Daring to Dream

JULY 9 UPDATE: Ryan has made the money at the Main Event! An update on that is coming soon.

UPDATE: We looked at the wrong day's chip count. Ryan is in 846th place, heading to "Day 2C." Why he wasn't shown on the "Day 2AB" scoreboard despite not playing is a mystery to us.

As we write this, about 1,070 players remain in the 2019 World Series of Poker Main Event. This year's big tournament had 8,225 entries - including one (hold on to your chair) who's a candidate for President of the United States!

No, we're not kidding. Ryan Von Bevern filed the paperwork with the Federal Election Commission to run for President. He has a billboard or two up in the Kansas City area. Of course, he has a campaign website. But by his own admission, he hasn't raised a lot of money - and he lost his buy-in at the Main Event, by not placing among the top 2,500 players [SEE UPDATE ABOVE]. (He won a discounted buy-in by playing in a local league.)

We've mentioned Ryan's WSOP exploits before, because he's married to one of our nieces. He obviously has big dreams - even though we think his Presidential bid is tongue-in-cheek.

Our poker dreams are a bit smaller these days. (For one thing, a $10,000 Main Event buy-in is massive.) But we have a big dream, too - and believe it or not, it ranks above being President of a country:

And they sang a new song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth." - Revelation 5:9-10

Can you grasp what the apostle John saw in this vision? Creatures in heaven are singing this to "a Lamb" (verse 6) - and it clearly refers to Jesus Christ....

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world." - John 1:29

Jesus, who was with God the Father from the beginning (1:1), came to Earth to redeem us from our sins by His pure sacrifice. But it means more than that. We're made "to be a kingdom and priests" - or as the King James Version puts it, "made.... unto our God kings and priests...."

Pocket Kings in poker can be good. Becoming a real king is even better. And to be a king serving under God on this Earth? That's a huge dream, that the Bible indicates someday will come true. As Jesus put it....

To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. - Revelation 3:21

Uh-oh - did you see the "catch" there? We have to overcome, before we can sit with Jesus. That's the daily battle of life, resisting sin and walking in a godly way.

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. - Romans 12:21

That's obviously not easy to do. But it's what God requires to obtain that big dream - and with His help, you can do it.

...Everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. - I John 5:4

How are you doing, in achieving your dreams? Do you have the biggest dream of all? And have you put your faith in God, so you can gain it?

Almost Kings

Pocket Kings look good to some poker players. But they're scary to others - because someone with an Ace might show them up on the flop.

But would you like to someday be a king? Our last post examined some interesting writing that indicates you can be. But as we looked closely at it, questions arose. Here's what we read:

And has made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. - Revelation 5:10 (KJV)

But then we backtracked and saw this....

And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the 24 elders fell down before the Lamb.... - Revelation 5:8 (NIV)

So what's going on? Is the future title of "king" only for some mysterious creatures in heaven?

We found the explanation is as simple as comparing Bible translations. Since we cited the New International Version in verse 8, let's keep reading it....

And they sang a new song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, ad they shall reign on the earth." - Revelation 5:9-10

We emphasized a few key words here. The creatures and elders praise Jesus for purchasing men - as in human beings. A footnote in the New King James indicates some Greek versions of Revelation which have been handed down over time put the emphasis on humans, while others do not.

A check of numerous translations indicates most translate this section as giving the "kings and priests" title to humans. It fits better with other verses in Revelation - verses which explain how you can become a king:

To him who overcomes I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcome and sat down with my Father on his throne. - Revelation 3:21

These are words of a resurrected Jesus. He amazingly offers you the opportunity to be resurrected as well, and sit with Him! (We think Jesus would be the "Ace", overriding our King-ship.)

But as our title (borrowing from a rock band) indicates, there's something we must do. To borrow from an old spiritual, we must overcome. And....

To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations.... - Revelation 2:26

We overcome this world and our own sinful nature by doing the will of Jesus Christ. Discover that will by reading carefully through the first four books of the New Testament. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are known as the "gospels," telling the story of Jesus from conception to crucifixion to resurrection.

But we've left one question unanswered here. What about those "elders" mentioned in Revelation 5? We'll keep working on that for another post.

Poker Night 573: Waiting for My Dreamboat

For people of a certain age (like us), Wednesday night means discounts at Hollywood Casino Indiana. The hotel's dinner buffet is only five dollars! And the poker tournament is still the lowest price in the area at $70. Our goal was to win all that money, and maybe some more. But it's never easy....

BLINDS: 50/100

IN THE POCKET: K-8 offsuit

We won an early pot with hidden "trip 10's." But modest losses have brought us back to our starting level of 12,000 chips. The typical slow-arriving crowd means only six people are playing at the moment, and we're in the Small Blind. No one raises. We don't either. It's a big family pot....

ON THE FLOP: K-7-9

…and it's a big start for us. Holding top pair and playing first, we bet 150 to see who's serious about these cards. Most of the table isn't. But the man on the button is. He calls, and we're heads-up.

ON THE TURN: 7

Hmmm - the board pairs. Now we must slow down, because blinds are low and anybody could be speculating. We check, and our opponent bets 500. We wonder if our 8 really is a good enough kicker with two pair, but we call to find out.

ON THE RIVER: 6

We check again. Our opponent doesn't slow down - he now bets 1,000. What does that mean? His own three of a kind? An oddball straight? Or a semi-bluff with Ace high? Knowing what players tend to do here, we conclude it's the semi-bluff. So we call.

"I've got a King," we say.

The man next to us says nothing - except to turn over 6-6! He hit a full house on the river, and leaves other players stunned; otherwise we would have won.

The first hour was filled with setbacks like that for us. We dropped to about 6,000. But then in the last hand before Break 1, we matched Q-J against a big bettor with a Queen on the flop. He went all-in for 1,100 when an Ace appeared on the river. We feared the worst, but called because we were pot-committed - and were thrilled when he showed Q-8!

That comeback hand gave us 10,575. That launched a second-hour rally, where we won bigger pots. On a 15-player night, we reached the final table with 28,600, then had slightly less at Break 2.

