Poker Day 444: Great Expectations

Maybe more poker players are night-owls than we thought.  When Winners Cardroom scheduled a "Poker Weekend" which included a Sunday morning 10:00 a.m. tournament, the turnout was scarce.  We were there, hoping a small crowd would work to our advantage.  And since it was a "Men's and Women's Tournament," we were segregated to only face guys -- with a little less distraction.

BLINDS: 200/400

IN THE POCKET: 4-5 of spades

We've taken one pot at this table of six men (the manager started the game, then pulled out to make breakfast for everyone else).  But we're looking for something to break through and get above the starting level of 42,000 chips.  Right now we're at about 35,000. And we're in the Big Blind - but no one raises, so it's simple to check and hope.  Most of the players are in.

ON THE FLOP: Jx-7x-2s

Ugh. That's not much.  We're folding to any bet -- but the table checks.

ON THE TURN: 3s

Whoa -- now wait a minute. Suddenly we have an open-ended straight flush draw!  A man across the table offers a meager "stab" bet of 500.  We certainly can call, in hopes of a big payday on the river.

ON THE RIVER: 4d

Ugh.  No straight flush.  No flush.  No straight.  But we do have a pair, so there's a little hope.  As we recall, another 500 bet comes from across the table.  We call it, hoping the opponent only has Ace high.

"I hit the river," we say as we show.  "Not the way I wanted to, but...."

But our opponent turns over 7-9.  His middle pair on the flop survived for a win.

While we won a couple more pots, hopeful cards didn't turn into huge gains for us.  Our stack slowly dwindled (with one big chance failing, which we'll mention another day).  When pocket Jacks showed up in the Big Blind, we went all-in for 11,000 - but a 9 on the flop gave a man with 9-9 three of a kind.  Out of six players, we left in sixth place.

MINISTRY MOMENT: We would have been second out, but a man who went bust first stayed in thanks to a re-buy.  He's a man confined to a wheelchair, who seems barely able to function -- yet he plays, and the other players know him well.

"You have a lot of wristbands," we told Jimmy.  He wore at least 15 on both wrists, from our count -- and we noticed one of them appeared to have "Jesus saves" on it.

"Be sure that Jesus band is showing," we advised Jimmy. "That's the most important one."

We're not sure if he agreed with that -- but it led us to think about our busy lives.  If we're not careful, we can get overwhelmed in a world of work and family and bills and commutes.  It can take effort to make time for a poker day.  But even more importantly, it can take effort to make time for God.

He also that received seed among the thorns is he that hears the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and be becomes unfruitful. - Matthew 13:22 (KJV)

Jesus is explaining a parable about a sower who sows "seeds of the gospel," as some ministries call it (verses 3).  When "the word of the kingdom" (verse 19) lands on thorns, the things of this world can choke it away.

If your life is filled with thorns, it might be good to take some time and list your life's priorities.  But we'd dare say if poker is at the top of the list, your priorities are off-track.

But seek you first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you. - Matthew 6:33 (KJV)

Jesus plans to bring that kingdom to Earth someday.  Are you willing to make that "priority one," to receive the ultimate payoff?

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 161 final tables in 444 games (36.3%) - 26 cashes. It almost seems like cheating to call this a "final table" finish, when barely enough players showed up for a tournament and we finished last - but that's what happened.

Remember As You Play....

The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it. - Proverbs 27:12

When you have 4-4 and the flop brings a third 4, that feels good.  But what if that 4 is a heart, and another heart is next to it?

Simply offering a small "come on in" bet could be asking for danger.  Many players with flush draws are likely to wager a little, in hopes of winning a lot if one more heart comes on the turn or the river -- then spring a big "gotcha" raise at the key moment.

One thing we've learned only recently is the importance of "throwing the block" in those situations.  A big bet on the flop could drive the "fishermen" away.  You might not win a huge pot.  But if you need to win a pot because your stack is low, at least you'll gain something.

Now let's reverse the roles.  If you're on a flush draw and someone makes a big "I dare you" bet, how do you respond?  Do you smell danger and cut your losses -- or "go forward in faith" (to borrow from Exodus 14:15) and risk missing the draw?

Decisions like that reveal what sort of poker player you are.  The answer can depend on how you read your opponent, how many chips you have -- and if you're not careful, even whether the dealer laughed at your joke attempt three hands ago.

We've never played the reality game Dungeons and Dragons.  But we've watched other people do it - and one thing they learn when they enter a new room is to "check for traps."  Be smart and aware of potential dangers during poker hands, and you're less likely to be trapped by an opponent.  Do that in life, and your days may be a lot longer.

