Poker Day 580: Seven-Ups

"Welcome to the final table," the dealer told our table of ten today. It brought a laugh from a few of us - because it came so early, in only the second round of blinds.

That's what happens when yo play poker on a Tuesday morning at Hollywood Casino in Toledo, Ohio. We were there because we needed to make a return trip to Ontario, where we played poker on Canada Day weekend. This casino is handily located at an exit to Interstate 75. And compared to our home area, the buy-in is cheap at $60.

The daytime tournaments advertise a "guaranteed $1,000" prize pool. But we found out the guarantee only is in effect if 12 players show up by game time. On this day, there were only eight - which eventually increased to ten, but still led to a very early merge of tables. Who would emerge from this?

BLINDS: 200/400/50 ante

IN THE POCKET: 7-7

Everyone receives 8,000 chips to begin. We've won enough modest pots to linger around sea level, but ended the first 80-minute period at 6,850. Now we're down to about 5,800 with rising blinds, and we're looking for good cards.

A woman across the full table goes all-in, with only 475 left. A man to our immediate right calls. With a pocket pair, it's not too expensive to give it a try - so we call as well.

ON THE FLOP: 3-5-7

Yes - there it is! Three sevens could bring a big payoff - but the man to our right bets 1,000. Could he possibly be in this hand with 4-6 for a straight? We're really not sure, but call anyway. Everyone else is out of the hand, except the woman who pushed.

ON THE TURN: 8

The man to the right offers 1,000 more. Now we really wonder if we're being played for a fool, but we can't back away from this. We call again.

ON THE RIVER: Q

"How much do you have left?" our male opponent asks. Uh-oh.... we show about 3,725. "Put you all-in," he then says.

"I have to call," we respond. Now he must show - and he turns over two red Kings!

"Jackpot!" we declare. Three sevens do well at old-fashioned slot machines - and they win here for us. The woman who pushed couldn't beat us (we never saw exactly what she had), and we knock her out while climbing to more than 13,200 chips!

That put us on the highest ground of the day. But minutes later, the man to our right went all-in again.... and we had pocket Aces! We called for 8,425, and he only has pocket Queens. But wouldn't you know it - he hit a Queen on the flop for three of a kind! Our Aces lost for the second time in five days.

We never recovered from that big loss, and finally pushed with A-6 of clubs. A man with K-Q made a Queen on the flop, and that was good enough. On a day with 11 total players (one was "in reserve" after the first break). we get a final table - but a disappointing finish in ninth.

MINISTRY MOMENT: "God!" the player to our right said when he faced a big early decision.

"He's good," we said quietly to him. "All the time. And all the time, God is good."

"Please refrain from talking during hands," the dealer scolded us.

We understood, but the player to our immediate left spoke up. "He wasn't talking about the hand. He was stating his belief in a higher power."

We thanked that man after the hand for speaking up in our behalf. We had no clue what the man to our right had. We simply responded to his exclamation, with words of faith - albeit a "church cliché."

For the Lord is good, and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. - Psalm  100:5

The problem with that verse is that sometimes God doesn't seem to be good to us. It certainly didn't feel good to have pocket Aces cracked for the second time in five days. At those moments, we (and perhaps you) need to remember....

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. - Romans 8:28

There may be more to God's planning and timing than you can see right away. As hard as it can be at times, we need to trust His plans - especially in the long-term:

"For I know the plans I have for you," declared the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." - Jeremiah 29:11

This message was for a people living in exile (verse 4). But deep-down, we're all "strangers and pilgrims" on this Earth (I Peter 2:11, KJV). The believer's hope is the Jesus Christ will return, sparking a resurrection to a future eternal life. That indeed will be good - for all time.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 222 final tables in 580 games (38.3%) - 48 cashes.

Ryan's Hope

The final able draws near at the World Series of Poker Main Event. As we write this on Thursday evening (U.S. time), Australian champion Daniel Hachem has bowed out in 79th place. Iranian native Antonio "the Magician" Esfandiari left in 82nd.

