousand," we bet. Our opponent nonchalantly calls.

ON THE TURN: 10c

This puts two of each black suit on the board. We don't think our opponent is pursuing a flush. But we also don't think she's suddenly sandbagging pocket Aces. So we maintain the attack until we're proven wrong, and bet 2,000 again. She calls again.

ON THE RIVER: 2h

We doubt this card would help anyone - especially someone chasing a flush. So we offer 2,000 once more. This time, she gives it some thought.  But after a moment, she calls.

"King with an Ace," we say and show.

The woman.... folds! She never shows what she had. (We're guessing something like pocket Queens or Jacks.) It's a big win for us, and a devastating blow to her; she's eliminated by someone else on the next hand.

We scored another huge win a short time later, when A-10 turned into a full house on the river to beat a man with a straight. With no one in a mood to rebuy, the field quickly fell to three - and even with the small turnout, Jack decided to pay three players. That meant money for us! But how much?

Our stack stood at 24,275 at the first break, then grew to 33,000 after that. One man admitted he was trying to maximize monthly poker points, and was in no mood to chop the prize money. So we pressed on, and called his all-in bet when our K-Q made two pair on the river. BUT.... we didn't notice three diamonds on the board. He had two more.

His flush knocked us out in third place. We won $96 - only $16 more than our buy-in. The Tournament Director said he wouldn't blame us if we didn't tip the dealer. So we didn't - and hopefully will remember that next time. In the meantime, we're happy to have our sixth cash of the year!

MINISTRY MOMENT: It didn't happen tonight. On purpose. Regular blog readers probably know the reason why. If you don't, check an upcoming post which will explain.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 212 final tables in 563 games (37.7%) - 45 cashes. Since moving to our new home, we've made the money five times in 30 tournaments, or one out of every six!

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 537: Triple-A Benefits?

Three final tables in three tournaments - quite a start to poker in our new home area! But could we make it four-for-four? We drove to Hollywood Casino Indiana Wednesday night to find out....

BLINDS: 300/600

IN THE POCKET: A-9

Things were more challenging right off the bat, compared with last week. Enough players showed up for two tables, and they disrupted our plans often. For instance, slow-played pocket Kings ran into an Ace on the flop. We were ready to accept an early exit - but then came a surprise straight and triple-7's. We ended Hour 1 where we started, at 12,000 chips.

Now in Hour 2, a couple more pots have pushed us to a high of 17,000. We can get in for the minimum with these cards, but a woman raises to 1,600. We decide to take her on; about four players are in.

ON THE FLOP: Ad-3h-Ah

Marvelous! Three Aces, and we're already laying low. We check, and the woman down the table makes a continuation bet of 1,600. We smooth-call, as they say on TV; a third player calls as well.

ON THE TURN: 7c

This card seems meaningless. We check to the raiser again, hoping for more gains - but this time she checks.

ON THE RIVER: Qh

The third player in the hand is actually first to act - and now he offers 2,100. Uh-oh. With three hearts showing, did he make something big? Or does he have the missing Ace, and has been thinking what we're thinking? We have to call to find out. So we do - and the woman who fueled the fire folds.

The man turns over.... 8-3 of hearts! Indeed, he made a flush on the river. Our effort to drain the aggressive woman allowed a relatively passive man to come from behind and win a big pot. That'll teach us to bet early with draws showing, to ensure some gains - although, of course, that man may have kept calling, anyway.

We never recovered from that big loss. Minutes later, we went all-in with K-Q of diamonds after a an across the table pushed. We thought he had less. In fact, he had A-Q. An Ace on the river meant the end of the night for us: no final table, and 17th place out of 21 contestants.

MINISTRY MOMENT: We won back some of our $70 entry fee at a blackjack table - and heard an unusual statement from the dealer when he lost a hand: "Just doing the Lord's work, buddy."

Well, what do you know! We're trying to do the same thing, and told the dealer so. Except, "The Lord's work is preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. Salvation for all, through Jesus Christ!"

Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent." - John 6:29

A woman at the far end of the table looked at us with what seemed to be a large amount of skepticism. She didn't comment, but clearly she wasn't expecting this when she sat down to play cards. Yet we pray that we did accomplish God's work in that moment....

For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. - Ephesians 2:10

The "good works" prepared by God can take many forms. Within His church, they can be works of loving service. As Jesus put it....

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you took me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.... Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me. - Matthew 25:35-36, 40

Doing it for a Christian brother is as good as doing it for Jesus Himself! Then when it comes to going outside the church....

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on 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

Jesus calls on His followers to "witness" for Him. We wait for the right moment to do that in poker rooms, and sometimes at other parts of casinos. But the Lord noted we need the Holy Spirit's help to do that properly.

Some church groups will celebrate the Holy Spirit's coming this weekend, with special services to mark the festival of Pentecost (called the "Feast of Weeks" in the Old Testament). This video explains the event, as well as what the Holy Spirit can do in your life. Will you allow God to do His work in you, through His Spirit?

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 195 final tables in 537 games (36.3%) - 40 cashes.

Poker Day 530: Hidden in Our Hearts

Sometimes the best things in life are right in front of us, and we never stop to recognize them. That's true in poker, too. Watch what happened Friday at Kansas Star Casino....

BLINDS: 25/50

IN THE POCKET: A-2 of hearts

Early missteps didn't work for us, but we've recovered to win one modest pot. We have about 3,000 chips from a starting 3,500, and we have these cards in the Big Blind. No one raises, so we check. As we recall, five players are taking part.

ON THE FLOP: 8h-9h-10c (third card suit not precise)

A potential straight for someone. We check. The table checks.

ON THE TURN: Qh

Even more potential. We check again. The table checks again.

ON THE RIVER: Jc

No more potential. A straight is on the table! We check once more. So does everyone else.

