Prophets of Profits

We told you a few days ago about Frankie Flowers - the operator of a non-profit organization in New York who did well in the World Series of Poker Main Event. He made the money, which is good. But he's now out of the running, finishing in 424th place.

Courtesy WSOP.com

Flowers earned close to $30,000. Trouble is, he talked about making much more than that. WSOP.com posted he was "prophecizing" at the Main Event about making a million dollars or more at the final table. We'll forgive the writer for not knowing the proper way to write that big word. Flowers actually may have been prophecying. Or, in street slang, he simply may have been "trash talking."

Yet some religious people have the idea that "faith talk" can lead to success - whether it be a lot of money, a spouse or something else. Where do they get that? From Bible verses such as....

Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion.... - II Corinthians 9:10-11

Claim that as a "faith promise," some people suggest, and the "God from whom all blessings flow" (to borrow from a famous church song) will pour them out on you.

We've admittedly seen God do that in our life - but there's a problem with that suggestion. It doesn't happen every time. The Bible nowhere shows that the first apostles died as tycoons or millionaires. In fact, the apostle who wrote the verses above wound up dying in a prison dungeon:

...This is my gospel, for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God's word is not chained. - II Timothy 2:8-9

You may win a lot of money playing poker. You may go bust a lot. Yet through good times and bad, the best thing to do is what Paul did. He kept his focus on God:

But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. - I Timothy 6:6-8

Instead of talking big, the model prayer of Jesus recommended a small request....

Give us this day our daily bread. - Matthew 6:11

Can you be content with that? The Bible indicates you should. Be thankful for whatever blessing God gives, even if it seems small. If you do, something great could come in the long run.

Poker Night 542: What's Your Sign?

We asked God in prayer during the day if we should play poker tonight at Jack Casino, or do something else. Then during the day, something happened that.... well, let's jump to the moment in the tournament where we were able to share it with everyone:

BLINDS: 1,500/3,000

IN THE POCKET: 8-8

It's been a big night for us, in terms of hitting big hands. Pocket Aces in the Big Blind led to one win. We hit full houses at least twice, with one of them gaining 7,000 chips on the river. With little trouble, we made it to the final table with about 52,700 chips!

Now nine players remain, with six officially getting money. We have about 51,100 chips. And when we see this pocket pair in second position, we smile - then slow-play them by calling. The man sitting next to us then goes all-in. The rest of the table folds.

"There's a story behind my decision," we then explain.

"Is it a long story?" a man out of the hand asks.

"I'll keep it short. I was looking for a sign about whether I should play here tonight. And then at work, I saw a number pass my desk - LOTS of this number. So...."

"Was it A-K?" people around the table ask. "Sixes?"

"So I'm calling.... with eights."

"Then I feel better," the man who pushed says. He turns over.... pocket 10's. This is an expensive play for us; it's 29,900 to call.

ON THE FLOP: 2-4-7

Not looking good here. We need a third 8 - but we've made full houses on the turn and river already tonight.

ON THE TURN: 5

OK - now a 6 could rescue us with a straight.

"Did you have some sort of premonition about this?" a scoffer asks. "Did you see snowmen?"

ON THE RIVER: 4

The 10's win, and we take a crippling loss. But we've put the table in an uproar, by explaining we considered all those eights we saw at work a sign from God. More on that in a moment.

Back at the tournament, we were left with about 18,000 chips. We feared we might miss the money again. But then other players with much more pushed - only to be eliminated. Within minutes, only seven players were left!

The group then agreed to pay the "bubble boy" - a poker phrase for the player who misses the prize pool by one spot. We join the other six men in contributing $10 cash. As it happens, we were in the Big Blind - and saw A-Q!

"No story. Just pushing," we said. Our last 16,200 went in. The man who beat us minutes earlier called us again - and was pained to see our cards, because he had A-J.

"Did you see anything with the name Jack in it today?" he asked. We couldn't think of anything. But the flop brought a Jack, to give him a winning pair. We finished in seventh place, out of 37 entries.

Someone paid one dollar too little to the "bubble boy" fund, so we wound up with $69. That didn't cover our $80 buy-in - but we're calling it a "cash", anyway. We're thankful to God for little wins. And you know.... that "sign of the eights" may have been right after all.

MINISTRY MOMENT: "You mean God told you to play poker?!?!" one man across the table exclaimed as we told our story.

"God doesn't care about a poker game," said another.

"But God made the greatest gamble of all, by sending His Son," we responded. "How'd that turn out?"

Only one man wanted to comment on that. "They rolled dice for His clothes." And that's true....

When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares.... "Let's not tear it," they said to one another. "Let's decide by lot who will get it." This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled which said: "They divided my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing," So this is what the soldiers did. - John 19:23-24

Some Bible translations openly call this "gambling" - but did you notice it fulfilled a prophecy about Jesus? That moment was predicted in Psalm 22:18!