But of course, we want to focus on the man who finished 738th. Ryan Von Bevern is married to one of our nieces, after all - and on his third try at the Main Event, he made the money. The scoreboard (which has misled us at times) shows he won a bit more than $20,200.

This is how Ryan knows where he finished. He was given a card with his ranking. The WSOP staff has to keep things organized, with so many tables going at once and the prize money increasing with every few eliminations.

ESPN even mentioned Ryan's sorta-kinda presidential campaign on its livestream of the tournament. A $20,000 payday won't buy him a big media blitz to promote his candidacy. But he achieved one thing he hoped to accomplish - and in doing that, he experienced this:

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. - Proverbs 13:12

Are you hoping for a big poker payday? Perhaps your own WSOP bracelet? It might take a lot of games and a lot of patience. It took us 13 tries before we won our first tournament at a Georgia bar. But we kept the hope going. And even better, we did this....

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. - I Timothy 6:17

We took our hope of success to God, praying for His will to be done. Success in poker has come in small ways over the years. But our main reason for entering poker rooms is to share a better hope....

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. - Romans 15:13

Galatians 5 shows joy and peace are two "fruit" of God's Holy Spirit. And beyond that....

...A faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time. - Titus 1:2

It's the only real hope we have beyond this life, you know. And we suspect the blessing of eternal life in the Kingdom of God will be far better than any trip to a cashier's window.

Poker Day 564: Going Up

The drive from our home to Jack Casino today was the fastest yet - only six minutes. But then came a jolt, and the day's first big decision.

"That's $120," the cashier said.

The normal price for a morning tournament is $80. So we wondered if this was a special New Year's event. Sadly, no. Without any advance notice (it's not yet posted on the casino website as we write this), Jack started a new 2019 poker schedule today. Morning tournaments will cost either $100 or $120, based on the day of the week.

"The price of playing poker just went up," we told a man sitting to our left as we reviewed the schedule. And this time, we did not mean higher blinds. But we paid the buy-in, anyway - and suddenly found ourselves in one of those higher-priced Jack tournaments. Could we make it worth the trouble?

BLINDS: 50/100/100

IN THE POCKET: Ace of clubs-Jack of spades

Oh yes - the rules for the morning tournament have changed as well. Now it's a "Big Blind Ante" game, with the player in the Big Blind paying an extra ante. In this hand, that's us. A few early feelers have failed, but this game also lets us start with 25,000 chips and 20-minute blinds.

So we can be patient - but not with these cards. No one raises, so we go up to 500. Three players at the table of seven call.

ON THE FLOP: Jc-9c-6s (last two cards may not be precise)

Top pair + top kicker = green light. "I'll bet the big one," we say - as in 700 chips, borrowing from a legendary Cincinnati radio station. Two men across from us call, but the fourth one folds. We think they're speculating, and we're in front.

ON THE TURN: 7c

This puts three clubs on the board. But we still have top pair, and one more club would give us the nuts. So why wait? We bet 1,000. The other guys call again.

ON THE RIVER: 2h

Are the flush-chasers happy or frustrated? We need to know, so we bet another 1,000. A man across from us calls; the other opponent folds.

"He has a Jack," we say as the other man shows.... J-10. "And I have a Jack." But our kicker is superior, and we win several thousand chips.

A few big gains in the first period (now one hour, 40 minutes) brought us to a high of about 30,500. But we reached the break at 24,625. Then a couple of all-in wins kept us going in the second term, including an A-10 which beat A-7. But we had a precarious 18,100 at the second break.

The third term brought a dramatic win over a man with a huge stack, as our K-K beat his Q-Q. That allowed us to reach the final table at 29,600. But then we pushed again with A-J of hearts. That same man had pocket 7's, and they won the race.

We finished in tenth place out of 33 players, with money only going to the top four. We left thankful to make a final table against what we consider quality competition. But if Jack is going to keep the poker prices high, we'll be making many more drives to the competition in Indiana.

MINISTRY MOMENT: One awkward part about the Big Blind Ante format is that the ante doesn't always match the Big Blind. That requires a lot of shuffling of chips among players to make correct change.