Poker Day 417: Super-Sloppy Double Dare

Maybe it was the result of our weekend tournament win online.  Maybe it was because we had an unusual Monday off from work.  Maybe it was because our final table record in Kansas for 2013 stood at exactly 50 percent, and we wanted to settle the year as a winner or loser.

Whatever the reason, "something" told us to head for River City Poker Room for midday poker today.  They have cash-prize tournaments seven days a week (except for New Year's Day, when they'll be closed).  So we offered $20, had a seat -- and found plenty of "regulars" to beat at our full table.

BLINDS: 200/400

IN THE POCKET: A-Q of diamonds

Pre-flop raises are happening often at this table, so it's been difficult to limp in.  But after some early erosion, we won the last pot with A-9 when we bet 1,000 on a flop with an Ace.  So we start this hand with 18,300 chips (out of a starting 21,000).  These good starting cards allow us to sneakily limp in again -- but this time, no one raises.  About half the table is in action.

ON THE FLOP: Qc-6c-2c

We have top pair and top kicker, but a potential problem.  What can we do about all those clubs?  We're in early betting position, so we try to throw a block by betting 1,000.  A couple of players fold -- but a man across the table calls.

ON THE TURN: 5c

Uh-oh.  A fourth club is the last thing we want to see.  Now we have to check -- and our opponent seizes on that by betting 2,200.  We ponder this a moment, conclude he's making a "go away" bet and somewhat reluctantly call.

ON THE RIVER: 3s

Now there's a straight threat in addition to the flush draw.  We check again, but our opponent refuses to slow down.  He bets 6,000.  After a moment of meditation.... well, OK, we felt stunned and may have been sulking.... we presume the worst and fold.

Our opponent never shows his cards, so he may have been testing our will with nothing.  But any club had us beat -- and on reflection, we should have bailed out at the turn.  Why spend 2,200 to see a river, when there's no chance to beat the hand you fear your opponent has?

On the other hand we thought our opponent might think we were serious -- checking the river, then proving he only had a low pair.  But alas, we thought wrong.

We did the same thing a few hands later, when we were dealt J-J.  A man to our left raised from 1,000 to 3,500 pre-flop, and we called it.  When three mid-range cards (7-6-6, we think) came on the flop, we went all-in for 9,000.  But the raiser called -- then showed A-A.  An Ace on the turn settled the issue, and we wound up crashing out early: 19th place our of 20 players.

MINISTRY MOMENT: Maybe the "something" which led us to the table was the short chat we had with the first eliminated player, who had sat directly to our left.  We showed him a salt packet we used for a pocket protector, and said, "Jesus wants us to be the salt of the earth" (Matthew 5:13).

The man said nothing in response to that.  But salt can be useful in all sorts of things -- at least for awhile:

Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?  It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear. - Luke 14:34

We've heard some preachers say old tired salt was used in constructing Roman roads.  We couldn't find any online sources to verify that -- so let's take "the Word" at His word here.

If you're a believer in Jesus, how "salty" are you these days?  To borrow a few first-century uses we found in a study Bible, are you adding a nice flavor to an otherwise bland and boring world?  Are you helping to preserve lives, by bringing the things of God before others?  And are you "killing weeds" by challenging ideas and actions which harm people?

Keep looking for ways to share some salt -- before God decides it's time to cast you aside.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 145 final tables in 417 games (34.8%) - 24 cashes.

We close 2013 with a losing record in Kansas, but not by much: 7 final tables in 15 games, with three cash wins (and it could have been four, but the one Sunday we played in an WPT Amateur tournament had no payouts at all). Overall: 15 final tables in 41 games with four cash wins -- a healthy 36.6%.

NATIONAL LEAGUE OF POKER TOTAL: Full tournaments - 284 point wins in 1,421 games (20.0%), 93 final tables, 10 wins, 13 cashes.  No-River Hold 'em - 37 point wins in 127 games (29.1%), 30 final tables, 3 wins, 4 cashes.

We end 2013 by making the points in our last 6 out of 7 No-River games!

POKER STARS.NET TOTAL: Pretend cash games - $86,131, up $1,631 since we moved to Kansas in April.

Poker Night 328: Make Mine 89?

The Red Barn has less-expensive soda.  Uptown Wings is closer to our front door.  With that choice of Monday night poker action, one thing made the difference for us tonight.  We had a "title" to defend.  So we walked back to Uptown Wings, hoping for our third cash win in a row.  Hope is one thing, achievement another....