"I'm playing the board," we say as we turn over our cards. Others seemed resigned to that. The Small Blind has pocket 4's. Other players have Ace-small, like we do.

"Wait a minute!" a man two seats to our left suddenly exclaims. "There's a flush!"

Hey, what do you know - there is. And we have it! In fact, we have the nut flush! We were so busy looking at the straight develop that we totally ignored our suit. An opponent does us a favor, and we win several hundred chips.

Modest gains developed from there, and we reached the first break at a high for the day of 7,400. But then good cards started losing, nibbling away at our stack. We were down to 2,700 with rising blinds when we were moved to a different table.

But then one of those classic second-hour surges happened. Pushing with A-J brought no takers, and a gain to 3,600. Another all-in bet with A-Q brought a double-in when we beat a pocket pair with a Queen on the flop. Several other wins later, the table was stunned to see our stack at 24,500! Even 7-5 worked in the Big Blind, when we made a straight and knocked a player out.

In the third period, pocket Queens brought a win that helped us reach 37,500. A drought came after that, but we still survived to the final table with 18,500.

We won at least one more big pot with an unrevealed A-J. (We write this for the opponent who was stumped by our cards, and thinks he'll never know what we had.) Our stack built to about 49,000 - and as players fell off, we reached the top six and qualified for the money!

Then with five players to go, a massive hand happened. A man across from us pushed. We saw pocket Aces, and called. A third player did the same! The first pusher had J-J; the third had Q-Q - for three high pocket pairs in a five-handed game! But the man with Queens hit a straight on the river, knocking the first pusher out and leaving us with a mere 12,000.

That happened at break time - and after the break, we pushed again and failed. But a full afternoon of poker ended with us finishing fourth and winning $160! We hurried home to keep God's Sabbath, thankful for His blessing on our effort.

MINISTRY MOMENT: "You came here sad," a man pointed out during that second-hour surge. "And now you're rejoicing."

We had to agree. "As a minister in Atlanta once said," we told him as we restacked our chips, "'I preached myself happy.'"

Then a song came to mind, which we doubt anyone around us knew. "He has made me glad.... I will rejoice, for He has made me glad."

How much gladness do you see at a poker table? Probably not that much. Even when players win big hands, they tend to "stay in character" and not make too much of it. But if God make you glad, we think it's OK to show it....

I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders. I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High. - Psalm 9:1-2

David praised God here because He provided victory over the king's enemies (verses 3-6). But you don't need a massive triumph like that to be glad for God's blessings....

The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy. - Psalm 126:3

Those things could be as "simple" as a recovery from illness, or providing a helper when you have a need. But we think the greatest gladness is yet to come....

Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When the Lord restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad! - Psalm 14:7

"Restoring the fortunes" can go far beyond a double-up in a tournament. The ultimate salvation will occur when Jesus Christ returns to Earth:

Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. - Revelation 19:7

Are you ready for Jesus to come again? If not, examine yourself carefully to make yourself ready - and be glad in the meantime for the great things God provides along the way.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 192 final tables in 530 games (36.2%) - 40 cashes. Experiment update: Down $65. Since our experiment started last November, we've made four final tables in 14 tournaments and won close to $700!

We Three Kings?

Our former work colleague turned poker pro "Nicname" usually plays cash games. But he entered a tournament this weekend at a Choctaw casino in Oklahoma. Here's what he recorded on Facebook....

That flush had to hurt. But the timing of this hand was fascinating - as some people celebrated "Three Kings Day" Saturday.

The event is supposed to commemorate when three kings appeared before the newborn baby Jesus with gifts. The problem is that the Bible doesn't really record it that way....

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea during the time of King Herod, Magic from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the one who has been born King of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him." - Matthew 2:1-2

Magi in the NIV translates as "wise men" in many other translations. Simply because they were wise does not mean they were kings. In fact, the Moffatt paraphrase calls them "magicians".

On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him.... - Matthew 2:11

Our NIV Study Bible comments in its notes on this verse: "Contrary to tradition, the Magi did not visit Jesus at the manger on the night of his birth as did the shepherds. They came some months later and visited him as a 'child' in his 'house.'"

...Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. - Matthew 2:11b

Many people presume if there were three gifts, there had to be three wise men. But quoting from the notes again: "...the Bible does not indicate the number of the Magi, and they were almost certainly not kings."

Yet putting all the man-made traditions aside, note what the Magi did. They worshiped Jesus - even though He was a child, perhaps less than one year old. King Herod talked about worshiping as well (verse 8), but instead considered Jesus a threat to his throne and ordered a maniacal murder spree (verse 16).

Three kings at a poker table sometimes get dethroned. One "newborn King" can make some people mad. Yet that "king of kings" (Revelation 19:16) still should be worshiped - and the day is coming when everyone will:

...That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth. - Philippians 2:10

We strongly suggest you not get angry about this. Wise men worshiped. You can, too.

Poker Night 512: Brave Hearts

Some poker hands are considered better than others before the flop. But any two cards have a chance of succeeding, once the flop comes. If only some hands ended there. You'll see what we mean, in this review of tonight's freeroll tournament at Five Star Billiards.

BLINDS: 100/200

IN THE POCKET: 6-3 of hearts

It's the very first hand of the night, at a table of six players. We're in the Small Blind, and no one has raised. Of course we'll play suited cards. About four players are in.

ON THE FLOP: 2h-Jh-8h

A perfect flop for us! But then the humility moment strikes. Our hearts to make the flush are small. Someone might be sitting on bigger ones. So in lead position, we bet 500 to take the temperature of the table. Several players fold, but the dealer does not. He calls.

ON THE TURN: Kh

A fourth heart makes our cards suddenly look a whole lot smaller. Is this what the dealer was waiting for? We check to see.

