Our Real Story: 2018 in Review

With two days left in 2018, we're "putting the cue in the rack" as they say in Australia. We'll declare our poker-playing finished for the year, and review how we did.

All in all, we did very well! It was a year of transition, as we moved from a location with one nearby poker room (others closed by police) to another area with two competing casinos - one only ten minutes from home. So our live play increased, and that may be why our success rate did:

KANSAS STAR CASINO - One final table in nine games, one cash
FIVE-STAR BILLIARDS - Two final tables in two games, no prizes (the Wichita billiard hall closed in mid-January)
JACK CASINO CINCINNATI - 10 final tables in 16 games, four cashes (two of them "bubble boy" consolation money)
HOLLYWOOD CASINO INDIANA - 10 final tables in 13 games, one cash
DAYTON FORESTERS - One final table in one game, no cashes

TOTAL: 24 final tables in 41 tournaments (58.5%) - six cashes for $942!

After the move to metro Cincinnati, we made a stunning 70 percent of our final tables!

Admittedly, five of those 30 tournaments had only enough players for one table. And not many were large tournaments with more than two tables - at least eight, by our records. But in most cases, we had to play our way to the final group. And by God's grace and guidance, we did....

But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift. - Ephesians 4:7 (NASB)

NATIONAL LEAGUE OF POKER: No final tables in one tournament; 80 tokens lost in two cash games. Grand total: 290 point wins (top 10%) in 1,452 games, 93 final tables, 10 wins, 13 cashes.

NLOP's notorious connection problems seemed to be gone when we tried a tournament this past week. But overall, the cash prizes here don't thrill us now - especially when casinos are close. At least NLOP has added a cash game option for building tokens, even though we failed there.

POKERSTARS.net: Cash games - Up 93,476 play money chips. Welcome bonuses: 95,000. Total: 1,126,682 (yet for some odd reason, the website shows us with 6.1 million).

We sat down at "cash game" tables nine times in 2018, and had gains at eight of them!

This past year also will be remembered for our increased blackjack play, spurred by a Kansas Star Casino tournament in which we finished in the top ten. We gained $68.50 there, after being in the "minus column" a good part of the year.

What will 2019 bring? We can only guess. We had no idea when 2018 began that we'd be in Kentucky now, working at a different job and playing live poker nearly every week. But we ought to step up to one of the big-money weekend tournaments, to see how we'd do.

Whatever happens, we'll keep looking to God for wisdom and discernment - in how we play, as well as how we present Him and ourselves wherever we go. May you do the same.

Poker Night 549: Monsters' Ball

Courtesy Fox19.com

If we had gone to Jack Casino for poker tonight, we might have encountered this. A small "colony" of homeless people (their word for it) has set up a tent camp across from the casino.

We left it to that group to send someone inside, to try and win enough money to gain everyone housing. They probably would have done better than we did tonight at the alternative, Hollywood Casino Indiana....

BLINDS: 25/50

IN THE POCKET: 9-9

It's the fourth hand of the night, with a full table of ten. The previous hand brought an awe-striking fold - as a woman with pocket Kings gave them up, when a man with pocket Aces went all-in pre-flop.

We were in the Big Blind then, and folded a measly 4-8. Now we're in the Small Blind, and no one has raised.

"I'm not going to do what he did," we say, "but I'll raise." We make it 150 to go, and three players take us on.

ON THE FLOP: 8s-8d-8h

It's a toll-free flop - and an immediate full house for us! This calls for a continuation bet, to see who's simply chasing big cards. We put out 400. The first opponent folds. The second calls. The third folds. So we're heads-up.

ON THE TURN: 4h

We doubt this helped our opponent at all. But what does he have? A full house of his own? We check, hoping to get a clue - but he checks, too.

ON THE RIVER: 2h

Now three hearts are showing. If he stumbled into a flush, we still have him topped. The larger concern is a larger pocket pair. So we make a rather cautious bet of 500.... and he raises to 2,500.