BLINDS: 200/400

IN THE POCKET: 8-9 of spades

We've heard players say mid-range cards are the best to play, because you have more flexibility in dealing with a flop.  We haven't been able to do much with any flop on this night, as weak cards have come our way over and over.  This shows promise, at least -- so it's one of the few hands we've actually played.  We call in the Small Blind; no one raises.

ON THE FLOP: 5-2-J (only the Jack is a spade)

We have dreams of a flush or straight -- but we need a lot of help.  A man across the table from us tests us with a bet of 600.

"I'm probably going to regret it, but I'll call," we say.  Two other players call as well.

ON THE TURN: 2s

There's one "runner," but we need one more.  The man across the table seems to sense that, because now his bet is 2,500.  A woman between us calls, and we're left to ponder.  That's really a card we wanted, but the price is awfully steep for seeing one more.

"I'll fold," we finally decide.

ON THE RIVER: 5s

Ouch!  Of course the flush comes after we fold -- but the hand is still going.  The bettor stares at the woman's stack, computes she has 1,800 chips and bets exactly that amount.

"Get out of my pot," he says as she ponders.  Then he does her a big favor -- and shows her a 5.  She folds. He wins.  And a big question mark is removed from our mind.  Yes, he ran us off a flush with that big bet on the turn -- but in this case, we're thankful he did.

But it was a night when nice cards simply didn't come for us.  Even A-10 in the Big Blind went nowhere, as we missed the flop and that opponent bet big again.  Our stack drained to the point where we were forced all-in with 10-4 in the Small Blind.  The turn brought a 4, but we had nothing more.  Two pair eliminated both blinds at the same time, and we wound up tied for 14th place.

MINISTRY MOMENT: With Independence Day approaching, we took a small U.S. flag lapel pin for a card protector.  And we asked a couple of players a question our Pastor has mentioned in passing in recent weeks: what does it mean to be an American?

"My fathers were slaves," one man next to us said.  "What the f*** do you think it means to me?"

This African-American man proceeded to share his feelings about race relations and civil rights, past and present.  He believes there's still plenty of inequality and prejudice based on skin color, and he indicated he deals with it on a daily basis.  (We live in a city which officially has no "racial majority" at this time.)

"If you see a man down on his luck, sitting outside an IHOP," he said for an example, "that person's more likely to be offered a handout and get help if he's white."

We didn't tell the man this, but we personally don't offer anyone a handout unless they ask for it.  But when the request comes, we try to fill a beggar's need (the need itself, not simply a request for money) without concern for their skin color.  The Bible instructs us to do that....

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

(If you're wondering who qualifies as a "brother or sister," check the results of a Bible study we did into that topic several years ago.)


"If we could get rid of the bigotry," the man went on to say, "we'd be the greatest country in the world."

"The only way you're going to get rid of bigotry," we told him, "is for Jesus Christ to come back."

The man agreed with that view.  And we pray Jesus returns soon -- not only to bring reality to the Declaration of Independence's phrase "all men are created equal," but to heal the hurt of racial prejudice that the man next to us clearly feels.

....For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.  There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. - Galatians 3:27-28

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 117 final tables in 328 nights (35.7%) - 19 cashes.  We missed the final table in our "early-week" tournament for the first time since Memorial Day.

Poker Night 303: Chasing Rainbows

Many people across the U.S. are dreaming tonight of winning a world-record $540 million lottery jackpot.  But many poker players dream of striking it rich several times a night -- hitting big cards to grab huge pots.  And with odds far better than the 1:176,000,000 of Mega Millions, you can understand why.  Here's an example from Lil Kim's Cove tonight....

BLINDS: 50/100

IN THE POCKET: Ace of diamonds - 4 of hearts

We're dealing the cards, and the woman in the small blind openly admits she's displeased with what we dealt her.  We don't bother mentioning ours are only fair-to-middlin'.  Starting the hand with about 7,900 chips, we're pleased when no one at the nearly-full table raises.  Most players call, and we join in.

ON THE FLOP: 9h-2d-Jd

This may not look like much -- but with two diamonds showing, we're thinking about a possible flush.  A player bets 500.  Thinking big and hopeful, we call.  About four players remain in the hand.

ON THE TURN: 10d

We're halfway (or is that 80-percent?!) there.  But now the heat rises.  The "small blind" woman to our left bets 1,000.  A man on the opposite side raises to 2,000.  We know from doing the math at home we have  a 19-percent chance of catching a diamond on the river, to make the flush.  Adding a bit of "daring" to our big and hopeful, we call.  The woman to our left calls as well.

ON THE RIVER: 3c

Ouch -- we swung and missed!  The table checks in front of us, so we still have hope.  But we decide not to bet on that hope, and check as well.

