AI v. A-J

Long before people played poker against each other on computers, people were playing against.... well, computers.

We did it in college (or perhaps it was some other card game) against a primitive 64k computer like a Commodore. We've also done it in recent years at a casino in Kansas City - where a computerized Texas Hold 'em game was programmed so well that it cost us some money.

Now researchers in Canada and the Czech Republic say they've developed the "DeepStack" program - artificial intelligence that can beat the best in a heads-up no-limit poker game. In fact, it won most of the time against 11 poker pros over a total of 12,000 games.

Developers say the program succeeds by "learning" from past games to figure out "intuition" for playing future hands. In other words, DeepStack seems to learn from its mistakes.... very well. How good are you at doing that? Not simply at the poker table, but in other aspects of your life?

If you make the same mistake several times in poker, it could be due to bad reads or a lack of good thinking. If you do it in your everyday actions, you may have a bad habit that needs breaking.

As a dog returns to his vomit, so a fool repeats his folly. - Proverbs 26:11

Tough words - but Biblical words. It's far better to change your thinking and not make the same mistake twice. If you need help with that, may we make an unusual suggestion?

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. - James 1:5

God wants you to be wise, not foolish. And beyond that, He wants you to ask for His wisdom....

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

You can grow in that wisdom by consulting God's book of wisdom on a regular basis. It can lead to the greatest victory of all....

...From infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. - II Timothy 3:15

We're not guaranteeing you'll beat DeepStack. But if you learn from your mistakes and grow in knowledge of how to play the game - in poker or otherwise - you could wind up with a "deep stack" of blessings.

The Sweet Life

This past week we marked nine years playing live poker, mostly in tournaments. We've had some modest successes, reached a large percentage of final tables and won money from time to time.

Most recently, we've won a few small pieces of candy. The Tournament Director at Yvie's throws them on the table every time the blinds go up. Whoever wins the next pot takes the candy as a bonus.

We're not sure why he was inspired to do this. After all, a mini-candy bar at a place serving burgers and beer doesn't amount to much. For us, we're looking for a reward that's far sweeter than that:

In fact, Christ thinks of us as a perfume that brings Christ to everyone. For people who are being saved, this perfume has a sweet smell and leads them to a better life. But for people are lost, it has a bad smell and leads them to a horrible death. - II Corinthians 2:15-16 (CEV)

This is NOT about wearing cologne to the poker room. This is about setting a proper example to people around us - and that example can rub different people in different ways.

Take the example of Jesus Christ. He attracted a following, as He told off religious leaders and performed miracles. But it also led some people to conspire for His death.

...But we preach Christ crucified: a stumblingblock to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. - I Corinthians 1:23-24

We try to be a sweet example for God wherever we play poker. And we realize that might annoy some people - especially when we dare to bring up the things of God and Christ. Yet....

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. - I Corinthians 1:18 

Given the consequences of that verse - "perishing" vs. "being saved" - how "sweet" are God and Jesus to you?

Remember As You Play....

The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know. - I Corinthians 8:2

Just when you think you've seen it all....

That phrase is fitting in all walks of life.  It could be a straight flush topping quads.  It could be that last-second college football play, not far from where we used to live.  It sadly could also be a savage act of crime or violence.

If you've played poker for years, it's easy to think you know it all.  You may have played thousands of hands in person or online.  You may have won a bracelet or two.  But our verse is a reminder that we are not the sum of all knowledge.

Even classic cartoons illustrate the silliness of thinking we know everything.  We think there's a better approach to take when you head for the table....

Do not deceive yourselves.  If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a "fool" so that he may become wise.  For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight. - I Corinthians 3:18-19

That doesn't mean you have to play dumb -- although we've tried it a time or two around people we've never met, and it can work.  But it does mean playing and conducting yourself in a way which indicates a humble approach:

He has showed you, O man, what is good.  And what does the Lord require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. - Micah 6:8

May you "grow in grace and knowledge" (II Peter 3:18) - not only of Jesus Christ, but in how to play poker successfully and honorably.

