A True "Main Event"

Our entry in last weekend's "seven-game mix" at the Heartland Poker Tour may have left you wondering. Why didn't we enter something we know - something potentially huge, like the "Main Event" of the series?

A satellite tournament win could have put us in their Main Event for only $80. But there was a good chance that our first tournament day would have been on either Friday night or Saturday afternoon. Those are times of the week when we do not play poker. We don't get to it at all. Why?

Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work.... - Exodus 20:8-10

We actually received a high-five from a gym employee Friday afternoon when we mentioned the "seventh-day Sabbath." That seventh day is not Sunday. Historically, it's Saturday - based on what God passed down to ancient Israel. And it doesn't really begin at 12:00 midnight Saturday....

God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." And there was evening, and there was morning - the first day. - Genesis 1:5

In God's timing, the "first day" began with evening. That means it commences with the setting of the sun. God reinforced this later with His instructions on keeping "Yom Kippur," the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 23:32).

But hold on, you may be saying - this isn't "work." It's a poker tournament!

Well, tell that to the "professional" players who make a living earning money from the tournaments. It's their livelihood. Thus, it's their "work." And most winners will tell you: making the money at a big Main Event can be at least a mental workout. Besides, the money is subject to federal and state income taxes.

We realize poker tournament officials aren't going to make accommodations for Sabbath-keeping players. They'd probably be stunned to see someone professing faith at a tournament in the first place. So we stay away from weekend-long tournaments, and the fame they could bring us. For believers, worshiping on the Sabbath is their "main event" of the week.

Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.... - Psalm 95:6-7

Who - or what - are you really worshiping this weekend?

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

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

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

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

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

GAME: Omaha 8 (high/low)

BLINDS: 50/100

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

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

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

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

ON THE TURN: As

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

ON THE RIVER: 7s

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Is He your Savior?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Poker Day 466: Cut Through the Heart

Regular readers might have noticed we hadn't played in a poker tournament in a month. A lack of close poker rooms and a busy spring cleaning season will do that. But we were also focused on a big event which happened to fall during our vacation time: a Heartland Poker Tour tournament in Kansas City.

We traveled today to Ameristar Casino and Hotel - a complex that reminds you of a "grand hotel" and rail station of the 1930s. The HPT is holding a series of events there over 11 days. We did not enter the Main Event tournament, since it started on Saturday; it has more than 300 players, including (reportedly) WSOP Main Event champ Greg Raymer.

Instead, we settled for the final Sunday tournament - which had our steepest buy-in fee ever: $150. With that much on the line, we wanted to play well.... so did we?

BLINDS: 50/100

IN THE POCKET: Q-Q

We're thrilled to say we won an HPT hand!  It was before this one, as a bet on the flop with King high chased other players away.  Now we find a big pocket pair in the Big Blind, and the second player in line at this table of nine already has raised to 250.

"I want to raise," we say on sight.  Up we go to 750.  Two players call, including the man who raised first.

ON THE FLOP: 3-4-8 (offsuits)

This seems harmless, so we lead off with a continuation bet of 500. Perhaps that was too cautious, as the original raiser goes up to 1,200. The third man steps aside, and we call - wondering as we do. Is he bluffing to test our courage?

ON THE TURN: 10

We still have an overpair, but now we check to see what our opponent is thinking.  He sets out 2,500.  Everyone started with 12,500 chips, so this would be a substantial call.

We go "into the tank" as deeply as we ever have - trying to figure out what he's doing. Is he slow-rolling Aces?  That's our top suspicion, if he has something at all.  We still conclude he's bluffing, so we finally call.

ON THE RIVER: J

We still have the overpair, but we're still not comfortable. If our opponent is playing 10-10 or J-J, he's topped us. So we check again, and now his bet is 3,000.

"What's that old song?" we ask aloud. "We've come this far by faith.... leaning on the Lord?"

A couple of players out of the hand get a chuckle out of this. But we decide if we've committed this far, we might as go all the way with it. We call again.

Our opponent quickly turns over.... 4-4! He hit three of a kind on the flop, and led us all the way from there.

"Queens or Kings?" a man out of the hand asks us.  Unless he finds this blog, he'll never know - as we muck the cards without showing them.

That well-played win by the man two seats away was a crippling blow to us. We lost a couple of other hands with good cards as well, then rallied a bit with pocket Jacks to get back above 3,000.

Finally we smelled a comeback with 7-7, when the flop had a 7. We pushed with our last 1,800 or so, as anyone would have done. That brought two callers. But then the turn and river were running hearts, and a man made a flush to top us.

At least we were not the first player out at our table; we were second. But on a day with 84 players, a prize pool in the range of $10,000 and a lot of money invested, it was a disappointing session.

MINISTRY MOMENT: Do you recognize the song we mentioned at the river card?  It's an old gospel tune - and walking a long way by faith is something several people in the Bible did.

By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. - Hebrews 11:8

God made several promises to Abraham - some of them enormous:

I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you. I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. - Genesis 12:2

I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore.... - Genesis 22:17

Abraham died in Genesis 25:8 - and while his family grew, it wasn't quite in the millions or billions. Does that mean God lied to him? Was Abraham's faith in vain?