We've taken the lead in this hand, so we feel compelled to see it through to the end. We call. "Do you have a full house?" we ask.

"I have the 8," he says. OUCH!!! He hit quads on the flop, then waited us out! A good, well-played monster hand for him. We won a few hundred chips back minutes later with a hidden A-Q.

But then, when a man raised to 1,100, we saw pocket Aces in the Big Blind. Pushing like that earlier player did would have seemed too obvious, so we raised to 3,500. He called - and the flop was K-Q-10. For no good reason except to scare him away, we bet 5,000. Our opponent went all-in. We feared the worst, but called anyway. His cards: Q-Q. The turn and river didn't save us, and we finished our worst poker night this year - first out, in under 30 minutes.

MINISTRY MOMENT: "We're all playing with a short deck," the dealer said at one point in the early minutes.

"Now you're getting philosophical," we told him with tongue-in-cheek. But we admitted, "I need to grow in knowledge." And when our turn with the cards came, we explained, "I need to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ."

That reminder comes right out of the New Testament:

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

These closing words of the apostle Peter should be taken in their entirety. For years, we attended church groups that emphasized the "knowledge" part - but on knowing scriptures, more than knowing the One who is the focus of Scripture. The two should go hand-in-hand....

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. - Colossians 1:9

Spiritual wisdom means a "sound mind" (II Timothy 1:7, KJV). We'll admit we really didn't have it in our last hand of the night.

We should have realized the flop gave our opponent an excellent chance of hitting two high pair or three of a kind. Yet instead of making the awe-striking fold like that woman did, we did our own version of "going on tilt" - hoping the longshots that bit us recently would turn around and help us.

So the knowledge of Jesus Christ is important - but so is His grace. We need it, after clearly making a bad decision to go out for a poker night instead of staying home to work on other things. But thankfully, we can do this....

Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. - Hebrews 4:16

Do you need God's mercy for some reason - perhaps something much bigger than a poker meltdown? Ask God for it in prayer, repenting of sin if the case requires it. He's willing to listen and forgive.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 202 final tables in 549 games (36.8%) - 41 cashes.

Poker Night 510: Five-Star Service

Today was National Nachos Day - so, of course, we went looking for the chips.

Not simply in the family-size Walmart bag, but at a poker tournament. Our current situation gives us more time to play locally. So tonight we went to Five Star Billiards - a clean place with plenty of pool tables and $1.50 soda cups. It's replaced Yvie's on the WPT Poker League Monday night schedule, and sits only a few blocks away.

"Don't forget to tip your servers," the Tournament Director reminded four full tables. Then it was on with the show....

BLINDS: 100/200

IN THE POCKET: 6-10 offsuit

The WPT League circuit requires everyone to deal their own cards. We've dealt ourselves this ordinary hand. We haven't won a hand yet, and lost about 1,000 chips to a player with a pair of Jacks. So we'll fold this. About four players at the table of seven are in.

ON THE FLOP: 8-7-7

"Toll-free flop," we say. Either no one got the joke or it was really lousy. But those cards bring a bet of 600 from a woman sitting in the Small Blind to our immediate left. A man across the table calls.

ON THE TURN: 7

"Jackpot!" we declare with three 7's side by side. The Small Blind now bets 1,200, and the opponent calls her.

ON THE RIVER: K

Did this make anyone a better full house? The Small Blind now checks. So does her opponent.

"I've got quads," the woman says quietly. She flips over 7-10! That earns her a big pot, and a 5,000- chip bonus for the best hand of the night.

The woman explains she didn't bet on the river because she thought there was a house rule against that.

"You played 7-10?!" another player at the table asks.

"I like playing 7-10," she answers. And since this was the first round of blinds, she could afford to play them.

"You heard what he said about tipping," we say to the big winner to drop a hint. No, she didn't reward us for dealing so well. Nor did she do it when we dealt her two more winning hands.