Against All Odds

Why do you never hear about professional poker players winning slot machine jackpots in casinos -- or scoring a big win at the blackjack table?

Perhaps they know something ordinary "high rollers" don't.  An essay in the Wall Street Journal has a revealing analysis of gamblers in online casinos.

Since the newspaper might put the essay behind a "pay wall," we'll sum it up this way: over a two-year span....

Just 11% of players ended up in the black over the full period, and most of those pocketed less than $150.... Big losers of more than $5,000 among these heavy gamblers outnumbered big winners by a staggering 128 to 1. 

But wait, you say -- poker is different from ordinary gambling.  This report took that argument into account.  From "Sitting at the Virtual Poker Table"....

About one-third of the poker players classified as "most involved" by the Harvard researchers ended up winning money over time, while just 10% of the rest ended up in the black.

So when it comes to poker, it can pay to play on a regular basis.  But when it comes to other casino games, the opposite is true:

The lightest gamblers—the 10% of customers who placed the fewest wagers over the two years—also had the highest winning percentage. About 17% of them ended up in the black—tough odds but still better than the dismal 5.4% winning percentage of the heaviest gamblers.

There are many conclusions we can draw from this study.  One of them is contained in the book of Proverbs:

Of what use is money in the hand of a fool, since he has no desire to get wisdom? - Proverbs 17:16

That verse sounds harsh.  But how many casino players take time to study their chances of winning at the games they play -- for instance, at a slot machine?  With a little thought and research, some money could be saved.

(We should note here the proverb "A fool and his money are soon parted" is not from the Bible -- but it rather surprisingly does have church roots.)

The study also indicates in poker, practice can make perfect -- but not completely perfect.  We'd compare it to a baseball player.  If he gets a hit three times out of ten, he's considered very good.  he Bible talks about "practice" as well....

Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them to practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundations on the rock. - Matthew 7:24-25

Practicing the teachings of Jesus does not make you immune from storms - but you'll be able to weather them better.

There's one more Biblical point to make from this study.... but we'll wait to see if you can find it.  We'll bring it up in a future post.

Where's the Evidence? II

That poker table discussion last Thursday night involving a religious skeptic brought up so many issues that we're still sorting through them all.

"Skeptic?" you might be asking.  "She sounds like an atheist."  In fact, someone at the table asked the woman if she was -- and she said she wasn't.  She doesn't believe in Jesus or the Bible, but she claims she's not atheistic.  Yet our dictionary defines atheism as "disbelief in or denial of the existence of God."  That's different from agnosticism, which "does not deny God but denies the possibility of knowing Him."

Some Christian ministers would turn at this point to a blunt message in the Psalms....

The fool says in his heart, "There is no God."  They are corrupt, and their ways are vile; there is no one who does good. - Psalm 53:1

But while this woman made some bold statements about not believing in Jesus and having power over her own life, we're reminded of a prayer Jesus offered to God the Father shortly before His death:

I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world.  They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. - John 17:6

While God wants everyone to be saved (I Timothy 2:4), you might be surprised to learn He's not revealing Himself to everyone right now.  We even heard one player at the poker table mention that skeptical woman will have a "second chance" to understand Jesus someday.

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

Those demanding proof of Jesus's existence will have it then -- because the Bible refers to this as "the judgment seat of Christ" (II Corinthians 5:10).  In other words, He'll be there.

This discussion went on well after we were eliminated from the poker tournament -- and we told the young woman at one point this issue ultimately is a matter of faith.  She seems to put plenty of faith in herself.  But the years of life may well reveal to her how we even let ourselves down at times.

That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. - I Corinthians 2:5 (KJV)

P.S.  We received a comment via Facebook about this discussion.  She says using Bible wisdom is not the best answer in this case....

I think a good place to start is to try and show her that the Bible truly is the Word of God by revealing its accurate prophecies etc. 