All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance.... Instead, they were longing for a better country - a heavenly one. - Hebrews 11:13, 16

Abraham and others had enough faith in God that they were willing to wait for a payoff beyond the grave. Their hope was for God to fulfill His promises when they are resurrected.  That might seem to take a lot of faith. But that was the sort of faith Jesus showed when he endured a violent death on our behalf.

Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer.... Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life. - Revelation 2:10

How much faith do you have? Not in yourself or your poker-playing skills, but in God?  If you're lacking, don't be afraid to ask God for more. After all, Jesus's disciples did (Luke 17:5) - and the Lord was more than willing to help them.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 175 final tables in 466 games (37.6%) - 33 cashes.

A Real Life-Changer

This weekend's Heartland Poker Tour telecast had the final table at a casino in metro Kansas City - a casino we haven't tried yet, but might consider since we're about four hours away from it.

The winner took home more than $100,000. The HPT host likes to call that first-place money "life-changing cash" - and for some people, it certainly would be.

But what if you could change your life, without any cash at all? It's possible, you know....

He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." - Matthew 18:2-3

Jesus Christ's lesson is here is quite the opposite from what males are usually told.  The dressing-down moment often includes the phase, "Grow up!"  So why would Jesus seemingly say the opposite?  Keep reading....

"Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." - Matthew 18:4

Win a $100,000-plus first prize in a poker tournament, and it certainly would be tempting to brag about it to the world. But Jesus's point is that we need to be humble, instead of arrogant and boastful.  That's a true change - and life-thinking.  And consider why He said that....

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" - Matthew 18:1

Other parts of the New Testament indicate several disciples wanted that title for themselves (Luke 22:24). We think a better approach is to acknowledge Jesus as the greatest of all - even in the character trait of humility.

And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross! - Philippians 2:8

Jesus's example has changed many lives down through the centuries. Have you examined it closely, to see if it might change yours?

Jesus with the Crosses

This weekend's Heartland Poker Tour telecast has a final table from a tournament in Mississippi -- and a player which brought an obvious, yet ridiculous punch line from an announcer.

Jesus Cabrera of Atlanta made a deep run (click on our link only if you want to know the outcome), which prompted Jaymz Larson to say at one point the question for other players had become: "What Would Jesus Do?" (Thankfully, Maria Ho had enough class to avoid commenting.)

We've worn WWJD bracelets in poker rooms for years -- but NOT because of Mr. Cabrera. To be honest, we never heard of him before the HPT telecast.  For us, there's only one "Jesus" whose actions ultimately matter.

To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. - I Peter 2:21

We're not sure if it's by design or not, but Cabrera wore a shirt to the final table with crosses on it. The Biblical Jesus had His own cross - and that's where the suffering took place.

And being made in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death -- even death on a cross! - Philippians 2:8

Did you notice how the apostle Peter put it? Jesus left an example for us through suffering.  That's probably not the example that even most believing Christians want to follow.  Hardly anyone wants to suffer -- whether it's a long poker losing streak or a family tragedy. But that's the example the Lord set. And yet....

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. - Hebrews 12:2

Poker players sometimes face a long grind at outer tournament tables - but the final table often brings a cash prize. In a similar way, the Biblical Jesus saw beyond His hours of suffering to the reward beyond -- and a reward is awaiting Jesus's followers as well.

...But he who stands firm to the end shall be saved. - Matthew 24:13

You can be "saved" to share eternal life with Jesus Christ.  So with all due respect to Mr. Cabrera and respect for his final table appearance - what would that other Jesus have you do?

A Miracle Now and Then

Final tables on the Heartland Poker Tour always seem to be good for a "bad beat."

We saw one case on a telecast today, where a man with 2-2 flopped 2-4-9 on the flop for three of a kind.  His opponent went all-in with 9 high, and appeared doomed.  The turn brought a 4, which paired the board and gave the leader a full house.  But the river was a 9, giving the bad bettor a winning superior full house to stay in the tournament!

Have you ever seen "miracle cards" like that come?  If you'd played poker for any length of time, you probably have.  But have you stopped to consider a larger miracle?

After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, said, "I thirst."  Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a sponge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth. - John 19:28-29  (KJV)

Jesus was moments away from death -- yet His simple request led to the fulfillment of an Old Testament prophecy about the Messiah:

They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink. - Psalm 69:21 (KJV)

That psalm was written hundreds of years before Jesus was born. Yet someone in the crowd outside Jerusalem just happened to have vinegar to give the Lord at His dying moment.

C'mon now -- "just happened"?  This is one of many "miraculous" events about the life of Jesus which were foretold in the Old Testament. hundreds of years in advance.  And we think the odds of the vinegar event coming true were a lot higher than catching a 4 or a 9 on the river.

Believers in Jesus are focusing right now on His life, death and resurrection. If you never have, we think you should.  Put the Bible to an accuracy test. The results might beat any strategy you have for your life - and the life beyond this one.