But our point was more about how the first coming of Jesus to Earth actually had a happy ending, beyond the crucifixion. Well, "had" and "will have"....

We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.... And so we will be with the Lord forever. - I Thessalonians 4:14, 17

Your Bible says Jesus Christ will come again, to resurrect believers and give them eternal life. This won't be a gamble - it will be guaranteed. Are you ready for that moment, whenever it might come?

(As for numbers and signs - we'll dig deeper into that in a future post.)

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 199 final tables in 542 games (36.7%) - 41 cashes. Tonight was our second cash of 2018. And our remarkable final table run in our new area is now seven out of nine!

Poker Night 520: Ladies' Night

They were playing Omaha Hi-Lo at Five-Star Billiards tonight. Well, sort of. The Kansas Jayhawks did - and it wasn't poker. College basketball was on one of the TV screens. It wasn't much of a game. We wanted ours to be every bit as successful, but we knew it would be more competitive....

BLINDS: 100/200

IN THE POCKET: Q-Q

We started the night with a 1,000-chip disadvantage. Everyone in WPT League receives 10,000, but "platinum" members (including everyone else at our table) get an extra 1,000 before the first hand. But we made up for that on the first hand - dealing ourselves A-J which won a nice pot when the Ace paired. That also earned us a "bounty chip," worth 5,000 only if we reach the final table.

Now it's hand two, and we have potentially better cards. No one raises at the table of eight, so we do - to 700. Three men across from us call.

ON THE FLOP: A-J-J

"Where's your Ace-Jack now?" a scoffer out of the hand asks us. Admittedly, that would look brilliant. But as it stands, this flop is quite discomforting. Our opponents could have an Ace for a higher two pair, or a Jack for three of a kind.

The Big Blind doesn't wait on us, betting 500.  The other two men call. "I can bet 500," we say - and do.

ON THE TURN: Q

Ahhhh - now that's better! We have a full house. And for unknown reasons, the men across from us slow down and check. No thank you - we bet 1,000. The Big Blind folds, while a man in a wheelchair calls. We're now heads-up, and feeling very good.

ON THE RIVER: 6

A non-essential. Our opponent checks. We look for the right amount to bet for a maximum payoff.

"1,300," we decide. "Nice round number." Good decision, as he calls.

"I've got the ladies," we declare. The opponent folds showing a bit of disgust, but not his cards. We gain more than 5,000 chips, plus a 5,000-chip on-the-spot bonus for the highest hand so far.

That was a big two-hand start - but wins were hard to come by after that. Pocket Jacks gained a pot when we raised pre-flop, and no one called. Then we hit it big with A-J, which topped three players with two pair on the board and took a man out of the game.

Our chip stack at one point reaches about 27,000, and stood at 20,900 at the one-hour break. Then promising cards, as the blinds kept climbing. We survived to the semifinal table, winning an all-in bet with A-9 when a 9 came on the river.

But with nine players left, we felt compelled to push in our last 8,000 with A-8. A man to our left called.... and this time, he had the pocket Queens. They turned into quad Queens on the river, and we were through. Our best showing in WPT League in more than a month still missed the final table by one - and the bounty went elsewhere.

MINISTRY MOMENT: "You've got to put some faith in the dealer," the man who eliminated us said at one point. He was dealing the cards, of course.

But no, we couldn't agree. "I put my faith in God," we said.

We think he acknowledged that with a gesture, but said nothing more. We'd ask you: where is your faith these days - as in where you put it?

....If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all. - Isaiah 7:9b

God offered these words through the prophet Isaiah when two kings (including the king of Israel) threatened to conquer Judah's capital, Jerusalem (verse 1). The Lord dared Judah's king to ask for a sign. King Ahaz declined to do so (verses 10-12) - and that led to this famous verse:

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. - Isaiah 7:14

Many churches cite that verse at this time of year, as a prediction of Jesus's birth to Mary. The New Testament shows that prediction came true. But have you considered the story behind that sign?

Our NIV Study Bible notes Jesus may have been the second fulfillment of that prophecy. The first one may have occurred during Isaiah's time....

Then I went to the prophetess, and she conceived and gave birth to a son. And the Lord said to me, "Name him Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz." - Isaiah 8:3

Perhaps this is why some Jews do not consider Jesus the Messiah. That long name means, "Quick to the plunder; swift to the spoil." Jesus was anything but that when He walked on Earth. But Isaiah later adds....

After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied.... Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. - Isaiah 53:11-12

These verses indicate because Jesus sacrificed His life to redeem us from our sins, He will be rewarded greatly. We think that will happen in the ultimate sense when Jesus returns. If you've been thinking about the Lord's first coming, do you have faith to believe there will be a second?

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 188 final tables in 520 games (36.2%) - 38 cashes.