One of the most amazing prophetic proofs involves Daniel 11.  It takes some time and digging in a library using encyclopedias (and the old-fashioned hardback versions are going out of style at many libraries) -- but years ago, we verified how historical events recorded by Daniel have been fulfilled, all the way through World War I.  Some ministers maintain the "time of the end" events from verse 40 on still have yet to occur.

What a Fool Believes

Me: A pleasant Atheists' Day to all.

We wrote this at the start of an online poker tournament today.

"Huh?!?!?" regular readers may be asking.  "You're marking an Atheists' Day?"  Well, the next line we wrote explained....

Me: (My pastor calls it that, based on Psalm 14:1.)

The pastor mentioned it in passing during his weekend sermon.  Let's turn to that verse and fill in some details....

The fool says in his heart, "There is no God".... - Psalm 14:1a

Atheists tend to believe there is no God.  This psalm calls them "fools."  And this day is April 1 -- April Fool's Day.  But this stinging verse doesn't stop there....

They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good. - Psalm 14:1b

If you think of the Bible simply as a "good book" preaching nothing but love, think again.  It can talk tough at times.

But instead of turning up your nose, slamming the book shut or clicking on "next blog," consider those words carefully.  What sort of deeds have you performed lately?  Are they good, uplifting and godly?  Are they tearing people down -- perhaps including your own reputation?

This is a week when many Christians should consider these things, as they prepare for the "Lord's Supper" or "New Testament Passover" service.  But it's something we all need to do year-round....

Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves.  Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you - unless, of course, you fail the test? - II Corinthians 13:5

Those words were written to a Christian church group which had acted foolishly at times (review I Corinthians for the details on that).

Look at your life as if Jesus is in the mirror, looking back at you.  If you see a need for changes, repent before God and start moving in a new direction.  Build a spiritual "chip stack" that will last for eternity.

Tilt-a-Whirl

So what happened to the dealer who caused a commotion by putting a "burn card" at the bottom of the deck moments before the flop?

The dealer eventually had enough of the other man's objections, grabbed his multiple stacks of chips -- and slammed them on the table, going all in!  No one called him.  (Our hand simply was too weak.)

The man was gone from the tournament before the deal came around to him again.  He wasn't exactly "on tilt," as they say in poker, because he folded a hand after making that big statement/move.  But we admittedly handled him that way.

When someone becomes emotional or loses their senses in a poker tournament, anything can happen.  The "on tilt" attitude might be described elsewhere as "devil-may-care" - a very apt phrase, really....

A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control. - Proverbs 29:11

We think smart players respond to players on tilt by acting with extra care.  That's a biblical and wise idea:

Do not make friends with a hot-tempered man, do not associate with one easily angered, or you may learn his ways and get yourself ensnared. - Proverbs 22:24-25

Does this mean all anger is wrong?  No -- because we've concluded from our own Bible study God gets angry.  A lot.  But God has an approach humans all too often forget....

Be you angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath.... - Ephesians 4:26, KJV

That takes a lot of spiritual balance.  And we confess there are times when we've lacked it.  An online tournament tonight was a case in point -- but that's a topic for another day.

The Seat of the Scoffer

"SATAN!" was the online chat/cry at a PokerStars.Net pretend cash game Tuesday. Someone responded to a flop of 6-6-6 -- and that opened the door for us to have a fascinating discussion with two other players.

flopblogger: That's from Rev. 13 of the Bible, you know. [NOTE: actually verse 18]
Dealer: atlas91, it's your turn. You have 8 seconds to act
atlas91: who cares
flopblogger: Those of us who want to live forever care. :-)

Why should you care? Because a couple of chapters later, the apostle John writes these prophetic words:

And I saw what looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire and, standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and over the number of his name. They held harps given them by God.... -- Revelation 15:2

Overcome that Satanic number (whatever it means, and that's admittedly open to question), and God will reward you with a harp -- and eternal life which goes with it. The conversation continued, with a third player joining in:

atlas91: good luck with that
Dealer: ibgoho, it's your turn. You have 8 seconds to act
flopblogger: It's not luck. It's Who you know.
ibgoho: Whats "the bible"?
Dealer: ibgoho, it's your turn. You have 8 seconds to act
atlas91: ya rgt.u people crack me up
flopblogger: The Christian Scriptures.
ibgoho: Who are these "christians"?....
flopblogger: Those who have accepted Jesus as their Savior.