The third hour was huge, as we received A-A and 10-10 in consecutive hands. They were enough to eliminate two players who pushed, and balloon us to 71,800 with five players left! Then Q-10 led to a disguised straight against another big stack - and we were in the 80,000 range!

Only the top two players would win money. But when the contest dropped to three and a low stack proposed "bubble" money for third, we agreed to it. We think we were in the chip lead at Break 3, with 80,800. But the same man proposed a three-way "chop" of the prize money. Since we have a real job and an early wake-up call, we accepted it.

The final result: three players winning $235. Friendly fist bumps and handshakes. A good night for the survivors - and praise to God from us for not only the big comeback, but our second cash win of 2019!

MINSTRY MOMENT: We still are labeled a "distinguished guest" on our poker receipt at Hollywood Casino. Our first dealer saw that and was puzzled. Then he started speculating.

"If you were a knight, I could go home and tell my friends I met a knight."

No, that's not us. But then we remembered: "A well-known book says I can be a king someday - a king and a priest."

Can you guess which book? Regular readers ought to know....

And has made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. - Revelation 5:10 (KJV)

We've heard ministers say through the years that this is a promise for believers who remain faithful to God until the end of their lives or the return of Jesus, whichever comes first. But as we're writing this, we notice something that could change that thinking. This is a "new song" (verse 9) - but who is singing it?

And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the 24 elders fell down before the Lamb.... - Revelation 5:8 (NIV)

This section of the Bible apparently is based on a lengthy vision that the apostle John saw (Revelation 1:10). But people are not necessarily saying these words! There are "four creatures" with four different faces (4:6-7). So who are the "elders?"

The Bible shows churches should have people with the title of Elder....

The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. - I Timothy 5:17

Yet we'd guess many more than 24 people have held the title "Elder" over about 2,000 years of church history. So why does the apostle's vision show only 24 - and are they in heaven now? We invite your comments on this; we'll offer our thoughts in a future post.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 219 final tables in 573 games (38.2%) - 47 cashes. We're six for ten in making final tables so far this year!

Poker Night 548: When Push Comes to Shove

We have some serious soul-searching to do, after tonight's poker tournament at Jack Casino. We'll explain why, after we review a hand that turned our night around....

BLINDS: 200/400

IN THE POCKET: A-5 offsuit

We've won a few modest pots. We've lost a few as well, so we sit at around 10,100 chips - below our starting allocation of 15,000 chips. This hand is worth playing, but carefully. We get in small, and no one raises. As we recall, three players are in at a small table of six.

ON THE FLOP: Ah-2h-3d

We make top pair, and have a straight draw to boot. But the heavy-set man sitting to our left wants to be the aggressor. He bets 800. Given what we have, we certainly call. Now we're heads-up.

ON THE TURN: Qc

That missed for us. Maybe our opponent senses that, because he raises the stakes to 1,600. We suspect he has an Ace - but does he have a better kicker? We still have top pair, so we call with it.

ON THE RIVER: Kh

Another high card only complicates things further. Our opponent doesn't back down, betting another 1,600. We have 7,500 left, and have invested a lot of chips in this pot. We fear he has us out-kicked. So we sense there's only one thing left to do.

"I'm all-in," we say. Consider the fact that the bets have been modest, with no increase on the river. That leads us to think our opponent is not all that comfortable with his cards. Are we right?

"I was afraid you'd hit that flush," he says - and folds! Flush?!?! Oh yeah. Now we notice three hearts are showing. But we didn't have any hearts. Only, well, a "brave-heart" bluff that takes a big pot.

Some big winning cards came after that - including A-10 which turned into three of a kind, and unshown pocket Kings for a Big Blind special win. We cautiously reached the final table with 22,600 chips.

But now comes the soul-searching part. With nine players left, we limped in with A-Q. A man pushed, we called him - and he had A-J!

"I don't feel very good about this, sir," he said.

"I'm sorry," we answered....

ON THE FLOP: J-x-x (don't remember the other cards)

...."But I think you feel better about it now!" Our opponent leads. The table is entranced, as the dealer moves on....

ON THE TURN: Q

But now we lead! And we have a Jack flashback. "Two times ago when I was here [really three], this sort of thing happened...."

ON THE RIVER: J

".... and it just happened AGAIN!!" we exclaim. Another amazing case of the lead changing three times in five cards - with the opponent making a "two-outer" for three of a kind!

The opponent had a few more chips than we did. So we left the poker room mumbling to ourselves. At least we reached the final table again, but a ninth-place finish left us disappointed.

MINISTRY MOMENT: A frustrating loss for another player as the final table approached led him to mutter, "Jesus Christ."

"King of Kings and Lord of Lords," we said in response.

The man said nothing about our reaction. But it comes from a big event that may not be very far away....

I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. - Revelation 19:11

This is a vision about a coming conquering King. Can you guess the identity? Keep reading for more clues....

He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. - Revelation 19:13

The apostle John wrote these words - and he also wrote that "the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning" (John 1:1-2). That Word/God "became flesh" (verse 14), leading to the obvious conclusion that it refers to Jesus Christ. But back to that vision....

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

Read the entire chapter to learn about the real "war to end all wars." A sword is prophesied to come out of the rider's mouth to "strike down the nations" (verses 15, 21). A time of judgment for all people will follow that (Revelation 20:12). We think it will be far better to be on the right side of Biblical history....

Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection.... they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years. - Revelation 20:6

Only three players won money at the poker tournament tonight. Many more can be part of the first resurrection, to join Jesus as He returns to Earth. Will you accept Him as your Savior, to help make that victory possible?

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 202 final tables in 548 games (36.9%) - 41 cashes.

We Three Kings?

Our former work colleague turned poker pro "Nicname" usually plays cash games. But he entered a tournament this weekend at a Choctaw casino in Oklahoma. Here's what he recorded on Facebook....

That flush had to hurt. But the timing of this hand was fascinating - as some people celebrated "Three Kings Day" Saturday.