We won one pot with a semi-bluff, but nothing more than that. (The woman even topped our A-5 straight with a 2-6 straight.) Finally we went all-in for 1,500 with K-J, but a man with 8-8 prevailed when the board didn't pair for us. We were one chair from glory, but wound up first out at our table.

MINISTRY MOMENT: A man to our right won a pot with Kings, then proceeded to declare himself the "King Master."

"At least he didn't call himself the King of Kings," we said in response. "There's only One with that title."

The man nodded and seemed to chuckle, as if he got our point. Do you get it?

On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: King of Kings and Lord of Lords. - Revelation 19:16

Our New International Version Bible goes so far as to put those titles in all-caps. But who would have such impressive names?

I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True.... He is dressed in a robe dripped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. - Revelation 19:11, 13

Yet another impressive title! Who could these verses be describing?

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.... The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. - John 1:1, 14

If there's still any doubt about the identity of "the Word," this should settle it....

For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. - John 1:17

Now walk those verses back. Jesus brought "grace and truth" because He was full of them. Thus He was "the Word," and Revelation 19 indicates that Word is coming down from heaven again as "King of Kings."

But you don't have for that return to give Him that glorious title. God wants you to honor Jesus now, as disciples did long ago:

Then Nathanael declared, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel." - John 1:49

Jesus wants to be not merely a "King Master" - but King and Master. Will you acknowledge Him?

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 185 final tables in 510 games (36.3%) - 36 cashes.

Luck, or Something Like It II

We're considering whether your success (or lack of it) in a poker room is the result of "luck." Recalling this segment from a article our Pastor wrote for a national religious publication five years ago....

When blessings come upon an individual, they typically are linked to physical and/or spiritual obedience and good works. God plainly tells us that blessings are a result of our actions.

Clearly smart and careful play can be "actions" which lead to a big stack of chips. But let's face it - there are times when other players simply give their chips away. They go "on tilt," go all in pre-flop and walk right into your pocket Aces.

Our point is that gifts are blessings, too - and God gives even better gifts:

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast. - Ephesians 2:8-9

We mentioned in our last post God sometimes gives blessings to everyone in an area. Salvation is a gift God wants to provide. The question is whether you'll accept it - or think something's fishy about it, and fold.

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. - Romans 6:23

Never dying? Now that's quite a gift! Yet the Bible also shows God doesn't really hand out that blessing to everyone right now....

Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." - Acts  2:38

Here's another "gift" - but in this case, as the Pastor wrote, it's "a result of our actions." And in this case, folding can be a good thing. We need to....

....Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. - Ezekiel 18:30b

Turn to God, to live a life free of offenses and sins. That action can indeed lead to blessings from Him - and luck truly will have nothing to do with them. We'll have one more thought from this article in a future post.

Free to Be

Happy Independence Day, to readers in the U.S. The country marks 240 years of independence from Britain. But how "independent" should we be.... really?

We mentioned in a recent post about how we probably stunned a casino dealer with comments about keeping a seventh-day Sabbath. He may well have wondered why someone inside a casino would care (much less talk) about doing anything religious.

For us, it comes down to a series of key Bible verses....

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.... - Galatians 5:1

Does that verse surprise you? It could, if you think of God as simply a tough disciplinarian. Yet the apostle Paul goes on to write some words even more stunning:

You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. - Galatians 5:4

Some have "fallen from grace" not into sinful living, but into the exact opposite - trying to earn their way into God's Kingdom by keeping laws as perfectly as possible. It's nice to keep those laws if you can. But keep in mind:

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast. - Ephesians 2:8-9

If you know the right people at a poker room, they might give you a discount on buying in to a tournament or cash game. They've shown grace toward you. And the only way humans can achieve salvation and a life beyond this one is through the grace of God. So....

You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. - Galatians 5:13

Some might say we're "indulging" that nature by playing poker. We've posted thoughts about that elsewhere on this blog. But we try to be careful enough with our play not to bring it up to people who might consider it a stumbling-block to their faith. That's how we try to show love for them.

