Poker Day 569: Ace is Enough?

On this Presidents' Day, we hoped to set a personal precedent. We've never made the money in a tournament on this holiday - although we did on a Sunday of the holiday weekend in 2014. With an extra-high buy-in of $90, we drove to Hollywood Casino Indiana and gave it a try....

BLINDS: 75/150

IN THE POCKET: A-6 offsuit

We won a couple of small early pots, and still stand around the starting line of 15,000 chips. No one at the full table raises, so we call. About six players are involved.

ON THE FLOP: 8-A-8

Two pair looks good - and perhaps looks obvious, if we bet. But when the play checks to us, we offer 300. That chases all but one man away; he calls to put us heads-up. We're admittedly a bit concerned about our 6 kicker.

ON THE TURN: Q

Now we're not - because that Queen becomes the kicker. Our opponent checks, and we bet 300 again. He calls again. Hmmm - is he hiding a third 8?

ON THE RIVER: Q.

Now it gets interesting. Two pair are on the board, with the best possible kicker as well. But a full house is very possible. Our opponent checks, and we carefully do the same.

"Three pair," we declare as we show. Our opponent.... discards without showing! We win a healthy pot, and guess he might have had a different pocket pair (maybe 10-10?!).

We hit a high of 15,175 chips with that win. But it all dissolved away in the next 20 minutes. A-K came our way three times, and it never worked for us. The last straw came with a flop of Ks-Jc-9c. Our King was a club, but a 1,200 bet was greeted with a raise to 4,200. A third club on the turn led the raiser to bet 7,000 - nearly everything we had.

After thinking it over, we called with conceivably a lot of outs for a flush. But our opponent turned over A-A - including the Ace of clubs, which topped ours. Our only hope was a King on the river, and it didn't come. We headed home early, out first at our table with a stinging loss.

MINISTRY MOMENT: The table talk turned at one point to Sunday's Daytona 500 stock car race.

"Joe Gibbs Racing finished 1-2-3," a man across the table pointed out.

"And that website on the car probably crashed minutes later," we said humorously. A sticker on the car referred to a tribute to the son of team owner Joe Gibbs, who died in January.

"He obviously was a person of faith, based on the cross on the logo," we added. "And we all should be people of faith."

J.D. Gibbs made a commitment of faith as a teenager, through a ministry called Young Life. If you're a youth or young adult reading this, we recommend giving your "young life" to God.

Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, "I find no pleasure in them." - Ecclesiastes 12:1

You may think matters of faith and religion are simply for old, retired people. But they're not. In fact, Jesus started His ministry as a young adult....

Now Jesus himself was about thirty years of age when he began his ministry.... - Luke 3:23

The Lord died about three years later - crucified before turning 35. Given that Biblical truth, why should you wait for gray hair to appear before committing yourself to a relationship with Him? That day might never come.

But perhaps you're on the opposite side - old and filled with gray hair. It's not too late for you to become a "person of faith."

Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding? - Job 12:12

You may have seen enough of this life to know how ugly and sinful it can be. The wise course is to turn to a better way - a godly way.

Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.... - Acts 3:19

As long as you have life, you can turn to God. Is there really a better place to put your faith?

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 216 final tables in 569 games (38.0%) - 46 cashes.

Poker Night 545: Push or Be Pushed

President Trump revealed his latest U.S. Supreme Court nominee tonight. But in the poker room at JACK Casino Cincinnati, that was the last thing on people's minds. Their attention was focused on "Ohio Cup" baseball between Cincinnati and Cleveland, as well as the Monday night poker tournament. That was true with us, too - and you'll read why....

BLINDS: 4,000/8,000/1,000 ante

IN THE POCKET: Ace of spades-10 of clubs

If the blinds are this high and an ante has been added, you can guess it's been a good night for us. We won some modest pots early to build a stack, then scored an all-in breakthrough late in the first term when our A-Q beat pocket 9's. We finished that two-hour session at 27,200 chips.

Other pushers failed after that, allowing us to reach the final table on a three-table night with 22,200. Then with nine players left, we accepted a pushing contest with Q-Q and won it - eliminating two players, and jumping our stack above 55,000! Another big showdown with Q-Q found us against pocket Aces, yet we won that and eliminated another man with a club flush!

Now five players are left. Only three will win money. We have about 34,000 chips - but with blinds so high and antes in every hand on top of that, that's still a precarious amount. A man across from us raises to 22,200. We see our cards, ponder for a moment, then decide these are big cards in a small table.

"I'm all-in," we say. Other players get out of the way, leaving the original bettor.

"You're probably ahead," he says - but he's committed to the pot, so he calls. He shows.... J-9! Yes, we start the race with the lead.

ON THE FLOP: 9-4-K (last two cards not precise)

Uh-oh. Our opponent has a pair of 9's. Now he's in front - but we have six outs.

ON THE TURN: Ac

"Yes!" we say. We've regained the lead with top pair! If we can dodge a Jack or 9 on the river, we'll double up and be a good deal more secure....