After one such shuffle in our Big Blind where we lacked change, we told the dealer, "To borrow from an old song: 'From whence, from whence shall come my help?'" In this case, another player provided the change. "But ultimately," we added, "my help comes from the Lord."

"That's where my help comes from, too," the dealer said. Hooray - someone else who looks to the Lord! But is that where your help lies? If not, consider this....

I look up to the mountains - does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. - Psalm 121:1-2 (NLT)

This world teaches a self-reliant spirit - that you should take charge of your own life. Poker games reinforce that, because no collusion or tag-team action normally is allowed. But there's a problem with that. We can't live forever.

It seems so tragic that everyone under the sun suffers the same fate.... The living at least know that they shall die, but the dead know nothing.... - Ecclesiastes 9:3, 5 (NLT)

Life can look very helpless - but it doesn't have to be that way. Believers in God and Jesus Christ should have a hope that help is coming....

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. - Romans 15:13 (NLT)

The believer's hope is in a resurrection to eternal life when Jesus Christ returns. May that hope fill you in the months and years to come. What other hope beyond this life do we really have?

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 213 final tables in 564 games (37.8%) - 45 cashes.

Paying to Play

Local poker "tours" in bars or clubs can be relatively inexpensive. Buy a soda (or some other drink). Find a seat. You might win a nice small prize.

Where those circuits don't exist, the price of poker in casinos can be more costly. We did the math this morning on the tournaments we've entered since moving to our new home area:

Jack Casino - 7 games x $80 buy-in = $560
Hollywood-Indiana - 7 games x $70 buy-in = $490

That's a total investment of $1,050 in about four months - and this is playing the least expensive games of the week. Our winnings to show for it? Despite nine final tables in 14 tournaments, so far we've earned only $69 as a "bubble boy".... plus $19 playing blackjack, to recover a bit of our losses.

If poker is your "hobby," it clearly can turn into an expensive one. Thankfully, we're at a season of life where we can afford entering on a regular basis. But if your budget is tight and you have family considerations, it's something to consider carefully. This advice is very practical....

If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. - I Timothy 5:8

The context of this verse involves widows in the church. But there's a lesson here for all of us....

But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives. - I Timothy 5:6

That's because the pleasure eventually ends. So will your "poker run," even if it's only for small change:

For a man may do his work with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then he must leave all he owns to someone who has not worked for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune. - Ecclesiastes 2:21

We were reminded this morning that some things are more important than a poker bankroll....

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant or to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. - I Timothy 6:17

If your thinking is dominated by putting Aces above Kings, it's probably time for a change. Put God first. Then your family. Then pleasures and pastimes such as poker, as your remaining time and money allow. Those are the best and longest-lasting priorities.

Hope and Faith

At our last poker tournament, we brought up our hope at one point of making a big hand. That hope fell short. But we have a hope of receiving something much bigger, and more important....

For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from the bondage of decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. - Romans 8:20-21

There are some big concepts here, so let's simplify things a bit. We're all God's creation, if you're humble enough to accept it (Genesis 1). But we face the frustration of eventual death....

By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return. - Genesis 3:19

Yet the good news and the hope of believers is that we can be liberated from death's bondage! That takes something beyond mere hope, though. It takes faith in Someone bigger than us, who can make it happen.

Having faith in God making a flush or full house for you is asking for something relatively insignificant. God wants you to have faith for something much bigger....

Now if we are children, then we are heirs - heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. - Romans 8:17

You can become a child of God by putting your faith in Him (the Father) and His Son, Jesus Christ.

....So that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power. - I Corinthians 2:5

If you need help in developing this faith, please leave a comment. We might be able to help. In the meantime, express your faith in God by walking in a godly way (James 2:26) Sometimes the best message you can send is the example you set.

Poker Day 506: Push to Talk

On a day set aside to "pray for Texas," we went to a casino and played Texas Hold 'em. Yes, we prayed first for the people affected by the hurricane. In fact, we put a little Texas lapel pin on our hat - perhaps too small, because no one mentioned it. But would our Sunday tournament have sunshine or clouds?