So celebrate freedom today - but with care. If you're entering a big holiday poker tournament, don't go overboard in a sinful direction to do it. Keep in mind the often-overlooked words of a patriotic U.S. song: "Thy liberty in law."

Give It Away

Our last live poker day included a discussion with a woman about her church congregation's community service projects.  We pointed out here that it's good to do such things -- but noted the words of Jesus in Matthew 25 indicating such efforts could be flawed.

It's important to realize the "good works" we do do not qualify you for salvation, and eternal life with God.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith -- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God -- not by works, so that no one can boast. - Ephesians 2:8-9

To paraphrase an example we heard on Christian radio: if a dealer gives you 5,000 extra chips for showing up at a poker tournament on time, do you feel compelled to return 2,500 of them?  Do you automatically give 2,500 to someone who shows up ten minutes late?  You could do that -- but why?

If you do those things, you're trying to pay for a gift.  And so it is with God.  Salvation is His gift to us, through the life of Jesus Christ (Romans 5:10).  Doing good deeds to claim a gift is illogical.

But on the other hand, we can do good works along the lines of that woman's congregation.  But we shouldn't do it to add to our "tote board" with God, hoping to have a big enough stack of "goodness chips" to reach His ultimate final table.

But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. -- Matthew 6:3-4

We think these words of Jesus mean not only doing good works without self-promotion -- but establishing a giving habit.  It should become so regular and "second nature" to us that we'll be surprised to hear at the judgment....

The King will reply, "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for me of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." - Matthew 25:40

So do good.  Often.  So often that you might wind up helping a poker player achieve great things, without even realizing it.

Animals at the Table

In one of his books, Phil Hellmuth describes the traits of poker players as one of five "animal types."  But none of them include the animal most often mentioned during a tournament.  Take this recent online chat, where we tried to bet a player out of a hand....


Dealer:  smokedawg70 wins Main Pot ($765) with Straight, seven to jack
Me:  very good
Me:  couldn't run you off
flvron1:  stubborn donkey
flvron1:  I said it 4 U

Donkey can be used to describe all kinds of players -- such as the ones who stay in through long-shot chases of cards, or the ones who go all-in with 3-6 offsuit trying to seize antes and blinds.  But did you know that label also is put on people in the Bible?

He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone's hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers. - Genesis 16:12

Wow -- does that sound like poker, or what?

Yet verse 11 shows this "wild donkey" label didn't come from a losing poker player -- but from "the angel of the Lord."  It describes Ishmael, the first child of Abraham.  The first part of chapter 16 explains how he was born to a servant maid, outside of God's plan.  After a son was born to Abraham's wife, Ishmael and his mother were sent away (Genesis 21:8-18).

So if God's angel can call babies "donkeys" even before they're born, does that mean we should throw around that label at a poker table?  The chat continues, showing what we did....

Me:  I wouldn't put it
Me:  that way.
flvron1:  diplomat
Me:  Of course. 
flvron1:  right on
Me:  "Word fitly spoken"
Me:  as I read in a book.
flvron1:  got 2 book
Me:  This is a Good Book.

As in a different Old Testament book....

A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.  As an earring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, so is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear. - Proverbs 25:11-12 (KJV)

God can talk tough when He wishes.  The Bible makes that clear.  But there are times when biting the tongue and being gracious can be a better example of the love Jesus Christ showed.

Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. - Colossians 4:6

An old phrase says you can make more friends with honey than with vinegar.  That's what we try to do in poker rooms -- to make a Christian walk appealing, not a turn-off.

So play like a donkey, if you think it will work.  Sometimes it will; sometimes it won't.  But we're leaving the "donkey" labels to God -- trying instead to be as "harmless as doves" (Matthew 10:16, KJV).

There Are Rules, and Then....

There's been a little confusion in recent days at one of our local poker stops.  The issue: should you show your hand to other players at the table before the showdown?

In the "free poker" tournaments we enter, such "preview showing" is common -- especially if you're showing your cards to a neighbor who's folded.  At some point, it led to instruction from a Tournament Director about the "one player, one hand" principle.