"I hit a flush," the small blind says.  She proves it by turning over 6d-5d.  The small suited connectors she didn't like turned into a big winner.  (No, she didn't "tip the dealer" to thank us.)

Our chasing stopped for the most part, after that substantial loss.  We eased our way to the one-hour break with 3,900 chips.  But then another second-hour rally started for us.  A real flush came for us on the river from Ac-Jc, helping us recover to 10,000.  Another pot came minutes came when a 10 turned into a winning two pair, and we stood at 18,000.

But after a loss of two, we faced a moment of truth with 9,500 chips left and rising blinds.  A man across from us went all-in pre-flop with a massive stack.  We had J-J, and dared to call -- only to see our opponent throw down A-A with authority.  He was rewarded with A-A on the turn and river!  If we had to lose, we might as well lose to something huge -- as quads kicked us out in 18th place.

MINISTRY MOMENT: "What's with the nail, man?" a man asked as he dealt the cards tonight.  We reprised the card protector from Monday night.

"It's to remind me of something big," we explained; "the crucifixion of Christ."  We noted many people will remember that momentous event next week.  Then we asked, "Do you believe the crucifixion happened?"

The dealer didn't answer.  So we ask you, the reader: do you believe it happened?  It's an event so noteworthy that it was prophesied in the Old Testament:

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. - Isaiah 53:5

Jesus the Son of God endured a painful death -- not only being crucified, but facing insults and spit in His face (Matthew 27:29-30).  In 2012, some people would call this police brutality.  And it was done to a "suspect" who committed no sin at all (II Corinthians 5:21).  Why would God in heaven allow such a thing?  The prophecy of Isaiah even answers that question....

Yet it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and thought the Lord makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. - Isaiah 53:10

Translation: Jesus paid the "guilt offering" of death for our sins (Romans 6:23) -- and the Son of God eventually was resurrected, to see other "sons of God" be developed who would accept Jesus's sacrifice.  That's how Jesus Christ is our Savior, if you're willing to accept Him in that title.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 108 final tables in 303 nights (35.6%) - 17 cashes.  Uh-oh, we've missed six final tables in a row.

NATIONAL LEAGUE OF POKER TOTAL: Full tournaments - 203 point wins in 864 games (23.5%), 68 final tables, 7 cashes.  We qualified for the monthly NLOP Senior Championship again, but had to miss Tuesday night's tournament because of a work-related road trip.

POKER STARS.NET TOTAL: Pretend cash games - $71,332, up $600.

September Senior Championship: Heart of Courage?

We qualified for two monthly championship games at National League of Poker.  On this senior night, our goal was to do better than last time -- which wouldn't be hard:

:04 IN: We have A-K of clubs, and raise the minimum bet from 30 to 100.  Two players call.  The flop is K-Q-5, with the Queen a club.  We bet 100 again, and everyone folds. It's a quick gain of $515.

:14 IN: We have K-A offsuit and limp.  The flop is Q-3-9, and everyone checks.  The turn is 7, and everyone checks.  The river is 3, and we dare to bet 125.  Someone calls, but with A-Q.  We win $430.

:15 IN: In the very next hand, we have J-9. The flop is 4-Q-9, and we bet 80 (double the blind). A player calls. The turn is 6; everyone checks.  The river is 3, and everyone checks with three hearts showing. But our opponent has K-10, and missed a straight draw. Our pair wins $300.

:26 IN: We have Ah-2d under the gun, and try to get in small -- but another player raises from 100 to 480.  With a pretty good stack, we call. The flop is 7-5-6, all hearts.  Our opponent bets 480 - and sitting on a nut flush draw, we call.  The turn is 6d. The opponent now bets 1,200, and we only have about 980 left. It's a significant gamble, and we choose to fold. (No, you can't "see the last card" in this game.)

That hand cost about half our stack.  We reach the half-hour break with $835, good for 296th place with 404 players left.

:34 IN: We have 7-4 of clubs in the firsthand after the break, and fold it.  Bad decision: clubs come for a flush we would have won.  Our stack drops from there, due to a couple of tries and missed flops.

:54 IN: We have Q-Q in the small blind, starting the hand with 235 left and the blinds at 150/300.  We have little choice but to push, and a few players call.  But the flop is K-10-A, and one player has 10-A for two pair. the turn is 10, giving him a clinching full house. (The river is K, so we couldn't even make a straight.)

We played a lot longer, at least -- but still finished 227th, out of 886 players.  Next big chance: Thursday night.

August Senior Championship: What's the Rush?