"I'll bet 1,000," he says. Yup, that's what we feared.

"I liked these cards for awhile," we respond - but we fold, expecting the worst. Sure enough, the dealer shows us the Ace of hearts. He had a draw for the "nut flush," and received it.

That loss was relatively small, but we won a few pots which were modestly big. From a starting 10,000, we reached 11,200 at the first break. We won a few more in the second hour, helped at one point by pocket Aces. Despite a  big loss with A-J at the end, we reached the final table at the two-hour break with 12,000.

A couple of wins and splits there lifted us to a high of 25,000 - but at that point, the blinds had reached 5,000/10,000. A desperation push with A-9 led to a 9 on the board, but a man to our left had Q-Q to eliminate us. We wound up matching Friday's tournament in Tulsa, with a sixth-place finish out of about 25 players.

MINISTRY MOMENT: "I'm a generic Christian," a man across the table told us before the night began. No, we didn't bring up religion; a talkative older man next to him did.

But what did he mean by generic? "I go by what Jesus did, not by what some religion says." That may sound strange, but it actually follows the Bible's advice....

Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ. - I Corinthians 11:1

The apostle Paul wrote this to a church group that was showing signs of division:

What I mean is this: One of you says, "I follow Paul"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow Cephas"; still another, "I follow Christ". - I Corinthians 1:12

The Christian movement has had a lot of splits over the years. Protestants marked a major one a couple of weeks ago, with the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther's action sparking the Reformation. Yet what did the apostle say long ago about this?

Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul? - I Corinthians 1:13

His point in this letter and others was that every believer ultimately should follow Jesus Christ.

For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. - Ephesians 5:23

So the man across the table was perceptive. But we had a question for him. "Didn't Jesus say He came to build a church?" Indeed He did....

And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. - Matthew 16:18

The man admitted he'd only attended a church service a few times in recent months. Yet as divided as Christianity is, we're expected to attend one as we're able. We'll go deeper into that in an upcoming post.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 187 final tables in 512 games (36.5%) - 36 cashes. Since crossing the 500-game mark, we've made four final tables in 12 tries.

On the Diamonds

As poker hands go, a flush is pretty good. It's slightly better than a straight, because it's mathematically tougher to achieve. And it beats any pair, or even three of a kind.

In classic Texas Hold 'em, only one suit in a hand can be a flush. Other games open the door for more than one, and that's when suit rank might matter - with spades at the top, followed by hearts, diamonds and clubs.

But let's ask a silly-sounding question. If you were a flush, what suit would you want to wear? A spade might be more impressive at the table, but you won't find the word "spade" anywhere in the King James Bible. You won't find "club" there, either. But you'll see a reference to the other suits:

You have been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering, the sardius, topaz and the diamond.... - Ezekiel 28:13 (KJV)

Some Bible translations replace "diamond" with "emerald" (which appears later on the King James list). But if diamond is correct, how nice it would sound to be covered by fancy jewelry. Someone was long ago.... but then:

You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you. Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned.... - Ezekiel 28:15-16

God discovered this well-jeweled being was a sinner, so He cast it out of Eden. Here's the root cause of it:

Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings. - Ezekiel 28:17

Other Bible references indicate this "guardian cherub" (verse 16) was what we now call Satan, or the devil. Satan let beauty get to its head, became corrupted with sin, then was tossed away by God.

Does that mean diamonds and other jewelry are wrong? Some Christian groups think so, but they overlook another place in the Bible where diamonds come up:

And you shall make the breastplate of judgment with cunning work.... And you shall set in it settings of stones, even four rows of stones.... the second row shall be an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond. - Exodus 28:15-17 (KJV)

This breastplate was worn by ancient priests, when they did ministry service. God instructed the stones on the breastplate to be made that way. This indicates diamonds are OK, and not something to be avoided. They're as good on your body as they are in a poker room, as long as you let God position them as He wishes.


And here's the amazing thing: some people say we are to become diamonds. We'll get into that in an upcoming post.

Poker Night 498: Expecting the Unexpected

One phone call truly can change everything. A call we received Monday morning changed our work schedule so much that we spotted an opportunity to play Monday night "free" poker (we paid for a soda) at Yvie's Bar and Grill. We hadn't been there since mid-August. Could God have opened this window to keep alive our chances of making 37-percent final tables at 500 games? We went in faith to find out....

BLINDS: 100/200

IN THE POCKET: A-5 offsuit

We folded the first two hands, then got moved to a fourth outer table away from the main room. We won the draw for dealer with a Queen, and now have dealt ourselves these opening cards. We call, and the entire table of six jumps in.

ON THE FLOP: 6h-7h-4d

Maybe we know how to deal cards after all. We have an open-ended straight draw. A young man to our right bets 600. We call, as does an older man to our left.

ON THE TURN: 3h

Yes sir - that's the jack.... well, wait a second. We've made a straight, all right. But three hearts are showing (we don't have any), and the man to our left wants to bet 1,600. The man to our right wants to call him!

We feel like there's something on the order of two pair to our left, and he's trying to chase people off - while the player to our right may have hit the same straight we have. So we call, thinking a split is coming.

ON THE RIVER: Js

Did that discourage flush-seeking "river rats" away? Not at all. The man to our left tosses out 1,600 more. The man to our right calls. Suddenly we have bad feelings about this - but we've committed so much to the pot, we feel forced to call.

"Do you have a 5?" we ask the man to the left as we show our straight.

"I've got a flush," he answers. Ouch - Q-10 of hearts! Our jackpot card was his as well. The man to the right doesn't even bother showing what he had. We both take a big loss.

It was that sort of night for us.... not a very good one. We won one pot with three 5's, but other attempts to succeed fell flat, such as Q-Q falling to a straight on the river. We finally had to push with A-4, but missed another straight draw. Our "500-game blessing" theory was dead wrong, as we were the first out at our table.