The Wait Is (Almost) Over

It must have been nice to be in the "November Nine" - but also a little thought-provoking as well.

For ten years, the World Series of Poker's Main Event stopped when the final table of nine players was reached. After weeks of play in July, the top contestants had to wait until late October or early November to play the dramatic final hands on ESPN.

But not this year. There's word from Las Vegas today that the final table will be played in mid-July, with only a two-day break. ESPN will be "almost-live" for 40 hours during the Main Event (casino rules require a 30-minute delay, to guard against cheating).

On the one hand, more "live" coverage could be good for poker. On the other hand, the storytelling format of weekly ESPN hours will be missed - not to mention the extra time Norman Chad has to work on his jokes.

But put yourself in a Niner's chair. Would you want to wait four months to claim your million-dollar-plus payoff? Could you be that patient?

We actually know some people who have been waiting even longer for a "payday." They're described in the last book of the Bible:

When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who have been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice, "How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge their blood?" - Revelation 6:9-10

This view is "almost-live" as well. The apostle John saw this amazing sight in a vision (Revelation 9:17) - but people have been "slain because of the word of God" for thousands of years. Jesus even took it back to the dawn of recorded time....

Therefore this generation will be held responsible for the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the beginning of the world, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah.... - Luke 11:50-51

Jesus even considered the son of Adam a prophet! We'll let you think about that one - but more to our point, Abel and all succeeding him have been waiting a long time for God's judgment and vengeance. What was the Lord's response to their plea?

Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as hey had been was completed. - Revelation 6:11

Those martyrs of the faith must "wait a little longer." How much longer? We don't know. And since they're waiting in the grave, they're not counting the days anyway (Ecclesiastes 9:5). But their hope was, and ours is, in a resurrection....

Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed - in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. - I Corinthians 15:51-52

The believer has faith that the wait will be worth it - with a change to a new immortal body when Jesus Christ returns. It makes two days in Las Vegas (or even four months in your hometown) seem short by comparison. But the payoff in eternal life will be far superior.

A Read You Can Trust

"I grew up in a super-religious family," the man sitting to our left at a poker tournament said. "But I've always wondered how you can tell a story over thousands of years, and not have some changes in it."

This man was expressing skepticism about the Bible. How could today's translations be anywhere near the same as what was originally written in the years "B.C.", or before Christ? After all, poker players often stretch the truth or forget key details of their greatest victories or bad beats.

We could try answering that skepticism with the Bible's own words....

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.... - II Timothy 3:16

For the believer in God, this is accepted as truth. But for the skeptic, it can seem like a boast any delusional street-corner preacher might make about himself.

We could try pointing to fulfilled prophecies....

Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in the was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. - I Peter 1:10-11

Believers can list many Old Testament prophecies which were lived out by Jesus Christ. But skeptics can point to prophecies still not fulfilled....

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

We tried to point the poker player next to us toward the Dead Sea Scrolls. They were discovered in the mid-20th century, and include more than 200 "Biblical texts" which show little change over a 1,000-year period compared with other Biblical scrolls.

Other ancient writings, such as those of Aristotle and Confucius, don't face the same doubts and skepticism that Biblical writings do. Perhaps that's because not as much rides on those writings - while the Bible challenges readers to accept that there is a God, and we should obey Him.

He [Jesus] replied, "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it." - Luke 11:28

Are you a Biblical skeptic? Or are you concerned about what you might have to do, should you find the Bible really is accurate?

The First Trump - and the Last

As a new U.S. President prepares to take office, the speculation keeps swirling about what his policies might be - even when it comes to poker.

One website has been "fair and balanced" in recent days by offering two views of what Donald Trump might do to online poker. Optimists point out he wanted to invest in online gambling five years ago. Pessimists say Congressional leaders will block any effort to legalize it.

Overriding all that, however, is the outright fear many U.S. residents are expressing about a Trump administration. While they may not be loading moving trucks and buying Canadian road maps, they're concerned the next President will end a lot of what they consider "American values."

A few "religious" folks even think Trump will fulfill Bible prophecies (if he hasn't done it already). And maybe we're beating all the religious scholars with this discovery....

Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump.... - I Corinthians 15:51-52 (KJV)

Aha - a mention of "trump" in the Bible! But hold on. Let's be logical here, and keep reading to see who or what this "trump" is:

...for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. - I Corinthians 15:52b (KJV)

It's not a person, it's a noise-making instrument. (The Greek root word for "trump" and "trumpet" are the same.) And that "last trump" is going to bring something amazing.

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first. - I Thessalonians 4:16 (KJV)

We seriously doubt Donald Trump has ever "raised" a dead person. (If we're wrong, he'll probably let us know on Twitter.) But "the trump of God" will bring a resurrection of all those who have died in Christ!