ON THE RIVER: 9

Wow! The third lead change in as many cards gives our opponent a victorious two pair, and sends us out the door. It's as dramatic an ending as you'll see in poker, and leaves us in fifth place out of 25 entrants.

(If a few more players had shown up, Jack would have increased the payout to six players - and that would have meant money for us. So this was a double blow.)

MINISTRY MOMENT: Several times when we won big hands, we told the players around us, "I'd be writing PTL if I was online right now!"

No one asked what that meant. But a few people seemed to know, and we explained to others - it's "Praise the Lord." That shorthand was part of a religious television scandal years ago, but PTL is still good to do. And it's good to start early....

From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise.... - Psalm 8:2

The King James Version translates the start of this verse: "Out of the mouths of babes...." Have you noticed how many people stop the verse right there, to respond to a cute or stunning thing a toddler or pre-schooler says? But those mouths are supposed to praise God! And here's why....

....because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. - Psalm 8:2b

The right word at the right time, even from a child, can shut up a scoffer or an opponent. Adults should be even more ready to give praise....

I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. - Psalm 63:4

This verse explains why some people raise their hands in worship services. You can praise God in song (verse 5), as well as with regular speech. And there are many reasons to offer praise, beyond winning a poker hand or two....

Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits - who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion. - Psalm 103:2-4

The ultimate redemption for believers will come when Jesus Christ returns to Earth, as resurrected saints join Him in eternal life. That will be something worth praising - forever!

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 201 final tables in 545 games (36.9%) - 41 cashes. In our new home area, the count is now nine final tables out of 12!

Skin Games

When a couple of poker players noticed our "Lord's Supper" card protector last Sunday, the discussion turned to how Jesus Christ really looked.

"I don't think He had long hair," we said to the men.  They weren't so sure about that.

"I think he was black," one man suggested -- a Caucasian man at that.

"He was Jewish," another man said.

So what really is Jesus's background?  The Bible offers some hints....

From Judah will come the cornerstone, from him the tent peg, from him the battle how, from him every ruler. - Zechariah 10:4

This verse of prophecy makes several analogies which can be tough to understand.  Perhaps the easiest one involves the "cornerstone."

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household.... with Christ Jesus himself as he chief cornerstone. - Ephesians 2:19-20

Jesus is called the "cornerstone" of what should be a "holy temple in the Lord," God's family (verse 21). And Zechariah notes that cornerstone came from Judah - which would make Jesus a Jew.

For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. - Hebrews 7:14

Jewish, yes - but what about Jesus being black?  The news of the last 24 hours in the U.S. reminds us that race and skin color are still touchy, emotional topics for many people.  But for us, the Biblical evidence when it comes to Jesus seems murky.

Dark am I, yet lovely, O daughters of Jerusalem, dark like the tens of Kedar.... Do not stare at me because I am dark, because I am darkened by the sun... - Song of Solomon 1:5,6

Is this poetic language describing Jesus Christ? Some Bible experts see it that way, since the Middle East tends to be a place with strong sunshine. Yet others say this is talking about a woman instead of a man, based on verse 2 - so if anything, the "darkness" refers to the church Jesus will marry at His return (Revelation 21:9).

Yet the Bible also shows this about Jesus:

His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. - Revelation 1:14

We're not going to claim to know the "final answer" on this. We'd direct you to a study paper we reviewed in the 1990s which gave us a lot of insight.  But in the final analysis, we'd ask a ridiculously simple-sounding question: Does it matter? 

Poker success seems to know no skin color; consider the Europeans who win WSOP bracelets and Phil Ivey's strong record. Nor should our acceptance of Jesus as Lord and Savior.

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved. - Acts 4:12

The Bible gives no exceptions to this - not based on skin color, national origin or ethnic heritage. Can you accept Jesus, no matter how He appears?  You'd better.  Your eternal life depends on it.

From One Sport to Another

It looks like the poker debate is over -- well, at least one of them.  Poker is not simply a table game. It's a sport.

We say that because of the former sports stars playing it, and succeeding.  Former Brazilian soccer star Ronaldo (left) finished deep in the money this week, on a PokerStars Caribbean cruise.  In fact, notice the logo on his shirt-sleeve.  He's apparently joined "Team Poker Stars," which includes tennis champion Rafael Nadal.

He's not the only former athlete who's made the transition.  Former big-league baseball players had their own poker tournament in Las Vegas this week.  And who can forget Orel Hershiser asking defeated poker pros to sign his baseball on TV several years ago, at the National Heads-Up Championship?

We don't know the complete motive for this movement.  But perhaps current and former sports stars play poker for the competitive thrill of it -- providing them another opportunity to be a big winner.

But you might not need to play poker to enjoy such a thrill.  Consider what one Biblical leader wrote:

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. - I Corinthians 9:24

The apostle Paul called for a "race" -- and not between A-10 and K-J.  He urged believers to run for some other kind of "prize."  What's he talking about?