MINISTRY MOMENT: The main poker-playing area at Yvie's is crowded, with three round tables of eight players. The woman who sat down to our left made sure we didn't encroach. "This is my space," she said jokingly.

"Narrow is the way," we responded. "The way that leads to life. I read that in a book once."

The reference seems to go over the woman's head. But regular readers know at least which book we mean....

Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leads to life, and few there be that find it. - Matthew 7:14 (KJV)

Have you met religious people who come across as "narrow-minded?" They could be acting on these words - and they're the words of Jesus Christ.

Many people think one of Jesus's missions was to put strict-thinking Pharisees in their place. Indeed, He did that. But He also introduced his own narrow path to follow....

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

This is what set Christianity apart from other world religions. You can't have Christianity without "Christ". You also cannot have something else without Him:

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other under heaven given to men by which we must be saved. - Acts 4:12

If you're seeking salvation and a life beyond this one, that's good. But if you think you can achieve that by ignoring "Jesus Christ of Nazareth" (verse 10), the Bible says you're off-target. If you're willing to follow the narrow path that leads to Jesus and eternal life, leave a comment and we'll be happy to help you on that road.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 182 final tables in 498 games (36.5%) - 36 cashes. Even if we make the next two final tables, our percentage will only climb to 36.8%.

Poker Night 483: Big Blind Extra-Special

The Olympic Games may have lost their luster for the Monday night poker crowd at Yvie's. Tonight the top choice for the big screen in the poker room was a Major League Baseball game, rooting for a team barely in the playoff running. We could relate to that sort of "hanging on for dear life" in our tournament....

BLINDS: 3,000/6,000

IN THE POCKET: A-Q offsuit

The blinds are high and the number of players is small. After a sizable loss with these very same cards in the first hand of the night, we've clawed uphill to get a bit above the starting 10,000-chip mark. But we start this hand with 9,000 - and with ten players remaining (two tables of five), we're desperate for a big gain.

"All of it," we say as the 9,000 goes out. The Big Blind decides to risk 3,000 more to take us on. But she doesn't have much - a mere 5-7. Good for us, right?

ON THE FLOP: 5-A-5

Well, no. She has three of a kind, to top our two pair. An Ace could save us....

ON THE TURN: 5

But no - that other card comes! We have a full house - but we also have a bad beat. The woman scores the best hand of the tournament night, with quad 5's. The last card doesn't matter, and we fall short of the final table with a ninth-place finish. (A player at the other table bowed out seconds before we did.)

MINISTRY MOMENT: We dealt one hand where a woman was all in, but in big trouble. She had a 6, to make a straight on the turn - but another woman had 6-9 for a higher straight. The first woman's only hope was to make a flush on the river.

"You need a diamond?!" we said to confirm. Two diamonds were on the board. And then we dealt....

ON THE RIVER: Kd

Woman #1 was thrilled. Others at the table were amazed. "Is that all you have to do?" one player wondered. "Simply ask for a card?"

"Ask and ye shall receive," we smiled in response. "I read that in a book once."

Then we added a bit more to a man at our left, hoping to drive home the point. "I think the Person who said that has more power than I do."

You may recognize the quote, but do you understand what we meant by it?

Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete. - John 16:24

Jesus said these words on the night before He was crucified. He made other statements which seem to make clear His point involved prayer:

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives.... - Matthew 7:7-8

Talk about a promise! Asking God for things in prayer is good. But Jesus explained asking in His name is the New Testament way to do it.

...I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. - John  16:23b

But we fear some Christians (including some preachers) have taken this promise to an extreme - suggesting that with the right amount of faith, God will give you anything in any amount at any time. Yet think about this logically. If eight God-fearing poker players asked for God's help in winning at a final table, wouldn't someone still have to lose?

Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." - James 4:15

That's a major key to a successful life in Jesus Christ - accepting God's will for your life, whether he honors your asking for success or allows you to endure failure. That's why the model prayer of Jesus for us to follow includes the phrase, "Your will be done...." (Matthew 6:10)

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 179 final tables in 483 games (37.1%)  - 34 cashes. Our final table record at Yvie's this year is a rather skimpy two-for-eight.

Poker Day 480: One Expensive Trip

One of the first places where we played live poker for money was Harrah's Casino in North Kansas City. There have been times when every table was full for a weekday tournament. But with competing casinos now in the area, the Friday midday game can't even fill two tables. The better for us to make a final table while on a weekend road trip.... right?

BLINDS: 200/400

IN THE POCKET: J-9 offsuit

Well, maybe not so right. We were given 10,000 chips to start the day. After winning a small early pot, we lost a large one to a man with three 5's. Now we're in the Big Blind, starting this with only 4,500. No one raises at this table of eight, so we check and hope something big is about to break.

ON THE FLOP: J-3-2 (two cards are clubs; we don't recall which ones)

That's certainly a good start, and we're optimistically encouraged to see the Small Blind (first to act) betting 600. We call to tag along. A player to our left calls as well.

ON THE TURN: 9s

Even better! And now Mr. Small Blind bets 1,000. The play for us seems obvious.

"The bundle," we declare - and our last 3,500 comes forward.  But then the man to our left does the same thing - and he has 3,500 as well!

"Maybe great minds think alike," we say - because even a split would look good now. But the Small Blind calls, too! We could triple up!

But then the Small Blind shows.... 2-2! We're in "trip trouble" again. The man to our left shows A-5 of clubs; he has both straight and flush draws. It all comes down to one card....

ON THE RIVER: Qc

The flush hits. That man is relieved. We miss; we're not. On a day with only 17 players, we finish 17th. But at least the poker room had free donuts and cookies.