It took a couple of weekends to do it, but we qualified at the last minute for tonight's National League of Poker monthly Senior championship. And for a change of pace, we will break down every hand we played in the tournament!

:02 IN: BLINDS: 15/30

IN THE POCKET: Qh-As

We have the button as dealer, in the second hand of the night. We folded the first one as small blind when a player went all-in for 1,000. He wound up holding A-Q, and split a pot of more than 3,000. Now this stereotypical online pusher goes all-in again, ahead of us!

We wonder for a moment what's going on -- then conclude he can't possibly have something huge two hands in a row. This must be a "reputation" bluff. So we choose to call, putting us all-in right off the bat. Everyone else folds.

Only one problem: our opponent isn't bluffing. He shows A-K.

ON THE FLOP: 10c-10s-8s

We want a queen! A lovely queen!

ON THE TURN: 2s

Far, far away -- but now with three spades showing, we have a chance to hit a nut flush on the river. (Our opponent has no spades at all.)

ON THE RIVER: 3c

We miss. We're out. We write, "Sigh......" then "very good."

Be honest now -- would you have folded what we had, in that position? We didn't. And as a result, we finish #1,027 out of 1,047 players. That hurts.

Poker Night 267: The Guidance Counselors

"You never win by chasing," a man to our left said tonight at Lil Kim's Cove. Several other players agreed with him, to a point.

"If you don't get it on the turn, it's not worth going to the river," another said -- probably referring to a chase for a straight or a flush.

We listened to the discussion, not saying a thing. But when we were moved to another table with higher blinds, their words suddenly became our reality.

BLINDS: 500/1,000

IN THE POCKET: A-9 of clubs

Only five players are at the table, as the field narrows. We won a moderate-sized early pot, but lost 3,000 a few hands before this one when K-Q didn't pair on the flop. A-J came, but we refused to call a big bet with a straight draw. So we start this hand with 4,500 chips -- and while it's tempting to push right now, we choose to limp in. No one raises.

ON THE FLOP: 3c-3s-6c

There's "nut flush" potential here, and the play checks to us. We check -- but then the man next in line bets 2,000. One player calls. We make a bet which costs more than half our remaining chips, by calling. It would be nice if a club came right now....

ON THE TURN: 10d

....Except it didn't. We check again, and the man to our left spreads out 4,000. The man in between calls again -- and now it's decision time.

"You know how to drive a hard bargain, don't you?" we say as we ponder an all-in moment. We might win the pot with an Ace on the river. We probably would if a club comes out. But we've made it a point all evening to play on the tight side -- and in the back of our mind, we recall what those men at the other table said earlier.

"I'm gonna fold," we finally announce. This saves us 1,500 chips for something better.

ON THE RIVER: Qc

Ouch! The flush card comes -- and that man to our left stole our nuts! When the hand is over, we show what we had. And unlike that other table, these players are more on the gambling side.

"You'd already put 4,000 in there," a man across the table says. (Really it was 3,000.)

"I would have went all-in on that 4,000," another man says.

"That's going to blind you out," the first man points out. Indeed it did; misses with the big and small blinds eliminated us in 13th place. We reached the semifinal table, at least -- barely.

MINISTRY MOMENT: Before the game began, a young man at our table shared a bit of his personal poker philosophy: "I give up, and then I win."

He may have meant it as a joke, but we noted something in those words. "That's pretty deep," we told him. "In fact, it's almost Biblical."

Well, it's really fully Biblical -- but the Bible doesn't use exactly those words. Can you identify the place(s) in Scripture where that idea is expressed? We'll offer an answer in a future post.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 100 final tables in 267 nights (37.5%) - 15 cashes. Another slump officially is out, with six missed final tables in a row.

NATIONAL LEAGUE OF POKER TOTAL: Full tournaments - 160 point wins in 725 games (22.1%), 54 final tables, seven cashes.

POKER STARS.NET TOTAL: Pretend cash games - $56,737, down $1,990. (A week of losses, after a week of huge wins.)

Remember As You Play....

He who works his land will have abundant food, but he who chases fantasies lacks judgment. - Proverbs 12:11

We're reading the book of Proverbs throughout August, about one chapter a day -- and this verse makes us think of straight draws. How many times have you heard poker players admit, "I'm chasing," especially after they miss a draw?

If you have a 6 and the board shows 5-7-9, you have a "belly-buster" or "gut-shot" straight draw. The odds of an 8 to make your straight is four out of 47, or 8.5 percent.

But if the board shows 5-7-8, your 6 suddenly is more promising. You have an "open-ended" straight draw. The odds of a 4 or 9 appearing becomes eight out of 47, or 17 percent. (A flush draw with one card missing is even better, at 19.1 percent.)