BLINDS: 75/150

IN THE POCKET: A-J

We were originally the 14th alternate on the casino list, even though we arrived 25 minutes early. Thankfully, the top ten were placed in a separate table. Then we sat down about 35 minutes into the tournament.

Some nibbles have failed, mainly due to a man with a huge stack at our immediate left who is raising early and often. We now sit two seats off the button with great cards. We smell a chance to gain, so we check to wait for raisers. Sadly, there are none; about four players are in.

ON THE FLOP: K-Q-10

Jackpot! we say to ourselves. It's a "rainbow" flop of three different suits. We hit the top straight, so let's sit back and wait. A man across the table moves first, trying a pre-emptive 675. Fine, we'll call. Then Mr. Big Bettor to our left goes over the top, raising to 4,500. Other players fold.

"He wants me to go all-in," we say - recalling his pushes of minutes before. "So I will." And Mr. Big Bettor insta-calls!

"Did you hit a straight?" we ask him.

"Did you?"

"I'm asking you."

He turns over.... Q-10! That's bottom two pair.

"Because I did hit a straight." We show our cards, and he mutters about his fate. Then he roots for a Queen, to hit a full house.

ON THE TURN: J

We actually pair. As if that matters.

ON THE RIVER: 8

We couldn't have dreamed it any better: a big hand, and a big bettor walking right into it. Our push of 8,775 turns into 19,200 chips!

We were quiet from there, taking 19,050 to the first break. But then, attempts to gain ground failed over and over.  We won one pot, only to give back most of it in the very next hand. We staggered to the second break at only 5,700.

A rally started to come in the third term - first when we pushed with A-9 and everyone folded. Another A-9 with diamonds took out a player when we hit a flush. But not enough big cards came - so we finally pushed a third time with A-9. This time, two players had A-K. No one paired the board, so they split our last 5,500 chips. It wasn't a bad day - 21st place out of 84 players. But we left dreaming of what might have been.

MINISTRY MOMENT: "Your turn," the man to our left said later when we played a hand he folded pre-flop. Trouble was, our cards missed and we had to fold on the turn. Then he chided us for not pressing on.

"I had hope," we explained to him. Then we quoted part of a Bible verse, whether he realized it or not:

...Hope that is seen is not hope.... - Romans 8:24 (KJV)

We don't think he understood that - but do you understand it?  It's different from that other hand, where we hit the straight on the flop. We don't need to "hope" we hit it. We can see the board and see our cards, and know we did.

Look at the entire verse to understand this better:

For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is not seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? - Romans 8:24 (NIV)

Paul is writing here about salvation. Note this version has it in past tense - "we were saved." The King James Version has it in present tense: "we are saved." And the Moffatt paraphrase puts it, "We were saved with this hope ahead." This indicates both a past and a future aspect.

So what are believers hoping for, and has it arrived yet? Read all of Romans 8 if you'd like for a head start, and we'll get back to this in another post.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 184 final tables in 506 games (36.4%) - 37 cashes.

Poker Day 486: Straight-Way

Does a rainy day keep the poker players away? We found out Friday at Kansas Star Casino it did not. In fact, we arrived ten minutes before the scheduled noon time and found ourselves #2 on a waiting list.

It took more than 30 minutes for two players to be knocked out from five full tables. That meant we had to make up for lost time....

BLINDS: 25/50

IN THE POCKET: 10-J offsuit

These are the cards that greeted us as soon as we sat down. Sitting in the leadoff position, the fact that they were fairly high and connected persuades us to enter small. No one raises, and about six players are in.

ON THE FLOP: 7-8-9

Talk about a friendly dealer! We hit a straight right off the bat! But when our turn comes, we check to see if someone else will jump. Sure enough - a man down the table goes all-in for 1,125! AND....

"Might as well gamble a little," says the Big Blind as he calls. Of course we also call, trying not to smile.

ON THE TURN: 9

The board pairs, and we don't really mind that. The Big Blind checks, and we remember his words.

"If you want to gamble.... how about 1,000 more?"