The event is supposed to commemorate when three kings appeared before the newborn baby Jesus with gifts. The problem is that the Bible doesn't really record it that way....

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea during the time of King Herod, Magic from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the one who has been born King of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him." - Matthew 2:1-2

Magi in the NIV translates as "wise men" in many other translations. Simply because they were wise does not mean they were kings. In fact, the Moffatt paraphrase calls them "magicians".

On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him.... - Matthew 2:11

Our NIV Study Bible comments in its notes on this verse: "Contrary to tradition, the Magi did not visit Jesus at the manger on the night of his birth as did the shepherds. They came some months later and visited him as a 'child' in his 'house.'"

...Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. - Matthew 2:11b

Many people presume if there were three gifts, there had to be three wise men. But quoting from the notes again: "...the Bible does not indicate the number of the Magi, and they were almost certainly not kings."

Yet putting all the man-made traditions aside, note what the Magi did. They worshiped Jesus - even though He was a child, perhaps less than one year old. King Herod talked about worshiping as well (verse 8), but instead considered Jesus a threat to his throne and ordered a maniacal murder spree (verse 16).

Three kings at a poker table sometimes get dethroned. One "newborn King" can make some people mad. Yet that "king of kings" (Revelation 19:16) still should be worshiped - and the day is coming when everyone will:

...That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth. - Philippians 2:10

We strongly suggest you not get angry about this. Wise men worshiped. You can, too.

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.

The End of an Era

Tomorrow will be a historic day in the U.S., as a new President takes office. We wonder how many poker players will be rooting for him to undo what the outgoing one did.

Poker players with long memories will remember Barack Obama's administration for the "black Friday" crackdown on internet games in 2011. Many regular players lost a lot of money. Several famous names even were affected.

Yet at the end of 2011, the Obama Justice Department ruled states can set up their own Internet poker games. So far, hardly any have.

And did you know President Obama probably is the first U.S. leader to have his own poker website? Thus far, you can't play him there. In fact, you can't play at all. But the site explains his personal history of playing poker, his actions concerning online poker, and the claims that President George W. Bush was even more against online poker.

But it's inevitable in our society that leadership changes. It could be good, or....

Then a new king, who did not know about Joseph, came to power in Egypt. - Exodus 1:8

Joseph was a Biblical hero, who was given vast power to help several countries through a time of great famine. He helped the Israelites relocate in Egypt - but a change in pharaohs made things worse for them instead of better.

They made their lives bitter with hard labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their hard labor the Egyptians used them ruthlessly. - Exodus 1:14

Any leader in any walk of life has the capability to do this to us. It could be a king, a President, a supervisor on your job - and even a different tournament director at your poker room.

So how should poker players respond? Very few probably will follow this advice, but it's hard to top....

I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone - for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior... - I Timothy  2:1-3

As we mentioned after the U.S. election, we should pray for all leaders. Even the ones you don't necessarily like. After all, God could turn their hearts around and make them leaders you do like.

Play Or Stay Away?

"Are you playing?" a man asked us at work the other day when we brought up the state poker championship.

We would have joined a big crowd -- about 1,000 people competing in all.  And that's with the schedule divided into three tournaments; a ladies-only event and a "high roller" night with a $500 buy-in were added this year.

Yet this charity fundraising event had a critic or two this year.  We read about one complaint challenging its legality, in a state with tight gambling laws.  We understand the organizers cleared all the details through the District Attorney's office.  But that's not why we stayed away.

"They're playing on the Sabbath," we told the man at work.  Every tournament was like that -- either on Friday night or Saturday during the day.

"I put the King of Kings above pocket Kings," we added.  We think he understood -- but perhaps you don't.

If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the Lord's holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you will find your joy in the Lord.... - Isaiah 58:13-14

We mark the Sabbath as the Bible originally did -- on the seventh day of the week, from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset (Genesis 1:31-2:3).  We're aware of some Bible verses which might open the door for some latitude.  For instance:

Then he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.  So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath." - Mark 2:27-28

Jesus said these words -- and Jesus should be Lord of every life (Romans 10:9).  But we choose to not "go our own way" on the Sabbath.  And playing poker would be exactly that for us.  Instead, we give the Sabbath back to God with worship, study and prayer.

Oh yes -- who's the "King of Kings" we were talking about?

....Keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which God will bring about in his own time -- God, the blessed and only ruler, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see.  To him be honor and glory forever.  Amen. - I Timothy 6:14-16

Is Jesus your King?  And are you honoring Him, above any deck of playing cards or stack of poker chips?

An Ultimate Half-Hour

We withdrew $60 from a bank ATM and headed for the casino.  The casino had a poker room, where we'd never played before -- but then we found it took $100 to have a seat at the cash game table.

Too bad for us?  Actually, no.  Wandering around the Kansas Star Casino floor, we found a table where people were playing Ultimate Texas Hold 'em -- a blackjack-style version of the poker game.  After watching a couple of hands, we sat down and gave it a try.

The sign said we needed a minimum of only five dollars - but in reality you needed $15 to play a hand: five for the blind, five for a matching ante, then five more if you choose to play your two cards all the way to a showdown with the dealer.

We never plunked down pre-down money on the "trips" button in front, which promised bigger returns.  A cautious first-time approach was enough for us, and one time it paid off big....

IN THE POCKET: 4-6 of clubs

They're suited but uninspiring.  We could bet right now... but why?  We check.

ON THE FLOP: 3c-5c-Kc

OK, that was why.  We make a flush on the flop!  Now we can bet again -- and we want to go for it all.  But under the rules, we can't; we're limited to two times our ante.  We offer $10, and we're frozen from betting any more in the hand.

The turn and river cards were dealt together, and we missed our open-ended straight flush draw.  The dealer turned over 7c, which would have been perfect for us -- but happily enough, he lacked another club.  We doubled our money on the blind and ante, with a flush paying three-to-two for our "play" bet of $10.