After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to met the Lord in the air.... - I Thessalonians 4:17

The apostle Paul wrote these words to believers in a church (I Thessalonians 1:1). So church members will join the "dead in Christ" in the first resurrection, when Jesus Christ comes down from heaven. Talk about a "raise!"

But you may be wondering why there's a "last trump" at all. Does that mean there's more than one? Yes, there will be....

The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever." - Revelation 11:15

You can read about those "trumps" beginning in Revelation 8. Some frightening things are forecast to happen on this earth - but in the end, God's kingdom will prevail.

So to be honest, Donald Trump is not the "trump" we've personally been waiting for. There's another one - and no, not Ivanka or Tiffany. It's "the trump of God." Is it your hope these days?

Mr. Know-It-All

Playing cards are a vital part of any poker game.  But sometimes for certain people, they can turn into a sort of magic show.

"Nine," someone might say before a turn card comes out -- and lo and behold, it's a 9.  We don't know how they do it.  But we know of someone who lost his job for doing it the other day.  And of all places, it happened during the World Series of Poker.

Mike Sowers tells CardPlayer.com he went all in with three 9's.  With three hearts showing on the flop, the dealer said: "Sorry man, bad beat."  Then the dealer flipped over a fourth heart on the turn, giving another player a winning flush to eliminate Sowers.

What did the dealer know?  Apparently too much -- because he reportedly admitted to not shuffling the cards.  The dealer apparently wound up fired, while Sowers received a refund of his buy-in.

One question lingers from this strange story -- why didn't the players at the table notice the dealer's actions?  Didn't anyone realize he hadn't shuffled the cards?  Perhaps there's a lesson here for all of us:

This is what the Lord says: "Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the Lord." - Jeremiah 17:5

We'll focus on the first part of this verse for now.  Alert poker players always watch for people not playing by the rules or taking shortcuts.  Perhaps we should even watch supposedly "neutral" dealers in poker rooms, too.

Eventually humans will let you down because, well, they're only human.  For a better answer, we recommend....

But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. - Jeremiah 17:7

They Saw It Coming

"Nine!" a man said firmly as we dealt a turn card at a poker tournament the other night.

Sure enough -- the card was a 9.  We suggested the man "tip the dealer" if he won the pot.  He never did; in fact, we don't recall now if he won the hand or not.

Some poker players have a sense/hunch/knack of knowing when "their cards" are coming.  It's what keeps them in a hand with a "belly-buster" straight draw, or chasing after a flush when they need running diamonds.

A previous post mentioned how the Bible warns against fortune-telling -- or using spiritism to predict the future.  Yet the Bible also has cases where people forecast the future, even predicting events at the end of the age.  They're known as prophets -- and there's a difference in what they did:

For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. - II Peter 1:21

God's prophets speak under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.  And during Old Testament times, several of them foretold the coming of Jesus Christ.  Even Jesus realized that....

He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!:.... And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. - Luke 24:25, 27

If you have a "cross-reference" Bible which lists other verses in connection with one verse, we invite you to read the passages connected with verse 27.  A large number of Old Testament writings came true and were verified when Christ walked the earth.

But we need to add a disclaimer -- one Jesus warned, in a conversation with His disciples:

....And many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. - Matthew 24:11

In fact, we've mentioned a couple of them here in recent years -- people who thought the world would end in 2011 or 2012.  It's important to verify what "prophets" say, in relation to the Bible.  If their words don't match God's "holy word," put God first.  Or as one apostle put it:

....Let God be true, and every man a liar.... - Romans 3:4

Mediums Well?

Advertising is how many "free poker" sites generate income, to offer prizes to players.  But an ad we saw while playing at National League of Poker last week made us want to laugh out loud:

We couldn't resist commenting on it in the chat box:

Me: 　So NLOP is showing me
Me: 　a banner ad with a medium's
Me: 　predictions for 2012
Me: 　Really
Me: 　LOL
Dealer: 　moron wins Main Pot ($2,450) with Two pair, queens and deuces
JerMan: 　wonder if they predicted their going bankrupt?***...lol
Yes, you read that correctly -- the banner ad is offering free predictions for 2012, during a game in February 2013.  That's absurd, of course.  But then we added this:

Me: 　I don't believe in mediums
Me: 　I'm simply mild :-)
Have you ever been tempted to consult a "medium" -- or perhaps something similar, like a fortune-teller or psychic?  Perhaps you wanted to know in advance if you should enter a poker tournament, or whether you'd wind up wasting your money.

The Bible's answer is that consulting such people is a waste of time and money in itself.  Read what happened to two early apostles:

Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit by which she predicted the future.  She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling.  The girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved." - Acts 16:16-17

Was the girl shouting lies?  To be honest, no -- she was "preaching" the truth about the apostles' message of salvation through Jesus Christ.  But it still displeased the servants of God....