Not for that much; he folds. Now the all-in man shows 9-A. He's made three of a kind, and he has a 25-percent chance of topping us.

ON THE RIVER: 3

Thankfully for us, the board doesn't pair. He's out, and we're right in right away with about 6,000 chips.

"Welcome to the table!" a man at the other end says. We give credit to the dealer, of course.

We won a few more pots after that, and approached the 7,000 chip mark. But amazingly, it all started draining away as small probes missed. We still had 5,500 at the first break, but we lost a big pot to a man we thought was bluffing three of a kind (he wasn't). Then when we went all-in for our 1,600 with K-Q, a woman with 9-9 turned it into a 9's-and-Aces full house. What could have been a big day ended for us with a lowly 36th place.

MINISTRY MOMENT: One hand which cost us chips found us playing 2-2. Three 7's showed up on the board, yet the betting was small and cautious. We made a full house - but lost to a man with pocket 3's!

"Great minds think alike," we joked. "He thought a little bit bigger." Then we found a reason to go deeper. "But there's Someone whose thoughts are higher than all of our thoughts," we said to no one in particular.

That line got no takers. But as you might guess, it's a line from the Bible:

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord. - Isaiah 55:8

This can refer to far more than 3's vs. 2's. It can refer to thinking overall - and our thinking tends to focus on physically, earthly things.

As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. - Isaiah 55:9

God wants us to think bigger. Bigger than the next hand, next round of blinds, or even next tournament. God thinks in an eternal way.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." - Jeremiah 29:11

The real hope and future for us are beyond this life - as Jesus Christ is preparing a Kingdom which He will bring to this Earth. God wants you to be a part of that, receiving the gift of eternal life. Are you turning away from ungodly, sinful thoughts and ways so you can join in?

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 180 final tables in 486 games (37.0%) - 35 cashes.

Do You Love Me?

At its base, some would say poker is a selfish game. The object in a tournament is to gain everyone else's chips. As long as we remember it's only a game, we think there can be some balance there.

But how self-serving should we be? We asked in a recent post if it's wrong to love yourself. The greatest example of love we know had something to say about that - perhaps in a context you hadn't considered before:

So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. - Matthew 7:12

Jesus is reciting what some call the "golden rule." We normally think about the outgoing aspect of that, and we absolutely should. But how would you "have" others "do" things "to you?"

A masochist might want to be insulted and shamed at a poker table. We've heard that way of thinking called a "martyrdom complex" - and at one point Jesus seems to encourage that approach:

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. - Matthew 5:10

But Jesus also said He overcame the world (John 16:33) - and He wants us to have the hope of overcoming as well.

Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. - Psalm 42:5

One frequently-quoted Bible promise is that God will complete the work He's begun in you (Philippians 1:6). If you love God for what He's doing in you, that can be the proper kind of "self-love" - and one you can share with other people.

Funeral for a Poker Friend

Our last post mentioned the death of local poker regular "Bobby" in a car crash. We attended his funeral earlier this week at an Eastern Orthodox Church, keeping in mind these words from the Bible:

The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure. - Ecclesiastes 7:4

Our only contact with Bobby was through what some might call a "house of pleasure" - the poker room.  Yet when we passed through a receiving line after the funeral to meet several relatives, our mention of poker brought an overall positive response. One person noted with a smile how Bobby loved to play the game.

Perhaps some of our fellow players attended the cemetery interment for Bobby the next day. But it was disappointing to see we were all alone on a Monday night, when it came to the poker community paying respects.

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. - Proverbs 17:17

A short message during the funeral service was given by a church deacon, whom we believe is Bobby's grandson.  The things he said revealed quite a bit.  He noted Bobby "didn't go to church every Sunday.... even most Sundays."

A lot of people have drifted away from attending church services in recent decades. Ask ten of those people why, and you'll probably get at least eight different reasons. Perhaps poker players feel more of a connection with fellow players than with people of faith. Yet the Bible tells us:

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching. - Hebrews 10:23-25

If you have a hope for God's Kingdom, you might find encouragement toward "love and good deeds" at a poker table. Emphasis might. From our experience, we don't think it's very likely. It's far better to have a church connection, to grow in your belief in God and Jesus Christ - and to keep from going off a godly path.