Our $40 chip investment brought us double our money within 30 minutes - reaching a high of $82.50.  We left the table with $62.50, happy to score a gain of more than 50 percent in a hurry.

There's a lot to like about the Ultimate format.  For one thing, the dealer is helpless.  He can't change the two cards he's dealt -- and since only one deck is used, those cards are every bit as likely to be as lousy as yours.  Also, you don't really compete against the other players around the table; anyone who beats the dealer's hand gets a payoff.

MINISTRY MOMENT: There's also an opportunity to interact with players next to you at the table.  The woman to our left scored a nice pot with pocket kings.

"As they say on Christian radio," we told her, "walk with the Kings and be a blessing."

That catch phrase (with only one "King," not two) comes from a late radio Bible teacher who still can be heard each weekday.  We ask you one simple question: which King do you follow each day?  We pray it is....

....God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who live in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see.  To him be honor and might forever. Amen. - I Timothy 6:15-16

Waiting on Kings

"The poker gods aren't liking me right now," said a frustrated player at our table the other day.

At other times, we might have corrected his usage on the spot.  But this time, we played along a little.  "The dealer gave you those cards....?"

No, he didn't want to blame the dealer -- simply "the poker gods."

A previous post noted the curious hint by Jesus in the Bible that humans could become gods.  The Lord quoted from the Psalms....

God presides in the great assembly; he gives judgment among the "gods".... "I said, 'You are "gods"; you are all sons of the Most High.'" - Psalm 82:1, 6

Read the entire Psalm and you'll find this seems to be instruction for people -- as opposed to correction for angels or some other kind of being.  Who are "sons of the Most High" supposed to be?

Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. - I John 3:2 (KJV)

The apostle John indicates here believers can be "sons of God" -- or His "children," as other translations put it.  That means we can be in God's family.  That may sound strange, but it's Biblical.

The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.  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 8:16-17

An "heir to the throne" in Europe suggests someone who's a future king or queen.  And the Bible indicates we can inherit a throne as well -- but not God's almighty throne, since He will not die as human royalty does.

This is a deep subject, and we may explore it further in coming posts.  But this sermon explains the concept in detail (although we should note we don't agree with every detail of it).

In the meantime, when you're dealt a King at the poker table, don't dismiss it lightly -- think about how it could reflect you one day.

Poker Night 360: When Kings Go to Battle

Chris Berman noted during tonight's Monday Night Countdown second place on Election Day used to reward a U.S. Presidential candidate with the title of Vice President.  These days it doesn't.  Second place in a poker tournament might gain you a nice payday.  But what if you start somewhere around 22nd?  We face that every week at The Red Barn, so we need every big-name endorsement we can find....

BLINDS: 50/100

IN THE POCKET: K-K

A soda purchase gave us 2,000 extra chips, to start at 7,000.  But other players pay more to begin with 30,000 or more -- so careful play matters to us.  This high pocket pair in the is our best chance to make a move.  And a player ahead of us helps, by raising to 400.

"One-thousand more," we announce when our turn comes.  Three players call -- and we know from experience some of them could be speculating with iffy hands, because they can afford it.

ON THE FLOP: 3-5-9

We have the overpair, and we plan to exploit it.  When the play checks to us, we bet 1,000 again.  Two of our three opponents call.

ON THE TURN: 9

This puts a troublesome pair on the board, but we don't want to look weak.  We bet 1,000 more.  The two challengers call again.

ON THE RIVER: 8

We're now ready to hit the brakes, because we're wondering what our opponents are doing.  A man across from us checks -- and this time we check.  But a young man to our left tosses in 5,000!

"I have to call," says the man across from us.

Ooh boy.  We don't have 5,000 -- our stack is more like 3,150.

"I've got nothing, man."  Hmmm -- the young man to our left may have given us a huge clue.  He holds his cards up and out, like he'll fold any second.

"Are you going to call?"  asks the other man.

"I'm thinking about it," we answer -- and we mean it.  Our concern is that he has a 9 for a winning three of a kind.  After a moment, we decide.

"I'm going to fold."

So does the young man who acted like he would.  The pot-winner then turns over pocket Jacks!  We don't show our cards, but we guessed wrong and lost a big gain.

We tried again a few minutes later with A-K, and a man forced us all-in on the flop.  But he also had A-K, so we gained some chips back.  Then J-10 turned into top two pair on the river, and we were back above the starting level at 7,350.

But after the one-hour break, our attempts to get in small with semi-promising hands were beaten down by large pre-flop raises.  We finally went all-in again with A-7, and were happy to see an Ace on the flop.  But an 8 on the river gave a man with A-8 two pair, and turned our happiness into disappointment.  We left in a lowly 18th place.

MINISTRY MOMENT: "Happy Election Eve, everybody," we said when it was our turn to shuffle and deal the cards.

"Who do you want to win?" a man to our left asked.

"I'm not even registered to vote," we answered.

The man took that as a dodge of his question.  "Who do you want to win?"

"I gave my vote to a higher authority a long time ago," we explained.  "I'm letting God put the right people in office, because He's a lot wiser than I am."

Surprised?  We belong to a church association which preaches not getting involved in the politics of this world.  Even though we know a longtime member of our congregation who's told us of plans to vote, the official "party line" of our denomination is against it.  Why?

Then Daniel praised the God of heaven and said: "Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his.  He changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them.  He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning." - Daniel 2:19-21

For years we understood this to mean God decides the rulers who are in authority -- whether they be kings, queens, the U.S. President or even your boss in the workplace.  But our pastor has changed that explanation since Barack Obama became President.  He's indicated God steps aside and lets the U.S. population have what it wants and deserves.  (The pastor has left little doubt he's pro-Republican.)

The thinking behind this goes all the way back to the first king of Israel....

So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah.  They said to him, "You are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways; now appoint a king to lead us such as all the other nations have...." And the Lord told him: "Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king." - I Samuel 8:4-7

Believe it or not, God didn't really want a "republic" or a "democracy" government.  He wanted to rule the people through prophets He appointed.  Admittedly, changing to that method today would cause all sorts of problems -- because all sorts of people claim to be "prophets" of God, sometimes teaching different things.