So some draws are better opportunities for success than others. But in all these cases, the odds are against you.

Should this verse in Proverbs lead you to draw away from all draws? We'll leave that answer up to you. But the verse applies to life as well.

It's good to dream -- but think the dreams through carefully before you attempt to pursue them. We had a dream of business success five years ago this summer, only to see it blow up (literally) when we tried to put that dream into action. (Search our other blog for "frisbee" to read details.)

An unknown wise man once said: "Plan your work, then work your plan." That works in all sorts of ways -- from your career to family to poker. And even to developing a strong relationship with God. If your plan for success isn't realistic, seek God's help in having a "Plan B."

NLOP Weekly Championship 10: Keep On Pushing

It's not easy for a part-time online poker player to make the National League of Poker weekly championship, with a $500 prize. Sunday night marked only the tenth time we've made it in more than a year. And we had 1,463 opponents, as well....

:00 IN: We're dealt Q-Q right off the bat. But the flop has 10-K -- and even though a third Queen comes on the turn, a Jack hits the river. An opponent goes all in -- and we fear the "Broadway" worst as we fold. We lose 280.

:02 IN: We have J-K in the big blind. The flop is 4-9-5, and we fold to a bet. Trouble is, Q-10 come next and we miss a straight.

:08 IN: We have 5-4 of hearts - but with a lowered chip stack, we choose to fold. Wrong again; the flop is 5-4-3.

:11 IN: We fold J-5. The board brings two more Jacks. (Are you sensing a trend here?)

:13 IN: We have 2-A of hearts, and this time we play them. Tow hearts come on the flop, and a King of hearts hits the river to give us the nuts. We reclaim 680. But at the first break, we're limping at 460.

:43 IN: We have 3-K of spades in the big blind, and decide to go all-in. A caller has 10-Q. Another 3 and two Aces come on the board, and we rebuild to 720.

1:00 IN: Rising blinds force us to push again with J-8 of hearts with only 70 chips left. Jh-Kh come on the flop, followed by 9h on the turn! We're back to 450.

1:02 IN: On the next hand, we push again with J-J. The turn provides a third Jack, and suddenly we're back "in the game" at 1,450 -- but a miss or two leaves us with 850 at the second break.

1:09 IN: We have Q-J of hearts, and limp in with $300 blinds. The flop is a dream-come-true 9-10-K! Of course we push with 525 left -- and the straight restores us to 1,975.

1:12 IN: We have 7-8 in the big blind. The flop is 3s-8d-9s. An opponent checks. Then comes 10d. We smell weakness by our opponent, and dare to go all-in with 1,250. The foe calls with 7-5 of spades. But sadly, he HITS the flush draw on the river with As.

If not for a spade, we would have jumped to 4,100 and been in quite a rally. Instead, we finished 289th. Not bad -- but not even a "top-ten percent."

Poker Night 203: Chicken-Hearted?

To ensure we avoided stray Halloween visitors, we made our first poker visit tonight to The Sports Page. It's perhaps the best-known sports bar in Columbus, and we've enjoyed their version of a "Scrambled Dawg" for years as a dinner to go with big-screen games.

The Sports Page also has become known as a busy poker spot, with tournaments three nights a week. So we had plenty of competition, and faced several big challenges....

BLINDS: 100/200

IN THE POCKET: K-J of hearts

Because we ate a Scrambled Dawg before the tournament, we started with double the normal chip stack -- 10,000. But after winning the first pot of the night by making a diamond flush on the flop, we're down to about 7,500. When a player across the table raises to 500, we hope history will repeat itself. Several players call.

ON THE FLOP: Qh-Jc-8h (as best we recall)

The man who raised doesn't slow down, betting 2,000. A man between us calls. Now we have to think a moment. This is the flush chance we hoped to see -- but the bet is so large that we'd lose a lot of chips if we call and we're wrong. (We also suspect a bigger bet on the turn is coming.)

"I'm tempted -- but I'll fold," we finally say.

ON THE TURN: 2 of hearts

Ouch! The hand plays out to reveal the big bettor had two pair. We were the only one with two hearts, and could have gained a small fortune.

We show our cards afterward, and overhear someone to our left say something about "calling a raise pre-flop" and following up on it. That big bet on the flop probably was designed to scare off flush-chasers -- and we admittedly lacked the backbone to follow through with our hope nearly realized. (Hmmmm; there could be a lesson there for another post.)