"It's not a rule," the Director tried to emphasize the other night.  "It's etiquette."  Perhaps at that table -- bnt we can envision some casinos and tournaments where it might bring a penalty.  Our online searching found some events even have detailed rules on how a showdown is conducted.

In informal local poker, the fine points of the rules can be fuzzy.  Some people relish that, and try to live their entire lives the same way.  But if you're a follower of God and Jesus Christ, can you get away with that?  The early church had to deal with that kind of thinking....

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ  even when we were dead in transgressions -- it is by grace you have been saved. - Ephesians 2:4-5

The grace of God and salvation through Jesus are wonderful things.  But how do you handle those gifts?  How do you respond to them?

What shall we say, then?  Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?  By no means!  We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? - Romans 6:1-2

Paul goes on to admit believers are "not under law, but under grace" (verse 14).  But a mature response to grace (dare we say a response with "etiquette") is to walk away from a sinful lifestyle, to show appreciation for what God has done.  God's rules (otherwise known as the Ten Commandments) help us understand what sin is.  For instance:

He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need. - Ephesians 4:28

And if you play by God's rules, we think you'll become far less likely to appeal to God for forgiveness and grace in the future.

So learn the rules of the game -- whether at your local tournament, or from the Bible for the greater "game of life."  There should be less turmoil if you do.

Caught in a Trap?

The talk around a poker table often centers on the game.  But sometimes it can be wide-ranging -- and as we mentioned in our last post, last Thursday night's discussion turned to marital infidelity.

 

We noted the Old Testament of the Bible declared adultery a capital crime, and Jesus expanded the definition of the term.  Yet there was a time when a group of people brought an adulterous woman before Jesus -- and His reaction was quite unexpected.

 

Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they?  Has no one condemned you?"  "No one, sir," she said.  "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. - John 8:10-11

 

Why didn't Jesus condemn this woman?  Because he sensed what was behind the entire situation....

 

They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.... - John 8:6

 

Jesus sensed traps as well as any experienced poker player.  The accusers may have been right, but their motives were wrong.  They wanted to make that woman a "sacrifice" for finding fault with a perfect Savior - when Jesus had come to be the perfect sin sacrifice for them.

 

We can gain many lessons from this passage.  One is to be wary of potential traps -- not only from people slow-playing pocket pairs, but people trying to compromise your integrity.  (Going back to last week's discussion, that can include married people pretending to be single and flirting with others.)  There's another lesson in Jesus's response to the woman.

 

....Jesus declared.  "Go now and leave your life of sin." - John 8:11b

 

Jesus showed mercy -- but he wants the sinning to stop.  In other words, don't be like these guys....

 

For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you.  They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord. - Jude 4

Whether you fall into sin or someone pushes you into it, seek God's mercy and forgiveness.  Then remember the classic advice of Dungeons and Dragons - and keep checking for traps.

 

Poker Night 266: On the Outs

The last week has been big for us in online poker -- huge, in fact. But that happened in "cash games" with play money, which didn't count. Yet we hoped the success somehow would carry over to Lil Kim's Cove tonight. After winning a small early pot, a big test came....

BLINDS: 100/200

IN THE POCKET: Q-J of diamonds

We're ready to quietly limp in, with high suited connectors. But this table has been betting bigger with every round of blinds. A man to our left raises to 400. A man across from us adds another 1,000. With 9,475 chips in our stack (helped by bonuses for soda and arriving on time for the game), we decide to take the risk and call 1,200 more. Four players wind up seeing the flop.

ON THE FLOP: Kc-10s-9s

It's almost a dream flop for us, as we hit a straight! But the big bettor across from this makes a continuation bet of 2,000. We know our hand is best, and we want him to know it.

"Raise," we announce; "2,000 more."

"I'm getting out of the way," another player says as he folds. The big bettor doesn't; he calls and we're heads-up.