MINISTRY MOMENT: We didn't take a good "card protector" on the trip, so we grabbed a packet of artificial sweetener from a casino restaurant and improvised.

"I picked this up to remind me," we said to a man at our left, "that the word of God is sweet."

The man chuckled a little at that - but we hope at some point he thinks over what we said:

How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! - Psalm  119:103

We don't think sugar cubes were around in Old Testament times. Packets of "Equal" certainly were not. So honey was the standard of sweetness for people. And it applied to more than simply the words God said....

The fear of the Lord is pure. enduring forever. The ordinances of the Lord are sure and altogether righteous.... they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. - Psalm  19:9-10

An "ordinance" of God is a rule He establishes for us to follow; it could refer to the "Ten Commandments" law, but not necessarily. So His rules can be sweet as well. But here's the amazing extra:

Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. - Proverbs  16:24

Are these God's words? They can be - but we think it can apply to human words as well. The right comment at the right time can uplift and encourage other people. So be thankful for the sweet words God provides, in the Bible and in other ways - and see if you can stir something sweet into what you say at a poker table.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 178 final tables in 480 games (37.1%) - 34 cashes.

The Junk Drawer

The man had a pair of 4's the other night, and went all-in with them on the flop. We had Ace-King of spades, and had a draw for the "nut flush." We called, and found a spade on the river to hit that flush and win a huge pot.

"You played cr*p," the man said as he examined hands around the table. "You played cr*p.... and you (turning to us) played cr*p."

"Actually, I thought Ace-King was pretty high quality." we answered. But that wasn't the answer he wanted. He was out of the tournament, and needed to vent.

An old phrase is as true with poker hands as it is anywhere else: "One person's trash is another person's treasure." But we'd take this line a bit deeper. How do you look at others - or even yourself? As trash, or treasure?

Believe it or not, God doesn't mind working with junk. In fact, He sometimes seems to delight in it:

But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things - and he things that are not - to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. - I Corinthians 1:27-29

God does use famous names to be witnesses for Him - but not many (verse 26). The point is that God raises and improves "junk" people, who realize that's exactly what they were - so they give God the credit and praise for the turnaround.

But "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord." For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends. - II Corinthians 10:17-18

We are thankful to God for whatever success we have at the poker table - whether we win money, or crash early and merely share comments about Jesus Christ. Remember: even the "self-made man" didn't build himself in the womb.

Poker Night 462: Nilla Folders

"So what's the difference between this game and 'Cards for the Cure'?" we asked at one point during Saturday night's poker tournament.

"They haven't shut this one down yet," a woman down the table answered. Perhaps sarcastically - but perhaps with a grain of truth.

"You'd better show us your ID," another woman said jokingly.

But then she gave us a break, as we had admitted it was our first time at Nilla's Poker Room. It's close to a main highway in our city, but a bit hard to find - hidden behind a rather notorious nightclub.  We found a nicely set-up place, with a full bar and a few food items.  Room for cash games were secluded behind walls in corners, while the main tournament was out in the open.

We went to Nilla's this weekend, even though Nikki's Poker Room is open again.  Nilla's cost $30 to play, so we theorized the prize pool would be better than the Nikki's "totally free" approach. And as a side issue, we might learn more about the current poker crackdown by Wichita police.

One woman at our table put the two recent shutdowns together, declaring Nikki's led to the end of Cards for the Cure. "They applied to renew their liquor license, and said up-front: We are a poker room."

"They didn't have to be so honest," another woman said - and that's a topic for another day. Now let's get to the action....

BLINDS: 25/50

IN THE POCKET: King of hearts-King of diamonds

Nilla's is easily the busiest poker room we've visited in Wichita - with four full tables playing in the tournament on a regular Saturday night. We haven't won a pot yet, despite a couple of feelers.

Now we have "the donuts" (K-K) in lead position, holding about 9,900 chips (starting with 10,500, including a newcomer's bonus) - so we limp in. A man across from us raises to 500, and we call. As best we recall, about four players are in.

ON THE FLOP: 10d-7d-6d

The jewelry store is open, but we're thinking more about our overpair. We bet 700 on it. That chases a couple of people away, but not the man who raised pre-flop. He calls.

ON THE TURN: Qc (may not be precise)

Not a diamond - but not a rib-sticking Ace, either. We increase the bet to 1,000, and get called again.

ON THE RIVER: Jd

We hit the diamond flush - but one card beats us. Does our opponent have it? We bet 1,000 again to find out. We're not really sure if he calls or not - but he flips over pocket Aces! Thankfully, they're both black Aces! The flush is a winner, and we gain more than 3,000 chips.

Another pot win brought us close to 14,000.  But then the third period of blinds brought disaster - as our A-K brought an Ace on the flop.  But 2-3 showed up, and a man with 4-5 hit a straight which severely hurt our stack.

We staggered to the one-hour break at 5,500 chips, and couldn't recover from there. We went all-in with A-Q of spades (as best we remember) - but the board brought only two spades. It also brought three clubs, which a woman used to make a winning flush.

While two players were "eliminated" at the table ahead of us, they took a re-buy option. We did not, walking to the bar to finish our soda in roughly 30th place - and wondering if we should keep going to a place which seems on the edge of breaking city law.

MINISTRY MOMENT: A couple of women at our table were quite talkative. One of them mentioned how "God gave me such good looks...."  We think she was making fun of herself, but we responded to it.

"You should be thankful to God for your good looks," we said. "We should be thankful to God for every blessing."

The woman didn't respond to that. But perhaps we made her stop and think for a moment.  The Bible describes several beautiful women, even in ancient history....

..The sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose. - Genesis 6:2

But there's a different kind of beauty that God ultimately is seeking:

Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. - I Peter 3:3-4

Outward beauty is "fleeting" (Proverbs 31:30) - but godly character from a proper spirit never goes out of style. If you're a woman who plays poker, what sort of beauty are you trying to develop?