She kept this up for many days.  Finally Paul became so troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit, "In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!"  At that moment the spirit left her. - Acts 16:18

That action started a chain of events which led to Paul and Silas being thrown in prison (verse 23) -- and that brought a jailhouse miracle, which resulted in a jailer becoming saved (verses 29-33).

But shouldn't the apostles have shown some tolerance to a girl promoting their evangelistic campaign?  They clearly didn't, and the passage gives a clue why:

When the owners of the slave girl realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas.... - Acts 16:19

We're led to conclude the slave girl was talking about more than the apostles.  She was telling fortunes on the side to earn a small fortune for her owners -- and God's apostles wanted nothing to do with that.  It's a "spirit" Scripture warns against:

Let no one be found among you who.... practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. - Deuteronomy 18:10-11

"Divination" is defined by our dictionary as "the act of foretelling future events."  It also defines a "medium" as someone thought to have powers to communicate with dead people.

Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord....You must be blameless before the Lord your God. - Deuteronomy 18:12-13

God is Spirit (John 4:24) -- a Holy Spirit (II Corinthians 3:17-18).  The Bible shows all other spirits are unholy.  We're led to think they're rooted in Satan, the devil.

The Bible is filled with predictions about the future, of course -- and several mentioned by Old Testament prophets already have come true.  Can you name some of them?  Offer a comment with your thoughts, and we'll return to this topic in a future post.

Poker Night 368: Call Me Fiscal Cliff

The issue of the moment in Washington politics is how to avoid a so-called "fiscal cliff" at the turn of the year.  In the world of no-limit poker, dangerous cliffs and decisions can lurk around the very next turn.  We encountered a couple of them tonight at The Red Barn -- and to borrow from Abraham in Genesis 22, we hoped the Lord would provide.

BLINDS: 1,000/2,000

IN THE POCKET: J-K offsuit

We've barely taken a seat at the semifinal table.  And we're barely in the game, having won nothing since the opening hand.  More than an hour later, we have 2,000 chips - and now we're in the Big Blind, so we're forced to move all-in from the "get-go."  In fact, we don't even look at our cards until the flop is shown.  One man across from us raised 5,000 pre-flop and received callers.

ON THE FLOP: J-Q-5

Now we look - and now we have a ray of hope.  But the man across from us decides to go all-in himself.  The other player in the hand quietly folds.

"He's just acting like a tough guy," the dealer says.  As the dealer grumbles about a player bullying his way to a pot, he turns over the flop cards for the next hand.

"No, wait!" we quickly remind him.  "I'm all-in."  The dealer forgot about us!  The flop is flipped back to face-up, and the hand goes on:

ON THE TURN: 8 (may not be precise)

There's no reason to delay....

ON THE RIVER: 6 (may not be precise)

Now it's our turn to flip over cards.  "Jacks with a King," we say.

The big bettor shows a Jack of his own - but with a 3!  We escape with the main pot, and recover to 10,000 chips.

A similar break came our way at the end of the second hour.  Forced all-in again in the Small Blind, J-5 again wound up bringing a Jack on the flop.  Two other men couldn't top it, so we survived to Hour Three with the minimum 5,000 chips.

But the run ended there, as Jc-2d in the Big Blind (forced all-in once more) lost to a club flush another player made on the flop.  One more club would have saved us - but instead we barely missed the final table, finishing in tenth place.

MINISTRY MOMENT: A little bandage puzzled a couple of players at our table tonight.  They wondered what this card protector could be about.

"It reminds me God is a healer," we explained.  "He can heal our hurts."

We happened to be wearing a couple of bandages as we said that.  We tripped and fell on the sidewalk while jogging downtown in the last four days -- not once, but twice.  We have wounds on both elbows, both knees and both hands.  But the Old Testament offers these words:

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. - Isaiah 53:5

This is a prophecy about the coming of Jesus, who was punished with everything from a beating and scourging to crucifixion.  The Lord accepted it all, to pay a penalty on our behalf.  Some believers take the "wounds" part to mean they can have physical healing from God.  But it seems safe to say the focus is on spiritual healing....

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that e might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. - I Peter 2:24

Whether we live a life of perfect health or endure decades of disease, all humans are destined to die.  The only way to be "healed" of that is to be resurrected by God.

For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.... The last enemy to be destroyed is death. - I Corinthians 15:22, 26

As some ministers like to put it: God is our only hope of getting out of this life alive.  Is He your hope?

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 128 final tables in 368 nights (34.8%) - 20 cashes.  Had we reached the final table tonight, the percentage would have climbed back above 35.

Poker Night 363: Fishing Expedition

"I think you're going to make the final table tonight," a man told us before the Lil Kim's Cove tournament began.  "Along with me."

"We'll see," we said quietly.  Our confidence level was low because for the most part, the day had not gone well.  For instance, we were a first-hand bust in an online tournament while holding A-K.  We put all the games in God's hands, praying for wisdom to do better in this one....