ON THE TURN: 5s

Uh-oh -- now three spades are on the board. Our opponent checks. But we really don't think he's betting so big sitting on spades. So we fire a second big barrel, betting 2,000 again.

"I'm all-in," our opponent decides. He tosses out 2,050 more. Now we're wondering a little -- but we don't ponder long, because we're pot-committed either way.

"I'll call," we say. "Do you have the flush?" Thankfully, no! Our foe turns over K-K -- but one of the Kings is a spade. He has three of a kind and several draws, but we still lead.

"He's got a full house," someone at the table says as a card is burned. Not yet he's doesn't....

ON THE RIVER: 5c

....but now he does! A pair on the board lets him escape "by boat." We're left with quiet pain -- and a single wimpy chip, worth the minimum 25.

"I had a lot of outs," the man said. "Like maybe half the deck?!" Well, let's see. Nine spades would have earned him a flush. Add possible full houses from three 10's, three 9's, three 5's plus the "case King" for quads -- and the grand total is 19 outs out of 44 unknown cards. That's a 43-percent chance, or a virtual coin flip.

Obviously, that loss was a crippling blow. We had to go all-in for the big blind three hands later, and our K-8 brought a pair of 8's on the river. But a man with a pair of Jacks sent us home -- with a painful sixth place, out of eight at our table.

MINISTRY MOMENT: We took a little packet of salt to the table for a "card protector," and explained to a man on our right how it referred to "the salt of the earth" (Matthew 5:13).

"Do you believe in Jesus? Do you do what he says?" we asked.

"Yeah," he answered. "I'm saved. I'm baptized." Then he added the name of a church he attends.

Let's break down his answer, the way we broke down our bad beat. Are you saved? The Bible tells us....

This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. - I Timothy 2:3-4

How does salvation happen? We need to combine several Bible verses for a complete perspective of the answer.

And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. - Acts 2:21 (see also Romans 10:13)

Sounds simple enough, doesn't it? But some Christian groups make it seem too simple -- as if that's all there is to it. Jesus indicated otherwise:

All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. - Mark 13:13

The King James Version says we must "endure" to the end. That appears to refer to the end of the age -- or the end of our lives, should that come first. Yet we also have these reassuring words....

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith -- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.... - Ephesians 2:8

By the grace of God, He considers us saved now. But we need to stay close to Him, to "make our calling and election sure" (II Peter 1:10). We'll analyze the other parts of our poker buddy's answer in future posts.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 100 final tables in 266 nights (37.6%), 15 cashes.

NATIONAL LEAGUE OF POKER TOTAL: Full tournaments - 159 point wins in 722 games (22.0%), 54 final tables, 7 cashes. UFC 3-card Hold 'em - 2 point wins in 11 games, 1 final table, 1 cash. One-table sit-n-goes - 8-12-7-3-2.

We came close to qualifying for last Sunday night's weekly championship, thanks to a strong showing in a Saturday night game. But second place in a "SNG-gie" didn't provide enough points to put us in.

POKER STARS.NET TOTAL: Pretend cash games - $58,727, up $7,815.

Whoa - what happened here? Two big "lightning round" drop-ins Sunday did it. Big hands came our way, and we pushed with them to success - making $4,145 in one session. We wound up with gains in eight out of nine sessions.

Poker Night 218: What You Can't See

"The tightest man in poker," a man across the table at Lil Kim's Cove called us tonight, We almost jokingly scolded him for revealing one of our secrets to success. But if he had seen us earlier in the evening, he might have thought differently....

BLINDS: 100/200

IN THE POCKET: 6-7 of clubs

We won an early hand, so we have plenty of chips to play with. A man to our right raises to 300. We call with our suited connectors, and several players join the pot.

ON THE FLOP: 8-K-5 (8 is a club)

We have three clubs in a row, plus an open-ended straight draw. The man who bet before tries to run us off by tossing in 1,000. The other players run away, but we call to see if something good comes.