If you'd like to look further into this, review the magazine article we've been using for Bible study in this election season.  In the meantime, we leave you with this U.S. election riddle -- which stumped the Tournament Director when we asked it tonight:

Q.  What is the Republican Party's favorite book of the Bible in this election?

A. Deuter-Romney!

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 124 final tables in 360 nights (34.4%) - 19 cashes.

Water Works II

Let's go back to a recent online poker game, where Jesus and "the river" came together in conversation.  We found ourselves simply tagging along, as others dominated the discussion....

CoolMedic:  PTL
Me:  Of course.
Studmaster8:  I love him too but
Dealer:  PokerGodx wins Main Pot ($1465) with One pair, sevens
Studmaster8:  this aint the proper
Studmaster8:  forum

There are some people who think the only proper forum for discussing religious matters is in a house of worship, such as a church building.  But that's not how the first-century church looked at it....

While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distresses to see that the city was dull of idols.  So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. - Acts 17:16-17

You might say Paul was a "street preacher".  But open talk about the Christian walk is not for ministers only:

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. - Hebrews 10:24

It's part of the commission Jesus gave....

He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation." - Mark 16:15

The poker chat moves on:

Studmaster8:  ice cool
CoolMedic:  lol
Studmaster8:  better than being
Studmaster8:  luke war
Studmaster8:  m

That's a Biblical reference as well, aimed at church members by Jesus....

I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot.  I wish you were either one or the other!  So, because you are lukewarm - neither cold nor hot - I am about to spit you out of my mouth. - Revelation 3:15-16

Some poker games have "straddles," but Jesus doesn't want that in His children.  Either live an "all in" Christian walk or don't:

No servant can serve two masters.  Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve both God and Money. - Luke 16:13

As best we recall, we won a pot at that point by going all-in with King-high and making a pair.  That inspired more Christ-centered thinking and chatting....

Studmaster8:  That K came from
Studmaster8:  the river of living
Studmaster8:  waters
CoolMedic:  I hear theres a King there too
Studmaster8:  KofK

Jesus refers to this "river" in John 7, but its fulfillment will come at the end of the Biblical story:

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city.  On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month.  And the leaves of the tree are for the hearing of the nations. - Revelation 22:1-2

This is a vision of the "New Jerusalem" which will come down from heaven (Revelation 21:2), after Jesus returns to rule this present world for 1,000 years.  It's a city where God's people "will reign for ever and ever" (22:5).  We don't know for sure if poker will be played there -- but doesn't the offer of eternal life make you interested in drawing close to "the King of Kings" now?

Poker Night 331: Tilt Talk or Trash Talk?

That's funny -- the calendar doesn't show it's Thanksgiving week.  But for some reason, Lil Kim's Cove moved its weekly poker night to Tuesday this week.  With no game on Thursday, we drove to Soho Bar and Grill for Wednesday night action.  Well, such as it was....

BLINDS: 200/400

IN THE POCKET: J-4

The good cards have been few and far between for us.  Pocket 8's on the opening hand cost us 1,500 chips, when four cards for a straight appeared and a man to our right bet 2,000.  (We were wise to fold, as he later admitted having a winning two pair.)  Now we're in the Big Blind, starting this hand with 4,200 chips.  We're prepared to fold this to a raise, but no one raises.  "I'm very happy to check," we tell the dealer.

ON THE FLOP: 2-5-2

Three cards which don't seem able to help anybody.  We check.  The entire table checks.

ON THE TURN: J

This card, however, is another matter.  We now have two pair.  The play checks to us, and we offer 500.  One player calls, others fold -- and then the man behind the dealer throws out three gold chips.  It's a raise to 15,000.

"He only did 500," a man to our left objects.

"I don't care," says the raiser.  "I'm on tilt.  He bet 5,000 pre-flop...." referring to another man at the table who won the previous hand.

Hmmmm -- if he's really on tilt, this could be nothing more than a "go-away" bet.  We decide he does not have three of a kind; he would have thrown in chips at that right away.  We conclude he has nothing, and is playing scare tactics.

"All I have is 3,300," we say after a quick count.  "I'm all-in."  Other players in the hand fold.

ON THE RIVER: 3

It doesn't help us, and we really doubt it helped him.

"You got a Jack?" our opponent asks.  Yes, we do.

"With an Ace?"  Well, no -- and that's the problem.  Our kicker card is the 5 on the board.  He shows J-8 -- good enough to win the pot and send us packing.  We're seventh at a table of eight, which is our worst finish in a live tournament since late April.

MINISTRY MOMENT: Earlier in the game, that same man made a big bet on the flop with a King on the board.

"I've gotta do it," he explained.  "I've got a King."

Our cards were something on the order of Q-8.  "Well, I have a king," we said when our turn came.  "But His name is Jesus.  He's not here (pointing to our cards), so I'll fold."

Is Jesus your King -- even if you live in a country with no royal family, like the U.S.?  There's a song about that title in an unlikely part of the Bible:

"Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty.  Just and true are your ways, King of the ages." - Revelation 15:3b

Some translations have the word "nations" instead of "ages."  But in any case, the Bible indicates God sits on a throne in heaven -- but a King appointed by God soon will descend from there to Earth.

I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True.... On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. - Revelation 19:11, 16

Verse 15 of this chapter warns Jesus will "strike down the nations" when He comes back to Earth.  We think it's far better to make the Lord your King now, than to face that strike later.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 117 final tables in 331 nights (35.3%) - 19 cashes.

NATIONAL LEAGUE OF POKER TOTAL: Full tournaments - 248 point wins in 1,040 games (23.8%), 78 final tables, 7 cashes plus 3 other wins.  No-River Hold 'em - 7 point wins in 37 games (18.9%), 6 final tables, 1 win.

The No-River version has been kinder to us lately; we finished eighth out of 94 players in a tournament last Friday.

POKER STARS.NET TOTAL: Pretend cash games - $82,987, up $2,265.