We reached the one-hour break, but then tried to fight for our life with A-8 when a high-card 8 showed up on the flop. But a 6 which also was showing gave a man to our left two pair (8-6), and he eliminated us in about 31st place.

MINISTRY MOMENT: "Did I ever show you this?" we asked a man to our immediate right. We showed him the "Jesus as your Savior" coin. When we asked if he agreed with the message, he nodded -- barely.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 83 final tables in 203 nights (40.9%) - 15 cashes.

Poker Night 194: Hope-Less?

Some poker players are called "rocks," because they play in a tight conservative way. Others are more daring and unpredictable. We faced one of those players tonight, as we changed our routine to play at Soho Bar and Grill....

BLINDS: 25/50

IN THE POCKET: K of spades - 10 of hearts

The night is young, but the betting at this table has been large. A player to our right raises to 200. We have about 5,500 chips, and decide to give this iffy hand (at least for us) a try.

ON THE FLOP: A-6-3, all spades

Our "iffy" now looks potentially pretty -- as we're one spade away from "the nut flush." The man who raised before now bets 600. We suspect he has an Ace, but we call in hope.

ON THE TURN: Kh

There's a pair for us, but not quite what we're after. The bettor now counts out 1,600. Does he have A-K or something? We fear he has big cards, but the hope of a nut flush remains. We call.

ON THE RIVER: 6c

"Hope deferred makes the heart sick," says Proverbs 13:12. We miss the flush, but still have two pair. Yet the bettor is undaunted, and tosses out 3,000 -- a bet which practically would put us all-in. We conclude he has an Ace, and fold.

Another player calls -- and the man who bet a lot shows Q-J. His high hopes fell short, too! The third man has one pair, and claims the pot. We would have won thousands of chips, but Mr. Unpredictable ran us off. There's much more to be said about the hopes of this hand; we'll do that in an upcoming post.

MINISTRY MOMENT: We showed a man to our left the "Jesus as your Savior" coin tonight. He said he agreed with the message -- and at the one-hour "color-up" break, he showed graciousness toward our meager chip stack and gave us enough to advance from 1,000 to 1,500!

(Trouble is, we pushed all-in immediately after the break with A-9 -- and even though A-7 came on the flop, we lost to that big bettor with 7-7 who made three of a kind.)

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 82 final tables in 194 nights (42.3%) - 15 cashes. We should note another commitment may keep us from playing any live poker for the next couple of weeks.

NATIONAL LEAGUE OF POKER TOTAL: Full tournaments - 76 point wins in 407 games (18.7%), 31 final tables, 2 cashes. Our strong afternoon "turbo tourney" run ended Tuesday, after seven point wins in a row.

POKER STARS.NET TOTAL: Pretend cash games - $16,259, up $1,575. The run isn't over there, with gains in eight consecutive sessions.

Poker Night 193: Speaking Too Soon

Playing a bit more aggressively has helped us lately online -- as we've earned points in the last seven afternoon tournaments we've entered. But in a live game where people play for free, pushing the envelope can be troublesome. It put us in a hole tonight at The Red Barn -- and then came this:

BLINDS: 200/400

IN THE POCKET: Ace of hearts - King of Clubs

We haven't won a pot all night, and have about 2,400 chips. So it's time to take a stand -- and after the first player in order calls the blind, we raise to 1,000. Three other players call it.

ON THE FLOP: 8c-5d-4c

That figures - we missed the flop. But in a hopeful sign, the table checks.

ON THE TURN: Jc

The good news is that we have a flush draw. The bad news is that a player across the table bets 1,000 -- a bet that would put us almost all-in. A woman next to him calls. Then to borrow from Madonna, it's "truth or dare" time for us. We think a moment -- and we're thinking the bettor may have hit a big hand already.

"This is simply not my night," we decide. "I'll fold."

ON THE RIVER: 2c

Arrrrghhh! Not only did a card for the flush come through, none of the other players in the hand had a club. A pair of jacks winds up winning the pot.

"You should've hung in there," a woman who lost the hand says after seeing what we folded. That's easy for her to say. We admittedly went by the trend of the night for us, and made a pessimistic decision which cost us a big comeback. We were eliminated moments later when we pushed with A-10 of hearts, and lost to three 4's.

MINISTRY MOMENT: Nothing really happened tonight - but we're working on a topic to be posted here Tuesday.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 82 final tables in 193 nights (42.5%) - 15 cashes.

Poker Night 159: Thrill of the Chase

It's as true with poker as with any other casino game -- early success can be deceiving. Score some wins right off the bat, and you might think it's your night. But what happened to us at The Red Barn tonight was a reminder of reality....