BLINDS: 1,000/2,000

IN THE POCKET: J-J

Thanks to a soda and a 5,000-chip "on-time bonus," we started the evening with a competitive 13,000 chips.  We won a pot in the first hour, when two diamonds turned into a flush.  Then a bigger pot came our way when A-K became a winning pair of Kings.

Now two tables remain from a starting three -- but before we look at our cards, there's plenty of action.  A man across from us is ready to play dominoes, so he goes all-in for 6,500.  A man to his left does the same, with only 1,000 left.  Holding a large stack of chips and a high pocket pair, we call -- but then a man to our immediate left also goes all-in for 4,500 more.  We call that as well, sensing several players simply want to move on.

ON THE FLOP: J-3-6

Two players can still bet: the Tournament Director to our right and us.  She checks.  With three of a kind, we bet 5,000 -- and she folds.

"Jack, Jack, Jack," we say as we turn over our cards.  Memories of a similar winning hand in metro Atlanta in 2010 come back to mind.  We took out one player then.  Now no one has cards to top us, and the payoff could be bigger.

ON THE TURN: 2

The other players have far higher cards.  So this is harmless.

ON THE RIVER: 6

That gives us a full house, to win every single chip in the pot.  We knock out three players at once -- and because it's been declared a "bounty tournament," we collect a 5,000-chip bonus for each of those players!  Our "fishing trip" with a couple of "hooks" led to one of the catches of the day.

This win vaulted us to more than 74,000 chips, which filled a hat for a stroll to the final table.  Our "prophet" turned out to be accurate (and we thanked him).  The table of nine dropped to six, and then a player proposed a settlement: with $65 and a "bucket of beers" at stake, all six would win $10.  The game continued for five bucks and five beers.  "It's poor man's poker," we admitted.

Then we were dealt A-A, which led to a nice sidepot (losing the main pot to a man who hit a straight).  With only four players left in the third hour, we called with A-Q -- but a man to our left pushed, and we called him.  He had A-9, but found a 9 on the flop.  The board didn't pair for us.  But we walked home happy -- with our best finish in four weeks, and our first cash win since late June.

MINISTRY MOMENT: A couple of times when we were dealing, we announced the turn card this way: "In honor of Dr. Flakes.... Fourth Street."

The players around the table said nothing about this.  But we find it hard to believe no one understood our reference.

Lil Kim's Cove sits only one block away from Fourth Street Baptist Church, whose longtime pastor Dr. J.H. Flakes, Jr. died this week.  He was a relatively quiet voice for racial unity in our city, yet an influential one through the One Columbus organization.

Sadly, we heard more than one reference by African-American players tonight to the "N-word" - and even one disparaging comment about Hispanic people.  We don't think that's what God ultimately desires:

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness.  He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. - II Peter 3:9

Anyone of legal drinking age can walk in the door on Thursday nights and play free poker at Lil Kim's Cove -- regardless of gender, skin color or skill level.  May we all come to the point where racial remarks are buried in the realization that God made us all, and wants us all in His Kingdom:

There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. - Galatians 3:28

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 125 final tables in 363 games (34.4%) - 20 cashes.  We're declaring that leftover Diet Coke from Monday night "liberated," after tonight's cash win.

NATIONAL LEAGUE OF POKER TOTAL: Full tournaments - 272 point wins in 1,227 games (22.2%), 84 final tables, 10 wins, 10 cashes.  No-River Hold 'em - 18 point wins in 65 games (27.7%), 13 final tables, 1 cash win.

While we went one-for-two on points in the No-River game this past week, we expect the point percentage in full tournaments to keep dropping -- because we're primarily entering big-money tournaments which don't award points to runners-up.

POKER STARS.NET TOTAL: Pretend cash games - $88,054, up $1,605.

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.

Where's the Evidence? II

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Buy the Numbers?

Poker is a game where numbers can matter.  For instance, having two Aces before the flop is good.  A hand with three Aces is better.  And four Aces are awfully hard to beat.

But "trip 6's" come with a bit of a notorious reputation.  We asked in a recent post for your thoughts about 6-6-6.  Revelation 13 calls it "the number of the beast."  And at the end of this age, beasts will be dangerous characters.

Then I saw another beast, coming out of the earth.  He had two horns like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon.... Because of the signs he was given power to do on behalf of the first beast, he deceived the inhabitants of the earth.  He ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. - Revelation 13:11, 14

First of all, did you realize the Bible talks about two beasts - not merely one?  The first beast is described in the first part of the chapter.  Many religious groups believe this refers to an end-time superpower on Earth, especially in Europe.  The second one will order everyone to pay tribute to the first one....

He was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that it could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. - Revelation 13:15

The link speculates the second beast is the United States -- but really now.  When has a President ordered U.S. citizens to worship statues of the Pope, or some other European leader?  That certainly didn't happen in World War II.  And the current U.S. Presidential campaign seems to be boiling down to a non-denominational Christian against an L.D.S. member (what some call a Mormon).