ON THE TURN: 9s

So much for the straight flush -- but we still like what we see. The bettor tries 1,000 again. But our straight is the best hand out there, so we raise to 3,000. Our opponent calls.

ON THE RIVER: A

"I'll check to the man who raised," our opponent says. OK, thank you -- we toss out 3,000 again. That's too much for his liking, and he folds.

"What'd you have? Two pair?" he asks. No. "A King?" No.

"I put him on pocket Kings," another player guesses.

"He couldn't have a straight or a flush," a woman says. We don't correct her -- simply smile, and keep the table guessing.

We had plenty of reason to smile, as several big hands came our way. In one case, 2-2 brought a third 2 on the flop. In another case, 2-8 of clubs led to a flush. It all allowed us to reach the final table with 48,500 chips. But then the cards ran out, as the blinds went up. We went all in with A-Q of hearts, but lost to a woman with 9-9 when our cards didn't make a pair. Not a winning night -- but sixth place isn't bad.

MINISTRY MOMENT: We slow-played A-K in the small blind at one point, and it worked -- eliminating a woman who went all-in with A-6.

"I could cuss you out," the woman said as she offered a hand to shake. "But I can't. You're got the Jesus stuff...."

We complimented the woman on being so nice. She illustrates a characteristic not often found at poker tables -- one mentioned in a Biblical proverb:

He who loves a pure heart and whose speech is gracious will have the king for his friend. -- Proverbs 22:11

What does it mean to have gracious speech? One Bible concordance relates it to displaying "charm.... the moral quality of kindness...." Sometimes that can mean saying a little, as opposed to a lot.

Words from a wise man's mouth are gracious, but a food is consumed by his own lips. -- Ecclesiastes 10:12

Your parents might have put it another way: If you can't find anything nice to say about someone, don't say anything. Maybe that's what this woman did. And maybe that's what more of us need to do -- whether we play poker or not.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 89 final tables in 218 nights (40.8%) - 15 cashes.

NATIONAL LEAGUE OF POKER TOTAL: Full tournaments - 100 point wins in 534 games (18.7%), 40 final tables, 2 cashes.

POKER STARS.NET TOTAL: Pretend cash games - $34,054, up $5,380.

This was a week when we wish the money was real -- as last Friday afternoon, we won more $4,250 in about 15 minutes.

Poker Night 212: Two Pair, Beware

First came the five-dollar win online in video poker. Then came a run of more than three miles around sunset -- far better than we expected. So as we walked home, we said to ourselves (and oh yes, to God) we felt confident heading to Lil Kim's Cove tonight. But we didn't want to be overconfident. Maybe God nodded yes to that request, because....

BLINDS: 200/400

IN THE POCKET: J-7 of spades

We're in the small blind, quietly showing the "patience of Job." We've scarcely played a hand all night, because almost all the cards have been lousy. But these are suited and we're already in for half-price, so we call. Several players do at this full table.

ON THE FLOP: Jc-9d-7c

Aha! Two pair gives us the opening we've waited to see. In lead position, we bet 600 -- and people around us start guessing.

"Be careful of 8-10," someone says while folding. "Especially 8-10 of clubs." Hmmmm -- thanks for the "straight-on" advice. Two players call our bet.

ON THE TURN: 2h

A harmless card, so we bet 800. Our two opponents call again.

ON THE RIVER: 10s

Uh-oh -- that's the last card we wanted to see. Now a straight draw is very possible, so we check. A man to our left checks.

"Five-thousand," bets the dealer - a bet which would leave us with less than 1,000. This man ran us off a winning hand several weeks ago, with a similar big bet on the river. He might just be doing it again, so we have to think this over.

"I know your works," we finally say (using words from Revelation 2:2). "But I can't call that." We fold, as does the other player. The dealer quietly reels in the big pot.

"Didya?" we quietly ask a minute later while shuffling the cards to deal.

"I had a straight," he answers. We mention our two pair. End result: good moves on both our parts.