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 174 final tables in 462 games (37.7%) - 32 cashes.

Poker Night 461: The Better Investment

We'd never done it before, and we're not sure we'll try it again - spending two dollars Saturday night on a Powerball ticket. We didn't hit the jackpot there (nor did anyone else in the U.S.). But we had a second option - playing Saturday night poker at Nikki's. The buy-in is only $12 there, compared to a whopping $75 for the new Arrowhead Poker "Sunday Showdown." For us, price matters...

BLINDS: 1,000/2,000

IN THE POCKET: A-2 of spades

We've won a few pots, and reached the final table on a two-table night. Now after the first break, seven players remain (as best we recall) and our stack has jumped to about 40,000. These are sort-of suited connectors, so we dare to try them with no one raising. Three players are in.

ON THE FLOP: Kh-9s-3s (spades not precise)

A big flush draw is tempting.  But a man across the table from us bets 5,000. We pay the price and call; everyone else steps aside.

ON THE TURN: Ah

That's not it - but it's not bad, either. We now have top pair, even with a lousy kicker.  Our opponent raises the stakes to 10,000. We suspect he has an Ace, but the flush draw still is compelling. So we call again.

ON THE RIVER: Ks

Never mind Powerball - we just hit the jackpot! But our opponent apparently thinks he did, too. He goes all-in right away, with more chips than we have.

We admittedly should have paused for a moment to think this through. Even though we have the best flush, a pair is on the board. What if he has A-K for a full house? That's a very pushable hand. But we didn't stop to think; we made our flush, so we must be OK. We dangerously call after about two seconds.

"Do you have the nuts?" we ask in a fake puzzled way.  Then our opponent throws his cards "I dare you" style in our direction - K-Q of clubs! He has only three of a kind.

"I do have the nuts," we say - and modestly turn over the cards in front of us.

Our opponent's face suddenly looks frustrated. It's almost as if he never saw the flush threat - because if he had, he wouldn't have pushed. But he winds up taking a big loss, and we double up to the 90,000 chip range.

We developed the biggest stack, and used them carefully - using a "bully bluff" only once (or was it twice?!) to add to the lead. Finally we came down to heads-up play, with a chip lead of more than three-to-one!

We were dealt A-K. Our opponent had A-9 and went all-in. We called, of course -- BUT running 9's came on the turn and river, to keep him in the game!  He built back his stack from there, and eventually took the chip lead.

Had he offered to "chop the money" at any point (only two players were paid), we were prepared to bail him out and accept it. Now in a trailing position, we offered a chop in humility - and he accepted, saying he was ready to do that all along. (He'd been distracted by something on his ear buds.).We wound up with $54, one dollar more than our last trip to Nikki's in late December!

MINISTRY MOMENT: "That's the most unusual card protector I've ever seen," a man to our left said at the start of the evening. Jackpot again - our little pack of salt started a discussion.

"I brought this to remind me that I'm supposed to be the 'salt of the earth'," we explained. "Jesus said that. What do you think of Jesus?"

"NO NO NOOOO!" two men to our left said out loud. They didn't want to go there. "Ask us what we think of [Tim] Tebow."

How interesting. They'd rather focus on a former pro football player who is a witness for God, than the original "son of God"....

...Who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. - Romans 1:4

Jesus called Himself" "the Son of Man" many times while He walked the earth. But others testified in the New Testament for what Jesus really was, and still is - the Son of God.

But the reaction of the table to our mention of Jesus made us think of another Bible passage. It comes right after God uttered the Ten Commandments to Moses:

When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, "Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die." - Exodus 20:18-19

The Israelites were more comfortable with an intermediary for God. It seems some people are like that today.  Tim Tebow has become their modern-day Moses, and they'd rather see a godly example through him - or maybe look for character flaws to tear down. Do you think that's the right approach? Offer a comment if you'd like, and we'll get back to this in another post.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 174 final tables in 461 games (37.7%) - 32 cashes. We thank God for three cashes in our last four tournaments, earning more than $170 since late November.

Poker Day 457: The Honeycomb Hideout

"It's a perfect day to play poker," a man said before today's tournament at Arrowhead Poker.  "Cold and windy."

The cloud cover and breeze were a bit deceiving, as the temperature actually was in the mid-50's F. at game time. But since poker sometimes is a game of deceit, that would be OK - as in this hand.

BLINDS: 500/1,000

IN THE POCKET: A of clubs - 8 of spades

We made an early flush to move ahead in chips.  Now we're one off the Big Blind at this one-table eight-player tournament, and these cards seem worth the trouble. We call. No one raises.  Three players are in.

ON THE FLOP: 3c-5c-7c

We're one card away from something very nice. But we don't have it yet, so we check. As we recall, everyone checks.

ON THE TURN: Qc

The very nice "nut flush" is ours! But we decide to be deceitful polite about it in lead position, and check. A man to our left bets 2,000.  A man across from us calls. Now Hollywood is calling.

"Two-thousand?!?" we ask with a bit of uncertainty in our voice. We shake our head a bit, then seem to reluctantly say, "I'll call."

ON THE RIVER: 10d (as best we remember)

This card doesn't matter. We keep playing our part and check again. The man to our left checks.  But the man across from us bets 10,000 - exactly as we hoped.

"Double," we now say with no trepidation; "20,000."

This causes a hubbub for some at the table, who clearly didn't see this coming.

"He really slow-played that Ace," the man to our left says as he folds. Our poker face is on, and we're not commenting.

"I have to call," the man across from us says. He matches the 20,000, and shows why. He has the King of clubs.

"You thought I slow-played that," we say to the man at our left. "You're absolutely right." We show the Ace and score a big chip gain of more than 24,000.