Poker Night 307: Don't Push Me

A poker game can be a bit like "day trading" in the stock market.  As one player at our Lil Kim's Cove table pointed out tonight, a big bet can bring a big reward -- or it could leave you with no chips at all.  We faced that fact not once, but several times....

BLINDS: 25/50

IN THE POCKET: J-9 of diamonds

We won the first hand of the night, but then a lost couple with modest betting.  Now we're in the big blind, with no raising ahead of us.  We check and hope.

ON THE FLOP: 3s-7d-3d

It's a flush draw, and we check when our turn comes.  A man to the left offers 100 at the pot.  A man to the right raises to 300.  We're willing to try a moderate chase, so we call.  Four players are still in the hand.

ON THE TURN: Ad

Thank you very much!  We have a flush -- but are those other men betting because they have better cards?  We check again and let them go at it first.  The player to the left throws in 200.  The player to the right raises to 500.  It's tempting to jump over both of them with a big bet, but we decide to be sneaky and call.  Four players remain in.

ON THE RIVER: 4d

Welllll.... that wasn't exactly what we wanted to see.  Four diamonds showing could mean someone with only one high diamond could top us.  So we decide to come out of hiding, betting 500 right off the bat.  A man to our immediate left, who's been doing the same thing we're doing, calls.

But the bettor to the left is next in line, and doesn't slow down: "800 more."  That brings a fold from the raiser to our right -- and a big decision from us.  Only two cards can beat ours.

"I'm going to assume you hit it," we finally say -- and we fold.  The man who called earlier does so again.  Sure enough, they both have diamonds -- but they have the 8 and 10!!  The man at the immediate left takes the pot, and we wind up folding a big winner.

Looking back, we showed the table another example of why some players consider us a pushover.  Given a critical moment, we tend to play it safe.  But we didn't a few minutes later, when A-8 of clubs brought a "nut flush" on the flop.  A man with two pair confidently bet 2,500, only to see us go all in for 3,900 more.  He called suspecting what we had -- but his hopes for a full house missed.

A couple of pushes worked for us in the second hour, but other chances fell short.  We reached the third hour of play and went all-in with K-J and 15,000 chips left -- but the board didn't pair for us, while a man with a huge stack caught a 3 to make a pair.

It was a good run, but we barely missed the final table again.  We finished tenth -- only one spot better than earlier in the day, when we were 11th in an online tournament.  Except the online game had 577 players; Lil Kim's Cove may have had 30-35.

MINISTRY MOMENT: The man who eventually took us out wore a small metal sword on his shirt.  It reminded us of a cable TV commercial, where a man wields a large sword and boasts about watching Season 1 of the series Game of Thrones.


"Do you watch Game of Thrones?" we asked him.

"No," he answered, "but I play God of War.  Do you play God of War?"

Online poker is about as far as we wade, when it comes to video games.  "No," we said.  "I know a God of war, but I don't play it."

Then we turned to the man at our left and added quietly: "When Jesus comes back, He's going to be a God of war."

That man seemed to nod in agreement.  But if you're used to Jesus being called the "Prince of Peace," you might find that surprising.  Let's check the Bible on this:

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.  And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. - Isaiah 9:6

This prophecy about Jesus Christ is associated normally with December, thanks to a section of Handel's Messiah.  But Jesus doesn't really control a "government" now.  That's still ahead, when He comes again -- and look at what will happen then....

I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war.... On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. - Revelation 19:11-16

Read that entire section of Revelation, and you'll find Someone named "the Word of God" is coming down with "armies of heaven."  Yes, the "Prince of Peace" will come as a tough guy - a conquering King who will "strike down the nations," then "rule them with an iron scepter."

Would you want to face such an onslaught when Jesus returns, whenever that is?  Or do you think it's better to make peace with the Prince of Peace now, and stand on the Lord's side?

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 108 final tables in 307 nights (35.2%) - 17 cashes.

We've now missed 11 in a row.  But in that stretch, we've finished in tenth place twice and 11th place three times - only one or two spots away.

NATIONAL LEAGUE OF POKER TOTAL: Full tournaments - 215 point wins in 895 games (24.0%), 71 final tables, 7 cashes plus 1 other win.  No-River Hold 'em - 5 point wins in 19 games (26.3%), 4 final tables, 1 win.

The Senior Qualifier we won earlier this week didn't pay any money; only the monthly championship does.  So we've had an "other win" to our scoreboard, awkward though it seems.

POKER STARS.NET TOTAL: Pretend cash games - $77,067, up $2,278.

Words of a "LoSer"

"I am number 1," declared someone we met at a National League of Poker tournament the other day.

"At this table. At this moment," we wrote in response. When someone writes that comment out of the blue, you expect a lively discussion to follow -- and we quickly steered it in a moral direction.

LoSerUr2: i am king
LoSerUr2: bow to ur king
Me: No. Jesus is my King.
LoSerUr2: drop roses at me feet as i walk by
LoSerUr2: well im your king then
We live in the U.S., so we admittedly didn't even pay that much attention to the royal wedding in London earlier this year. (We learned while writing this the phrase "We have no king but Jesus" apparently was NOT a creation of the American Revolution.) But to be fair, it's not wrong to honor royalty in countries which have it....

Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king. - I Peter 2:17

But as you do, keep in mind who the Ultimate King really is.

....the song of the Lamb: "Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the ages. - Revelation 15:3

Our opponent didn't stop there - firing back as some poker players naturally would, during this Sunday afternoon tournament.

LoSerUr2: if jesus is ur king
LoSerUr2: how come ur not at church
LoSerUr2: shame shame shame
Dealer: phasma wins Main Pot ($1525) with Two pair, tens and eights
LoSerUr2: you playing poker for money instead
LoSerUr2: your king will be so proud of u
LoSerUr2: muhahahaha
Me: I attend church on the Seventh-Day Sabbath.
Me: As in Saturday.
This has been our practice for many years - in part because the Bible indicates that's what Jesus practiced.