The apostle John put it in clear terms, in another book of the Bible:

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God.... -- I John 5:1

It then became clear that "Atlas" was a scoffer when it comes to God and Jesus, while "Ibgoho" was more of a mocker:

ibgoho: HA! Fools!
Dealer: atlas91, it's your turn. You have 8 seconds to act
ibgoho: Jesus shaves?
flopblogger: That's Psalm 14:1.
Cardye: you having church at the poker table wow!!!
flopblogger: about fools.
flopblogger: Don't know if He shaved or not. :-)

We actually double-checked a Bible before writing that reference: "The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God.' They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good." Atlas apparently then lost it a bit, because he started writing like he was shouting:

atlas91: god was created bucuz somebodie knew man would do whatever with out consiqence.so fwlala GOD
Dealer: atlas91, it's your turn. You have 8 seconds to act
ibgoho: Jesus approves of my winning ways
atlas91: THERE IS NO
Dealer: ibgoho, it's your turn. You have 8 seconds to act
atlas91: ELSE....
atlas91: I TRUST IN PEOPLE NOT SOME FIGMENT OF UR IMAGINATION
flopblogger: And that Bible says God created us.
flopblogger: But people let you down, don't they?

The discussion eventually turned into the "chicken or egg" argument -- did God create humans, or vice versa? To be sure, all sorts of people-made gods have been around for millennia. But Christians believe the words passed on to Moses long ago:

You shall have no other gods before me.... Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. -- Deuteronomy 5:7, 6:4

The God of Judeo-Christian history has stood the test of time -- mainly because He invented it.

Fool's Gold

We've said here before that poker is a game that can keep you humble -- sometimes in ridiculous ways. Consider what happened a few minutes ago in an NBC Sports poker tournament:

BLINDS: 30/60

IN THE POCKET: A-K offsuit

We're doing well, with more than 2,300 chips from a starting 1,000. So we "double up" and raise to 120. The player next to us triples up, raising to 180. Then someone across the table pushes all-in with 780.

As other players get out of the way, we realize what "the book" says here. You simply don't fold A-K. So we call an additional 660. Then the man to our left also goes all-in, with about 3,500 chips -- even more than we have.

"How far-fetched is this?" we write as we call. Then everyone shows their cards. We have A-K. The player across the table has A-Q; we can't blame him for pushing with that. But the player who pushed beyond that has 7-9 of spades. What was he thinking -- that everyone else was bluffing? We like our chances.

ON THE FLOP: 9-5-5

Aw, c'mon! The man who bet too much has the lead, with two pair. But one Ace or King could change things.

ON THE TURN: 3.

Oh no, please don't tell me....

ON THE RIVER: 9.

"Incredible," is all we can write. The man who pushed with two simple suited spades winds up with a full house, and takes out two players with far better cards.

Would this happen at a live tournament with big bucks on the line, as opposed to an online game for $20? We frankly doubt it, unless the player with 7-9 was practically out of chips and desperate for a comeback. But in online poker, players sometimes do illogical things -- and sometimes succeed.

"A fool utters all his mind," says Proverbs 29:11 (KJV). And sometimes throws out all his chips as well. Occasionally it works -- and it leaves us shaking our heads in disbelief.

We think it's better to follow the advice of Proverbs 13:11 (NIV): "He who gathers money little by little makes it grow." That worked with investments for decades (until admittedly last September) -- and is a patient approach to building a chip stack as well. What do you think?