This was a classic case of what poker players call "letting others bet into you." We let our opponents do all the work, until we sprang the trap with a check-raise at the river.

Those big hands gave us the chip lead for awhile, with a high of 104,000. That helped us through a period of dry cards and habitual folds.

But then with six players left, we over-reached. In the Small Blind with 8-8, we doubled our opponent who turned out to have Q-10. When 7-9-10 came on the flop, he went all-in for 60,000 and we instant-called. Our open-ended straight draw missed (we had ten outs, if two remaining 8's are counted), and we dropped to a lowly 5,000.  A desperation push with A-2 failed, and we ended the day tied for fifth (officially sixth).

MINISTRY MOMENT: "Before we begin, I have some sad news," a regular player who manages another poker room said at the top of the tournament. "One of our everyday players, Bobby, died."

The newspaper obituary for Bobby Kallail was posted on the poker room bulletin board. There we learned things he'd never revealed at poker games - about how he operated a once-popular downtown-area nightclub, and was a part of high school and college wrestling teams.

The man who announced Bobby's passing thinks he might have been heading for the poker room when he died in a car crash. Several players were comforted to know that at least he'd played poker the day before, and was doing what he wanted to do.

"I have hope of seeing Bobby again someday, beyond this life," we said. Only one other player at the table seemed to acknowledge that - and that one barely did. We would ask: do you have such a hope?

If a man dies, will he live again? All the days of my hard service I will wait for my renewal to come. - Job 14:14

The ancient Job expressed hope of a resurrection. And the New Testament indicates it will happen for everyone.

And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and the books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life, The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. - Revelation 20:12

Were not sure if Bobby ever expressed faith in Jesus as his Savior. All we know for sure is that his funeral will take place at an Orthodox Christian Church. But the Bible shows a time of resurrection and judgment is coming - for him and for you. Are you prepared for that moment? Have you prepared, by giving your life to Christ?

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 171 final tables in 457 games (37.4%) - 29 cashes.

We have cashed in four out of 19 in-person tournaments this year. Our next event (probably not until mid-December) will determine whether our percentage hits 20 or 25 percent.

Poker Day 453: A Little Something Extra

As some people like to say at the table, "The price of poker has gone up."  Only we're talking about the entry fee at Arrowhead Poker -- now $35 instead of $30 for the Sunday tournament, even though the poker room website didn't say that today.

But we were able to start with 60,000 chips (62,000 with an "on-time bonus").  The challenge was holding on to them:

BLINDS: 200/400

IN THE POCKET: K-9 of spades

All those chips and low blind levels have allowed us to take some early chances.  Trouble is, they've all fallen short so far.  We come to this hand with about 56,000 chips, looking for something to get us going.  We're in the Big Blind, and get help when no one raises at our table of seven.  As best we recall, four players are in.

ON THE FLOP: 6s-10s-Kh

Top pair seems good to it.  When the Small Blind checks, we bet 1,000. A man to our left calls. So does a man across the table. The Small Blind folds.

ON THE TURN: 8c (guessing on the suit)

If this card helped anybody, we still possess top pair.  So we turn up the heat by betting 2,000.  The man to our left clearly isn't comfortable with this, but he calls.  So does the other player.

ON THE RIVER: 3s

Uh-oh -- three spades now are showing.  We check cautiously.  The man to the left checks.  The man across the table ponders a moment, then checks as well.

"I've got nothing," the man across from us says.

"Kings," we say.

"Flush," the dealer points out.

"Oh yeah!" we say with surprise.  We admittedly overlooked the fact that we had two spades!  Our checking of the river looked like a great trap.  Too bad nobody bit -- but at least we gained several thousand chips.

We climbed back to the starting level, then scored a big gain when we called with K-K and topped a man who went all-in with Ace-high.  Another big gain with Q-Q fell short, when an all-in opponent with 10-9 hit two pair on the flop.  But we still reached the final table with about 70,000 chips.

Once there, climbing blinds took their toll.  We stayed alive with A-7, when we called a man with a matching hand. (Amazingly, the flop was 7-A-A.)  Then A-K brought us an all-in win.  But another try with K-J fell short, when a man with a 7 caught a pair on the flop and we missed.  End result: eighth place for the second tournament in a row.

MINISTRY MOMENT: "This man is using a salt packet for his car protector," a player at the final table said with a laugh.

It was our salt packet, of course.  "I brought it to remind me that Jesus said I'm supposed to be the salt of the earth" (Matthew 5:13).

A man across the table actually was delighted to hear this. "I try to bring up Jesus at poker tables, but other people don't want to talk about Him," he said.  "They don't think it's the right place to talk about that, but I think we should talk about Jesus all the time."

Wow!  Regular readers know this sort of reaction is rare. And we think we know why....

This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. - John 3:19

These words of Jesus seem as true today as they did long ago. People who don't want to embrace the "light of the world" (John 8:12) would rather not even talk about the things of God.  What they may not realize is that they can try to run from God.... but they can't hide:

The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: "Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up against me." But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish.... - Jonah 1:1-3

Jonah tried to run away from God's assignment. That led to a violent storm (1:4), Jonah being thrown off a ship (1:15), a giant fish swallowing Jonah for three days and nights (1:17), then a second command from God to go to Nineveh (3:1-2).  This time....

Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh.... - Jonah 3:3

Are you trying to be like Jonah -- running away from God?  Trust us: it won't work.  He's bigger than you.  He wants you to come to the light of His Son.  And the light won't hurt.  Honestly.  In fact, your life might be a lot better for it.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 167 final tables in 453 games (36.9%) - 29 cashes. A busy schedule will restrict us to online poker only for the next few weeks.

Super (For Us) Sunday

NBC Sports used to show a poker tournament on this day.  But today, NBC actually is showing that big U.S. football game with a trademarked name.  So it was up to us to have poker fun -- and with errands to run at midday, we skipped the poker room and entered the National League of Poker no-river game.  NLOP lets players register a bit late now....