We think it's better to look at 6-6-6 in terms of yet another European government.  And we agree that the number's meaning isn't as clear as some "prophetic experts" make it out to be.  We don't know who has the winning numbers in poker until the end of a hand -- and so we have to wait until the end of man's reign on Earth to know what "trip 6's" means.

So what should we do in the meantime?  We recommend the guidance given elsewhere in the New Testament:

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

That applies to wisdom about playing poker well, or living life in general.  Ask God, and trust Him to provide.

Poker Night 300: Semi-Showoff

We'll mark five years of live poker-playing in June.  But tonight's trip to The Red Barn marked our 300th live tournament -- and we went with dreams of a "perfect game," a la bowling.  In Texas Hold 'em, of course, the odds of that happening are incredibly unlikely.  So we waited for the right moments....

BLINDS: 100/200

IN THE POCKET: A-2 offsuit

We're dealing, and swimming in quiet waters.  After winning a small early pot, we have about 8,000 chips.  No one raises ahead of us, so we decide to see how far an Ace can go.  We call, and most of the table is in.

ON THE FLOP: Q-3-10

High card?  Not exactly thrilling.  But the table is playing on the tight side, which could help.  Everyone checks.

ON THE TURN: As

Top pair now looks better -- but our "kicker" card is one many players probably would punt.  A man across from us bets 500.  Could he be stabbing with something like a pair of 3's?  Two players call before our turn comes, and we call with them to see how strong we are.

ON THE RIVER: 2s

Wow -- "runner-runner" gives us two pair!  But one of the flop cards was a spade (we forget which), and now three spades are on the board.

Oops, make that four spades: the man who bet before now turns over 5s.  But he keeps his other card face-down, to play a mind game with the rest of the table.  He holds chips out for betting, but then checks.  He fools a woman on the other end of the table for a moment -- but then she goes ahead and bets 500.  We don't hesitate to call.  But surprisingly, the man who showed that spade then folds.

"I hit it on the river," we say as we show both our cards.  And the two pair is good enough!  The woman who bet has A-7, so we claim a nice pot.

"I wish I'd had one card," the psy-ops player says -- revealing his other card was 8h, and he never had a chance of hitting a flush.

We squared off with that man at the end of the first hour, holding A-10.  The Ace was a diamond, and running cards came again for a "nut flush."  We pushed with it, and jumped to 10,500 chips at the break.  But attempts to play promising cards fell short after that -- and a final push with K-10 and A-A-10 showing ran into a player with a third Ace.  He wasn't bluffing, and we were eliminated in 16th place.

MINISTRY MOMENT: "Seven," that bluffing player called during one hand as the river card was dealt -- and he was correct: a seven!

"Three," he said minutes later -- and we was right again: a three on the river!

"Why don't you go ahead and prophesy when the world's going to end?" we said in response.

We meant that as a joke.  But sadly, some ministers actually have done that -- and embarrassed themselves in the process.  Harold Camping became a worldwide laughingstock last year, and his radio network has paid a financial price for it.  While he's not getting as much publicity, another minister claims Jesus will come back on Pentecost Sunday in late May.  These "prophets" try to explain away the Lord's clear warning:

But of that day and that hour knows no man; no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.  Take ye heed, watch and pray: for you know not when the time is. - Mark 13:32-33 (KJV)

Predictions about who will win a big poker tournament seldom turn out to be accurate.  Predictions about when Jesus will return haven't been right yet -- but the Bible indicates one of these days, it will happen.

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there you may be also. - John 14:3

Put your hope in these words of Jesus -- because without them, you have no hope of surviving beyond this life at all.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 108 final tables in 300 nights (36.0%) - 17 cashes.

Poker Night 215: Big Blind-Side

"This is your last table," a man across from us said at The Red Barn tonight. He said that for a reason, which we'll explain in a moment. But this was a full semifinal table -- and since we joined it at the one-hour break, we could look around and see we had the short stack at 9,500 chips. Would this man's prediction prove correct?

BLINDS: 500/1,000

IN THE POCKET: 5-10 offsuit

Not a thrilling hand at this point in the evening. But we're big blind, and no one raised ahead of us. One player was eliminated on the last hand, so seven remain and several call. Thus we're happy to check.

ON THE FLOP: 10-5-A

....and we're very happy to see this! The small blind (first in line to bet) checks, and we pounce.

"Three-thousand," we announce. At least one player made a comment in response, which we don't remember at the moment.

"Raise" is the next comment -- from the man immediately to our left. He doubles the bet to 6,000, and suddenly we're concerned. Our first thought is that he has a high pocket pair. But we doubt it's A-A for three of a kind, because he would have raised pre-flop straightaway with that. We conclude he either has one Ace with a high kicker, or a medium-high pair like Q-Q.