BLINDS: 200/400

IN THE POCKET: K-6 of clubs

"Hey Larry!" the Tournament Director shouts across the room from two seats to our right. "I've got the hand you love.... to hate." We don't remember right away what that hand is, but the Director decides to play it. "Be glad I'm just calling." We're in the big blind, so we're glad about it. We check.

ON THE FLOP: Ac-Qc-Jh

This is a flop with lots of potential, as we have a "nut flush" draw. And with about 7,500 chips, we can afford to spend money on it. But there's only potential for us at this point, so we check. Play checks to the Director, who bets 500. We call, as does one other player.

ON THE TURN: Qd

The board pairs, but not with the shade we want. We check again, and the Director now bets 2,000. Still hoping to hit it big, we call. So does the other player.

ON THE RIVER: 9s

Ouch! Our flush dream is denied. We check again, hoping the Director also missed a draw and our King might hold up. But no -- he bets 4,000, which almost would put us all-in. It's an easy decision to fold. And it's a good thing we did; he had A-Q and made a full house on the turn.

That loss hurt, but we held on from there to make our third live final table in a row. We hoped for a comeback when we had to go all-in with A-10 in the small blind. The flop was Q-10-8, which helped. But a woman next to us had pocket 8's, which hurt immensely. Then a 9 and 2 followed, to seal our fate: a tie for sixth place with someone else who pushed.

MINISTRY MOMENT: "Is that thing your good luck charm?" asked a puzzled man across the table during the one-hour break. We were using a three-prong to two-prong electric plug adapter as our card protector.

"No," we answered with a laugh. "I brought this to remind me that I receive power from the Holy Spirit of God."

The man now seemed even more puzzled. "Do you believe in the Holy Spirit's power?" we asked.

"I do," he answered after thinking for a moment. "But I don't carry it with me."

Don't worry -- we don't, either. But we used it here to bring up the things of God. "God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power," Peter said in Acts 10:38.

That Spirit is now available to believers (potentially even to you) -- and the upcoming Christian holy day called Pentecost focuses on that. If you want to know more about that, click here for an in-depth explanation.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 63 final tables in 159 nights (39.6%) - 11 cashes.

Poker Night #61: Killer's Substitute

One nice thing about playing poker at Club H2O is that you can learn the names of everyone at your table. The seats are assigned at random by a computer, then posted on a screen. But that could have been a bad thing Wednesday night, because we were put in a seat next to "Killer."

Given the news of the prior 24 hours, we're not sure why anyone would want to take that nickname. Especially not an innocent-looking 20-something guy.

"So you're Killer?" we asked cautiously before play began.

"I'm not Killer. We switched."

The man's name really was David. Killer apparently wanted to play at a non-smoking table. David smoked two cigarettes before he was eliminated -- so some might argue he was killing himself.

David was gone before we were, yet he helped provide the most interesting night of poker ministry we've had so far. It's so interesting that we'll have details in our next post. But as for the game: an ultra-conservative style of play brought us a Top 100 finish out of 140 players. We were booted after a little more than an hour, with ten tables still playing.

We were forced all-in with only 24 chips left, holding a 9 of clubs which paired the board. Three clubs were showing, so we dreamed of a flush on the river -- but a King of spades came instead.

We never won a hand all night, and seldom had good cards to play. Pocket 2's came to us at one point, but face cards on the flop left us unwilling to call opponent's bets. Another hand appeared even more promising....

BLINDS: 2/4

IN THE POCKET: A-Q of hearts.

We decide to limp in, but a desperate player two seats down goes all-in for 27. Two players call, including David to our immediate right. This is too good a hand to fold, so we call as well.

ON THE FLOP: 7h-7s (we think) -5h.

It's a great flush draw for us, but we've invested a good bit in this pot already. We lay low and check, as everyone else does.

ON THE TURN: 9 (not a heart).

Same thinking, same actions.

ON THE RIVER: 7c.

With three 7's showing, David bets 25. Since he called the big bet before, we conclude he must have a full house. We don't dare challenge, so we fold. But another player calls him.

"King high!" David declares -- and that's good enough to beat a Jack high, and take the pot.

"I had an Ace, and you scared me away!" It would have been the top hand, but a good bet on a fair-to-middling hand (we hesitate to call it a bluff) worked -- especially since the cards had not been in our favor all night.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 24 final tables in 61 nights (39.3%) - 7 cashes.

We dared to go to a crowded house, even though we risked falling below the 40% level. We'll try to climb above it, when we play Thursday night at Lil' Kim's Cove (a rare two-tourney week for us). We'll update our Yahoo action then as well.