He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. - Luke 4:16

Why would this be Christ's custom? Because He was Jewish (John 4:9) -- and He went to a place where God traditionally was worshiped. (Jesus probably would say the people there didn't really worship God, or they would have accepted Him as Messiah.)

There's more to this discussion; you'll see it in our next post.

Poker Night 228: House of Representatives

If our title makes you think we're going to talk about online gambling legislation -- sorry, that's another topic. We're talking about what happens when a poker room is filled with bluffers. Tonight at Lil Kim's Cove, we "sorta kinda" became one of them.

BLINDS: 100/200

IN THE POCKET: 8 of spades-7 of clubs

We're in the small blind with about 7,200 chips -- slightly above where we started, thanks to an early pot win with two pair. No one raises, so we call and give this a try. About half the table is in.

ON THE FLOP: 5s-3c-Kc

We have three clubs and little else. We check, as does everyone else.

ON THE TURN: 8c

We now have a pair -- but perhaps more importantly, three clubs are showing. We lead out 300, to feel what our opponents have. A man to our immediate left ponders for a moment, then calls. The others fold.

ON THE RIVER: 6h

No flush for us, but still "second pair to the board" as they say on TV. So we can represent a flush -- and we bet 400 to make our opponent wonder. The man to our left goes into the tank. After about 20 seconds, he reluctantly folds.

We never showed what we had, nor did he. But if he had a flush, we imagine he would have called or raised.

That small gain was followed by a large loss, and we had 6,000 chips left at the one-hour. Then with 4,500 left, we were dealt A-Q -- and a woman across from us pushed with a much larger stack. We felt compelled to call, and discovered she had J-J. Trouble us, all the cards came out low and her Jacks knocked another player out as well as us -- tied for fifth at our table.

MINISTRY MOMENT: We forget exactly what led to it, but a woman to our right at one point exclaimed, "Lord!"

"King of Kings and Lord of Lords," we answered. The woman laughed a bit, as if she knew what we meant -- or better put, Who we meant.

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

Who would wear a name like this? Another verse in Revelation helps explain it....

They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings -- and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers. -- Revelation 17:14

A "Lamb" is a Lord? And He has followers?? Who could this be?

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" -- John 1:29

The Bible truly can be a "connect-the-dots" book -- but we can connect Jesus to the "King of Kings, Lord of Lords" title. Have you connected with Jesus, and made Him your Lord?

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 93 final tables in 228 nights (40.8%) - 15 cashes.

NATIONAL LEAGUE OF POKER TOTAL: Full tournaments - 113 point wins in 588 games (19.2%), 43 final tables, 2 cashes.

NLOP changed its "point matrix" this week, making it easier to win points in large tournaments. We earned points Tuesday for finishing 97th out of 625 players. Before this week, that would have fallen short -- with 70 the cutoff for games with 600-699 players.

POKER STARS.NET TOTAL: Pretend cash games - $38,807, up $2,270.

Trash or Treasure

"Trash-talk" has become commonplace in the sports world -- and we even hear it sometimes at local poker tournaments. A few online players can take it to outlandish extremes. Here's one recent example at National League of Poker:

SALGUNDY: i am your king
SALGUNDY: u my servants
Sal was talking about defeating the entire table, as if his "day job" is in professional wrestling. But we felt compelled to speak up, and gained some support:

Me: No. Jesus is my king. :-)
teindaddy02: amen to that
SALGUNDY: jesus is a mexican name
Me: OK, I'll be more specific.
Dealer: _EMELY_ wins Main Pot ($1400) with Two pair, kings and fives
teindaddy02: sal u are a dumb***
Me: Not Jesus Alou (former baseball player).....
Me: but Jesus Christ.
SALGUNDY: oh
SALGUNDY: oh
SALGUNDY: ohhhhhhhhhh
Jesus Alou actually was born in the Dominican Republic, but that's not our point. Our point is that the other Jesus is a King, and believers are to be His subjects -- now and for eternity:

I charge you to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which God will bring about in his own time -- God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of Kings and Lord of lords.... -- I Timothy 6:13-15

The next part of the chat went like this, as our supporter went all-in to be eliminated:

teindaddy02: im out of here i dont want to hear this idiot....
teindaddy02: flop gl buddy
SALGUNDY: buy
SALGUNDY: buy
Me: Take care - and go with God. :-)
SALGUNDY: buy daddy
SALGUNDY: buy dad
teindaddy02: always no other way to go

As a radio minister of years gone by liked to say, "Walk with the King today and be a blessing!" An Old Testament prophet recommended that as well....

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

Notice that -- to walk humbly? We don't think that means bragging or trash-talking at the table. Unless, perhaps, you're giving God the glory.

Poker Night 173: A Walk in the Dark

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me...."

Those words from Psalm 23:4 could have applied to a hand we played at The Red Barn tonight. Well, OK -- it wasn't quite life-and-death. But it was fraught with danger....

BLINDS: 100/200

IN THE POCKET: K of clubs - K of hearts

We're in the big blind, with a potentially big hand. When no one raises ahead of us, we're tempted to make a move -- but decide to hide out and check.

ON THE FLOP: 2-10-8 (don't recall exact suits)

We have the "over pair" -- and since the small blind folded, it's time to move. We bet 500, and several players check.

ON THE TURN: K of spades

At this point, two clubs and two spades are on the board. People could be sitting on a flush draw, but we don't want them to be comfortable about it. We bet 500 again, and succeed in chasing away a couple of players; two others remain.

ON THE RIVER: 10 of spades

There's a potential third spade for someone -- but something even better for us. Now we feel confident betting 1,100, hoping to maximize our profits. One player calls, while the other folds.

"I made a full house," we announce -- and no one can top it. Our stack more than doubles, from the 4,800 range to about 10,000.

A big-betting bluffer cost us much of that gain on the very next hand -- but later pocket Queens brought another gain. Yet after the one-hour break, a man raised 5,000 in front of us as we held A-Q. We felt no choice but to go all-in -- only to find our opponent had A-K. No Queen came on the board, and we were gone in about 31st place. (The crowd was inflated at The Red Barn by the fact that two other Monday night poker spots in the area were closed.)