"I'll call," we say after a moment. No one else remains in the hand.

ON THE TURN: Q

"Big slick looks good right now," a bystander in the hand says. We agree, but say nothing and tap the table to check.

"Twenty-five hundred," our opponent says -- knowing it would put us all in. We fear he does have "big slick," and made two pair with that Queen. But part of our brain says he's pushing us around to grab the pot. After a moment of pondering, we decide.

"He already predicted this was my last table," we say with a nod toward the potential prophet. "But I'll call."

"I've got two pair," the opponent says -- and he shows A-5. Uggh. We need a river-card miracle, like a 10.

ON THE RIVER: A

"Full house," the winner declares. Sure enough, he had us all along. The semifinal table is the end for us, with a 14th-place finish.

Remember that post titled "Two Pair, Beware"? The take-home lesson for us tonight is to remember that title in the future. A lot of things can beat bottom two pair. But to be honest, we sensed our opponent had something less -- and our sense was wrong.

MINISTRY MOMENT: "What did you bring tonight?" asked the man who made the prediction about our impending doom.

"A man gave this to me Saturday night at heads-up," we said. We used as a card protector a medallion with an artist's depiction of the "Last Supper." (Now you can understand the "last table" prediction.)

Jesus shared a meal with His disciples on the night before He was crucified. The Lord called it "the Passover," since He kept customs outlined in the Old Testament (Matthew 26:17-19). Which leads us to ask a provocative question: can you show us a Bible passage indicating Jesus or the first apostles kept Christmas?

(There's a second side to that medallion; we'll address that in an upcoming post.)

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 87 final tables in 215 nights (40.5%) - 15 cashes.

Poker Night 150: All Figured Out?

"I was open-ended the last two hands," we admitted at one point tonight at Lil Kim's Cove. "But I didn't get anything."

"That's God's way of telling you not to play poker," a man across the table said in a deadpan way. Then we heard him say something quietly to the player next to him about God and us. (We've talked with him about faith matters at the table before.)

We'll give that man the benefit of the doubt, and assume he was joking. But was he really right? Based on what we saw at times tonight, we don't think so....

BLINDS: 25/50

IN THE POCKET: 8-4 of clubs

The game is early, so the bets are light. We take a stab at these suited cards, and several players at the full table call.

ON THE FLOP: 9-10-7 (we think one was a club)

This open-end situation actually happened before our comment about two misses in a row. Here, a woman ahead of us bets 500. We call, and several players fold.

ON THE TURN: 5 (not a club)

Close, but not quite it. The woman bets 500 again, and we call again. We're now the only two players left.

ON THE RIVER: J

There's the right answer for us. But the woman is consistent, and bets 500 more.

"Raise -- 1,500," we respond.

The woman didn't want to hear that. "I fold," she grumbles.

"Why did you do that?" a player out of the hand asks.

"What do you think he had?" she answers. "He never bets unless he has something."

This comment sparks a short discussion about how we play -- by other people, but not by us. At least one man disagrees with her assessment. But a couple of hands earlier, the table folded when we bet 500 after a flop brought two 7's. (Yes, we had a 7.)

Having this sort of "reputation" could work in our favor at future tables. And it can be a good thing in life as well. I Timothy 3:7 says anyone desiring to have a high office in the church must "have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil's trap."

Back at the table, a big early stack drained away -- but big hands came to our rescue after the one-hour break. An all-in bet with a 6 turned into a full house with 6's and Kings. Another with A-7 brought an Ace on the board, and a valuable double-up.

We endured to the final table for an eighth-place finish -- finally falling short when A-2 missed a straight, while the man who commented on God telling us not to play poker made one.

MINISTRY MOMENT: We showed a married man our "Jesus as your Savior" coin tonight. "Do you agree with that message?" we asked.

"I think God is my Savior," he answered quietly. "Jesus was a prophet," he added one hand later.

He's not the first man to reach that conclusion. "Jesus of Nazareth.... was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people," two people said long ago.

Which two people? Two disciples -- only they said those words to the resurrected Christ! You can read that statement in Luke 21:19. They continued in verse 21, "....we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel...."

Well, Jesus did accomplish that -- but not in the way they expected, with liberation from the Roman Empire. Through the Son of God, "we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins," Paul writes in Colossians 1:13-14. That's what a Savior does. Will you accept Jesus holding that title -- an even more remarkable title than a prophet?

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 60 final tables in 150 nights (40.0%) - 11 cashes. We told you we were due for a big night, and on a milestone night of sorts it came.

NATIONAL LEAGUE OF POKER TOTAL: Full tournaments -- 27 point wins in 182 games (14.8%), 10 final tables, no cashes.

POKER STARS.NET TOTAL: Pretend cash games - $14,913, down $950.