That's the sort of night we had -- not winning a single hand. We went all-in with K-J right after the one-hour break, but fell to a man who held a 10 and made three of a kind on the river. Eighth out of eight at the first table -- nope, no reason for overconfidence at all.

MINISTRY MOMENT: You never know what sort of music you'll hear on the jukebox at a bar. Tonight we heard a country tune with the words, "We talked about God's grace...."

"God's grace is a good thing," we said -- unsure if anyone at the table heard it.

Then came the refrain: "God is great, beer is good and people are crazy." A man dealing cards to our left said he agrees with those words.

"Do you agree God is great?" we asked him. "Greater than beer?"

He said he did -- but he especially agreed with the "people are crazy" part. Do you agree with it? And with the song in general? We'll offer our thoughts in an upcoming post.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 86 final tables in 212 nights (40.6%) - 15 cashes. Heads up record - 7-7.

NATIONAL LEAGUE OF POKER TOTAL: Full tournaments - 94 point wins in 507 games (18.5%), 38 final tables, 2 cashes. (We're not counting the video poker win.)

POKER STARS.NET TOTAL: Pretend cash games - $24,219, up $1,160.

Poker Night 105: Fourth of Jolly

Now that we're back from the road, we can tell you more about some big winnings on the road. They came last Monday night at the Ebro greyhound park and poker room northwest of Panama City Beach, Florida.

Ebro has cash game poker 12 hours a day, seven days a week (and we do mean cash; no checks or credit cards are allowed to play). It also has nightly tournaments with big cash prizes; we played on the night with the least expensive buy-in -- $35, plus $5 house fee.

We'd guess about 40 people participated. And careful play on our part led to small early gains. At one point, a pair of Kings was good enough for us to eliminate two players. So our chip stack was healthy enough to reach a nine-player final table -- but not dominating. Tentative betting with large blinds hurt us, and led to a big moment....

BLINDS (as best we remember): 300/600/75 (The 75 is an ante everyone pays, whether in the blinds or not)

IN THE POCKET: A-9

Six players are left, and only the top four will be paid -- but one man has proposed splitting the prize money evenly among all remaining players. That sounds good to us, but men with big stacks object so the game continues. So with our stack low, it's time to go -- as in all-in. One player calls us, and leads with J-J.

ON THE FLOP: J-10-8

Ouch -- the opponent has three of a kind. We're in trouble. But then the dealer notes we have an open-ended straight draw.

ON THE TURN: 7.

We can't resist praising the Lord aloud, and clapping our hands a little! The straight is made -- and the river card is an inconsequential 3.

We were struck by how many players pushed all-in at the final table with big chip stacks, as if to get things finished to go home. Enough players did it that we made the final four, to finish in the money! After another prize-splitting proposal was vetoed by a player, we went all-in and failed. (And of course, then the remaining players agreed to split the prize money.)

But still, fourth place earned us $186 -- more than we've ever made at a poker table. (Yes, we did leave a nice dealers' tip.) Our $40 investment paid off fourfold, and Ebro more than made up for the money we lost trying a cash game at Harrah's in Kansas City last year. We resisted the temptation to try another cash game this time. Why spoil a dream poker night, which came true?

MINISTRY MOMENT: This area was every bit as nice and surprising as the tournament result. Two people at the starting table agreed with our "Jesus as your Savior" coin message -- one of them the manager of a Panama City bar which has free poker several nights a week.

At one point a man to our immediate left needed "change" for big chips, and we happy to take care of it for him. To which he said with no prompting from us: "Grace is what it's all about." Absolutely. We'll say more about that another time.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 43 final tables in 105 nights (41.0%) - 10 cashes.

This time it's for real

We went to a northwest Florida poker room Monday night, and played in a real buy-in poker tournament for the first time.

Our buy-in: $35 (+ $5 house expenses).

Payout to us at the end of the evening: $186 -- fourth place out of about 35 players (admittedly a guess).

We think we did well. And we were pleasantly surprised at how many Christians we met -- including one who brought up "grace" without our mentioning it.

Details coming on our return home in a few days.