MINISTRY MOMENT: As that last hand came out, the flop was 2-4-5. We noted a 3 could bring a straight, and a split of the pot.

"A Queen is your savior," a man watching the action said after the turn card was an 8. The river was a 5, pairing the board.

"Jesus is my Savior," we said to the man, loud enough for the entire table to hear. He laughed, and admitted the Queen did not come to rescue us.

We got up from the table to see something startling on ESPN News. "Bob Probert died?!" we said. Indeed he had -- and the man who talked about that queen knew all about his life story, as a big Detroit Red Wings hockey fan.

"So he needed Jesus as His Savior," we eventually said. "Is Jesus your Savior?" The man nodded his head in agreement. Good for him; we hope that's also true for you.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 71 final tables in 173 nights (41.0%) - 13 cashes.

Poker Night 164: The Hole Thing

On Monday night we had pocket Queens, which turned into crushed quads. (Yeah, that still stings.) Tonight at Lil Kim's Cove, there was an opportunity for things to balance out....

BLINDS: 200/400

IN THE POCKET: K-K

We're in the small blind. The one-hour break is near, and we've won a couple of small pots. But a man across the table loves to bet big with almost anything. He goes all-in before the flop for perhaps the fourth time in the game, for a total of 6,450. A woman to our right dares to call him. Then we look at our cards, and actually ponder this a moment. Could one of these two be hiding pocket Aces?

"All I have is 5,250," we declare -- and we choose to go all in ourselves. We think the man is bluffing. The woman concerns us more.

"On the eve of National Donut Day, I have Krispy Kremes," we say showing our Kings. Our read turns out to be right: the man only has Jack high, while the woman for some reason called with 6-7. (She probably smelled a bluff as well.)

ON THE FLOP: 9-5-3 (suits don't matter)

We're focused on looking for pairs our opponents might have. What we don't see here is the woman gaining a "gutshot" straight draw.

ON THE TURN: Q

Good. No one even has an Ace. If we can avoid one more bullet....

ON THE RIVER: 8

Noooooooo! We may have had the donuts, but the woman filled the hole in her straight. She takes two players out of the game, and we wind up about 35th. We had the right read, but she had the perfect river.

MINISTRY MOMENT: "You're acting like a pit bull over there," a woman to our left said as the big-betting man built a huge stack of chips early. "You're going to be taken out by a chihuahua."

The dog talk continued minutes later, with the same woman saying she wouldn't mind to a "shepherd" taking the man out.

"I'll tell you what," we said as we prepared to deal. "The Lord is my Shepherd."

"All the time! All the time!" the woman to our left agreed. No one else commented.

Does our comment look familiar? It's from perhaps the most famous psalm in the Bible - Psalm 23:1. Jesus added later: "I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep" (John 10:11).

Are you one of those sheep? Jesus wants you to be, because He gave His life to redeem you from the death penalty for sin. If you want to know more about it, e-mail us -- we'll be glad to help.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 66 final tables in 164 nights (40.2%) - 11 cashes.

NATIONAL LEAGUE OF POKER TOTAL: One-table sit-n-goes - 4-8-3-2-0. Full tournaments - 45 point wins in 260 games (17.3%), 20 final tables, 1 cash. Heads-Up - 9-7.

POKER STARS.NET TOTAL: Pretend cash games - $11,438, down $125.

Poker Night 156: Portland Pilot

Some poker hands have traditional slang names, such as "rockets" for A-A. We've created a few nicknames of our own, which might puzzle opponents if we mentioned them at the table (or maybe even throw them off the track). Take one hand we were dealt at Lil Kim's Cove tonight....

BLINDS: 200/400

IN THE POCKET: K-2 of hearts

We call this hand "Portland," after a TV station in that Oregon city. It's the last hand before the one-hour break, and normally we might be inclined to dump it. But before the tournament began, the director decided to throw in a twist.

"If you win a hand with King-deuce," he announced, "you get 5,000 bonus chips." A player at another table already has earned the K-2 bonus -- and now we've been dealt it! So we call and hope. Good sign #1: no one raises. Only four players are in the hand.

ON THE FLOP: K-7-8 (no hearts)

Good sign #2: top pair! But you have to play a bonus hand to the river to claim the prize, so we check. Good sign #3: the entire table checks.

ON THE TURN: 5

We check again. Good sign #4: no one bets again.

ON THE RIVER: 3

With the river card showing, the bonus is ours if we win the hand. So still holding top pair, we bet 600. Only one player calls.

"Jackpot!" we announce, showing our K-2 -- and indeed it's a winner! The pot plus the bonus give us 16,000 chips at the break.

We won one hand after the break, but didn't gain many favorable cards the rest of the evening. We held on to have 10,000 chips at the two-hour mark, then went all-in with A-K right after the break. But K-J landed on the board, and another player had them to make two pair. We settled for the semifinal table again, finishing 13th.

MINISTRY MOMENT: In a moment of exasperation late in the tournament, a young woman at our table declared, "Jesus Christ!"

"He's my hope of salvation."

"What?!"

"He's my hope of salvation," we repeated for the woman. "Since you mentioned Him."

The young woman smiled. She knows we like to bring up matters of faith at the table. And we're ready with one-liner responses, when people around us mention the Savior's name in something less than an honorable way.

So is Jesus your hope of salvation? The apostle Peter declared at a major conference long ago, "We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved...." (Acts 15:11) We say nothing else will do. Agree or disagree?

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 60 final tables in 156 nights (38.5%) - 11 cashes.

Now this is a serious slump: one final table in the last 13.

NATIONAL LEAGUE OF POKER TOTAL: Heads-up games: 6-6. Full tournaments -- 34 point wins in 218 games (15.6%), 14 final tables, no cashes.

POKER STARS.NET TOTAL: One-table tournaments - two wins in 11 games. Pretend cash games: $12,973, up $430.