....and that was good news for us, because we wound up winning the 206-player tournament!  This was the winning moment against "Crazyguy1", as we both made heart flushes on the turn (you're dealt three cards, and there's no river card).  He bet the minimum 6,000; we raised all-in with only 433 to spare -- and he seemed resigned to end the game and move on.  Our "nuts" won the pot, and a $10 prize.

This was our first NLOP win since December 2013 (also a no-river game). And the final table turned on a hand with three players left, where a pair of 2's was showing.  We had a third 2 with a K; a player named Grayzo took us all-in with a third 2 and a Q.  His surprise loss led to this exchange:

Dealer: 　flopblogger wins Main Pot ($195,024) with Three of a kind, deuces
grayzo: 　om *** god
crazyguy1: 　wow
Me: 　PTL!
grayzo: 　?
Me: 　praise the Lord!
grayzo: i don't do church
How interesting.  This player doesn't "do church," yet he/she actually brought up God before we did.

Of course, lots of people bring up God's name every day.  But many of them use it in exclamations and cursing.  The Bible has a warning about that:

You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. - Exodus 20:7

This is one of the basic Ten Commandments.  But a close look at the Bible shows there can be many ways where the name of God can be misused.  For instance....

Do not swear falsely by my name and so profane the name of your God. I am the Lord. - Leviticus 19:12

This can deal with giving false testimony in court - or simply saying "swear to God, I had a flush" when you really didn't.  But Jesus seems to take this a step farther:

But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. - Matthew  5:34-36

Some people "affirm" their words to be truthful in a court of law, instead of being "sworn in.... so help you God."  These verses are a main reason why.

It seems to us the overall lesson is to be careful with every word we say.  Be truthful. Be accurate. When you can, be loving.

The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit. - Proverbs 18:21

Poker Day 439: Planting Small Seeds

"Speak softly and carry a big stick," President Theodore Roosevelt once said.  That advice can be applied to the poker room at times.  Watch how he tried it at Arrowhead Poker today....

BLINDS: 200/400

IN THE POCKET: King of hearts - King of spades

On a holiday weekend, the turnout is small -- nine players total.  We lost a modest pot early when our pair of 9's lost to a pair of Queens.  Now we have cards even better than that -- but we're first to act pre-flop, so we take the "soft" step and call.  Sure enough, a player across from us raises to 1,200.

"Raise," we say when our turn comes again; "5,200."

This approach keeps three other big spenders in; the rest get out of the way.

ON THE FLOP: 6s-Qs-5s

We have an overpair - but even better, a big spade draw.  We know we should follow up strongly, so we offer a continuation bet of 5,000. A big bettor across from us raises to 10,000.  We call; the rest step aside.

ON THE TURN: As

Jackpot!  We clinch the nut flush, and have an opponent in a mood to gamble.  So we check.  But he checks, too.  Bummer.

ON THE RIVER: 8h (not a spade; suit may not be exact)

Since there's no pair on the board, there's no chance for a full house.  Give us the check mark - and now how about a bonus?  We bet 12,000, and our opponent shoves one of his two big stacks of chips at us. (We didn't ask for a count, to see how it is.)  We don't hesitate to go all-in, and he calls.

Then our opponent throws down.... a Jack of clubs?!?!  Seriously?!?!

"I've got the nuts," we say as we show.  Whatever else that man has, it's not winning.  We get a marvelous double-up, to about 147,000 chips.

"That Ace was the perfect card for you," another player says.  We agree - as it left the outcome practically beyond doubt in our favor.

Our pot kept building from there, as good cards came our way.  A-K of clubs eliminated one player who had A-Q, and lost a race.  Even J-9 won a race when two Jacks came on the board!  In this "bounty" tournament, we eliminated four players at $25 each - the first time we can recall ever claiming a bounty at a poker table.

We reached a chip-stack high of 440,000, and made it to heads-up action. At that point, we agreed to a settlement with our opponent.  With first place paying $90 and second place $54, we each accepted a $72 payout.

That plus four bounties plus our own "bounty chip" which we never lost meant our $60 investment wound up earning $197.  Our records show that's our second-best poker day financially ever - topped only by a Monday night in Florida in 2011. We're praising the Lord for a successful day!

MINISTRY MOMENT: On the way home from the poker room, we passed a regular spot for panhandlers - and two men were there, one with a sign declaring himself "homeless" and seeking help.

We stopped to talk with the men, and found both are staying in a shelter -- but saying things aren't going well there. One claimed he lost his medications to theft. That one also said about $200 was coming in a couple of days, so they could get a motel room for a short time while looking for work.

We admittedly were torn about how to help these men, and openly told them so.  They had a place to stay, but wanted someplace better.  They'd stayed with a friend the night before, and the temperature this night was going to stay above freezing.  So what would you do in such a case?

Against our better judgment (which was simply to walk away, concluding they really didn't need anything we could provide), we let them into our car and drove them to a nearby small motel for overnight lodging.  It was a place where we put a truly homeless man on a January weekend last year, when the temperature was much colder.

Why did we do this?  In part because....

...Freely you have received; freely give. - Matthew 10:8

God blessed us at the poker table, so it only seems right to share a blessing with others - especially people who seem much worse off than us.

Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? - James 2:15-16

Without even looking for them, we encountered more than 40 beggars last year -- in part because we live in a neighborhood with homeless shelters nearby.  We realize we easily could be in their shoes, if only a few things change in our life.  So we try to provide help where we can, especially meeting needs more than handing out cash.  Do you have a different suggestion?


UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 157 final tables in 439 games (35.8%), 26 cashes. Today was our first cash in a live tournament since February 2014.