(NOTE: We'll have more to say about the funeral in our next post.)

Gad or God? Part 2

Our last post focused on a three-letter Hebrew word: gad.  It looks like "God," but it's very different. It refers to luck or fortune - and the book of Isaiah shows if you put all your hope in those things, in a poker room or elsewhere, you're going to be disappointed.

So where should we put our hope? God challenges you to believe the Bible - and put it in Him.

Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. - Psalm 62:5

But how do we do that?  Simply by saying a prayer?  Well, that's a good way to start....

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. - Romans 12:12

God needs to fill us with a proper hope:

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. - I Timothy 6:17

God can provide you with many blessings if you put your hope in Him. But again.... how?

Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure. - I John 3:3

God wants the people who believe in Him to be pure. That means getting the sin out of our lives.

Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. - II Corinthians 7:1

The goal is to be holy, and that's done by holy living....

So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good. - Romans  7:12

Is this how you're living?  Have you gone all-in for God, instead of "gad?"  If not, go back to that first step. Admit to God in prayer you've gone in the wrong way, and ask for His help in turning toward holiness. Then examine your life, put out the things which are impure -- and have hope God will help you with the rest.
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Remember As You Play....

And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken. - Ecclesiastes 4:12 (KJV)

An Ace in the pocket is OK -- until the flop comes. As one man told us years ago, eventually it becomes "just another card." Especially if someone else's hole cards connect.  "Ace high" can win pots.... but to be honest, not a lot of them.


A pocket pair is even better. You can use it to make pre-flop raises, scaring that speculating opponent with A-8 (for an example) out of a hand. Two matching cards certainly withstand a lone rocket.

But that "threefold cord" can be a sturdy thing. If your pocket pair turns into three of a kind on the flop, your options become quite wide-open.  You can check and trap, tempt someone into a betting contest, and even bet your bundle if your chip stack is low.

So cards in threes certainly can please -- and the Bible has a lot of powerful threes for you to consider.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. - I Corinthians 13:13

Love is powerful by itself. After all, God is love (I John 4:8, 16). But faith in a loving God is what's necessary for salvation (Ephesians 2:8) - and hope in God's coming Kingdom and reward provide a reason to live out your love and faith every day.

Looking for "trips" at the poker table can be rewarding.  But here's a project for you: how many other "threefold" things can you find in the Bible?  Look through the Word of God, make a list - and you might be surprised how strong three can be.

Hoping for the Best

A recent post referred to an online poker player who used some puzzling shorthand during hands -- shorthand we still haven't figured out.  Admittedly, we sometimes use texting shorthand as well. Take this moment from later in the tournament:

Dealer: 　flopblogger wins Main Pot ($3,150) with Two pair, nines and sevens
Me: 　good game friends
Me: 　PTL
Dealer: 　JOKER69 wins Main Pot ($30,830) with Two pair, sevens and fives
sootedone: 　poker tard league
Me: 　Uh, no
Me: 　That means praise the Lord
Regular readers may notice we don't play poker as much as we did earlier this year - and we don't post as much about it, either.  The main reason for that is a new non-poker job, which is keeping us very busy.  In fact, sometimes the work can be a bit personally frustrating.  But even at those times, we must remember....

Why are you downcast, O my soul?  Why so disturbed within me?  Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. - Psalm 42:5-6

Some people put their hope in winning money at poker.  That thought has crossed our mind from time to time, too -- but then we realize how risky that can be.  Some people become "poker stars" with exclusive access to TV tables.  Many others go bust early.

Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save.  When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing. - Psalm 146:3-4

That applies to ourselves, as much as anybody else.  If you dream of striking it rich at a poker cash game, you could well be deceiving yourself.  So for the best advice, keep reading....

Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them -- the Lord, who remains faithful forever. - Psalm 146:5-6

All the saved-up poker winnings in the world can't guarantee you'll avoid death forever.  God is truly our only hope for a life beyond this one.  If your ultimate hope is not in Him, where is it -- and why?

Climb Every Mountain

"If you have a three-to-one, four-to-one chip lead," a man said at our live tournament the other night, "you'd better win."

We responded by telling him about what we'd accomplished only hours earlier -- winning an online poker tournament, after going to heads-up play with a substantial deficit.  The margin was in the neighborhood of 48,000 to 10,000, yet we came back to win.

Seemingly ridiculous comebacks can happen in poker.  They even can happen in life.  One of the greatest examples of that occurred in the Bible -- to one of Jesus's loyal disciples.

Peter replied, "Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will."  "I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "This very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times." - Matthew 26:33-34

This disciple vowed to be loyal to the bitter end.  But by the end of this chapter of the Bible, Peter was the one in bitter tears.

Then he began to call down curses on himself and he swore to them, "I don't know the man!"  Immediately a rooster crowed.  Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: "Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times."  And he went outside and wept bitterly. - Matthew 26:74-75

Yet to his credit, Peter did not do what another disciple did on that fateful night.  Judas Iscariot admitted he sinned by turning Jesus over to be arrested -- then "went away and hanged himself" (27:4-5).  Peter instead lived to see the resurrected Christ, receive compassion from the Savior (John 21:15-19) and go on to do great things for God.

Then Peter said, "Silver of gold I do not have, but what I have I give you.  In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk."  Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man's feet and ankles became strong. - Acts 3:6-7

Before his life ended, Peter even wrote two books of the New Testament.  All hope might have seemed lost for him.  But he didn't simply throw it "all in" in emotional frustration -- and that proved to be a big difference between Peter and Judas.  It could be a difference in how your poker games (and other things) go as well.

The Long Haul

We went all in.  We won the pot.  Yet the player who called in an attempt to take us out was not impressed.

"You won't be long here," he said.  "You don't have enough."

Yet when the first hour of play concluded the other night, we were still in the poker tournament -- and the scoffer who admittedly had a much larger stack was out.  He bet big on a couple of hands, but in vain.

The lesson?  It's easy to scoff at another person's moment of small success -- but that person might wind up with the last laugh and a better finish.

Some people scoff at the idea of believing in God, too:

First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.  They will say, "Where is this 'coming' he promised?  Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.'" - II Peter 3:3-4

Some people even scoffed at the miracles Jesus performed while He walked the earth.  It would be interesting to know how many of them eventually saw the resurrected Christ.  Of course, believers in 2012 face an even longer time of waiting.  Yet Peter's words of encouragement long ago still help us today.

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness.... But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. - II Peter 3:9

If your hope beyond this life doesn't rest in God.... well, what does it rest in?  Do you have any hope at all?  You can have some, if you have faith that lasts far longer than a stack of chips at a poker table.

And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many will wax cold.  But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. - Matthew 24:12-13 (KJV)

Don't be tempted to "go for broke" in the game of life.  And don't be tempted to dismiss people who are clinging to a small amount of faith in God, even when all hope seems lost.  Be like the underdog sports team that keeps "hanging around" against a stronger opponent.  Your endurance well could be rewarded -- in poker and in God's ultimate payoff.

Hope Diamond (or maybe a club)

Our last post talked about the perils of hoping for a big hand in poker. It happens a lot during a tournament. Ask anyone who's ever been on an open-ended straight draw, or held two pair at the turn with dreams of a full house.

We heard a deceased minister explain the other day in a taped radio program it's one thing to hope for one million dollars -- but you usually have to work to get it. Yet the Bible shows hope isn't wrong. In fact....

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. -- Romans 15:13

God's Spirit is designed to fill you with hope -- and then some! Not for a "Broadway straight" necessarily, but for the return of Jesus. (Verse 12 at least hints at that.) And for what will occur when He comes again....

....the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. -- Colossians 1:27

Believers hope to gain something glorious beyond this human existence:

But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. -- Philippians 3:20-21

Poker players don't know for sure if the winning card will come on the river. But believers in Jesus need faith that He will come again -- for what one old-time preacher called in a sermon "Payday Someday."