No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. - I Corinthians 9:27

Paul wanted that "prize" so much that put himself under discipline.  He finally explains what that prize is later in this letter:

Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, his Scripture will be fulfilled: "Death is swallowed up in victory...."  But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. - I Corinthians 15:54, 57 (NLT)

The ultimate prize is a body "that will never die" - a body with eternal life.  That's offered to you through Jesus, if you run a disciplined race in this life.  And here's the best part: you're not really competing against other people to get it.

But the one who endures to the end will be saved. - Matthew 24:13 (NLT)

We think that means everyone who stands firm. Are you willing to make the transition to this sort of endurance contest -- a race with the greatest prize of all at stake?

Poker Day 428: Nice While It Lasted

The local poker rooms must be doing well these days.  The monthly Sunday special at Arrowhead Poker (which apparently has taken back its old name, after being River City Poker Room for awhile) had a $1,000 guaranteed prize pool today.  That guaranteed some serious action at times....

BLINDS: 500/1,000

IN THE POCKET: A-Q offsuit

We won a couple of early pots, then lost a bundle when a straight we hit on the river ran into someone else's flush.  From a starting stack of 50,000, we're down to about 26,500.

Now we have the Dealer button at a table of seven, and a man two seats ahead of us raises all the way to 12,000.  We look at these strong starting cards and face a big decision.  If we call this big bet, we might as well be committed to going all-in with them.  So we call in hope -- only to find the lead player, a late arrival to the table, raising all-in for more than 40,000!

Other players are folding, but the man who raised ahead of us decides to call.  Realizing we dared to step into a deep swamp in the first place, we can't really fold now.  The cards simply are too strong.  So we call for our last 14,500.

The players who folded talk about their hands as the dealer sorts out the pots.  We hear at least one (maybe two) talk about having Queens.  That's potential trouble.  Then comes turnover time.  The raiser two seats ahead of us has 9-9.  The all-in man across the table shows K-J suited.  The race is on....

ON THE FLOP: Q-2-8

"There's a Queen," we declare - as if no one else at the table knows.  We seize the lead, and clap our hands a few times.

ON THE TURN: K

That's a King -- and more big trouble.  The man across the table now leads, and we need an Ace or a third Queen to stay alive.

ON THE RIVER: K

Running Kings give the third-place man a win at the wire -- and he takes two players out in the process.

"I'm surprised he pushed with that," another man at the table says.  It truly was daring -- but it worked.  Come to think, maybe we should have pushed earlier.  An all-in bet before the K-J player's turn might have pulled him off, to our benefit.  But what's done is done -- and we're "done," tied for 21st place.

MINISTRY MOMENT: We somehow misplaced the "card protector" we put in our pocket for this game. So we reached into the car, and pulled out a small towelette packet from a restaurant.

"I brought this to remind me," we told a man who asked about it, "that I should stay clean and pure -- just as Jesus did."

"That reminds you of that?!?!" The man apparently thought we were bluffing.  But any little thing can be a good reminder of walking a Christian walk....

....And do not share in the sins of others.  Keep yourself pure. - I Timothy 5:22b

Perhaps you're as skeptical as that man next to us at the table.  What do purity and poker-playing have in common?  They can have a lot -- for instance, if you don't curse or drink alcohol to excess.  The main poker rooms where we play these days have no alcohol.  On the other hand, the WPT Amateur League location where we started in our current city was a bar -- and it's apparently now out of business.

He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to a idol or swear by what is false.  He will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God his Savior. - Psalm 24:4-5

That blessing may not always be financial, as in a final table.  Believers should look for the ultimate blessing - eternal life, ruling with Jesus Christ.

So where did our discussion go from here?  It turns out a surprising blessing came minutes later.  We'll get to that in a future post.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 151 final tables in 428 games (35.3%) - 25 cashes.  After starting 2014 five-for-five in reaching final tables, we've only reached one of the last six.

Sterling Speech

Two players had very early exits in the poker tournament we played Sunday.  As it happened, both of them were African-American men.

"Black folks were the first to donate," one joked after he went bust.

"You'll never own the Los Angeles Clippers with words like that," we said in response -- only half-jokingly.

Like it or not, the big sports story in recent days has been the firestorm over pro basketball team owner Donald Sterling -- now perhaps better called an "owner in limbo."  He's been banned from his team's games and may have to sell his franchise, for race-related comments he said in a phone call.

Why bring up this incident here?  Because we've known plenty of players over the years who like to talk about race at the poker table.  They might use the "N-word" to their friends, and justify it by noting they're African-American.  Others might use race-related "humor" in putdowns, a bit like Don Rickles without a censor.

Some people seem to get away with such language now, while others do not.  Yet mark these words, from Someone who was very careful with them:

But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned. - Matthew 12:36-37

We admittedly have stumbled with our own words at times (spoken and written), with costly results.  Jesus warns here wrong "careless" language will face an answer -- perhaps not now, but eventually.

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. - II Corinthians 5:10

They don't have to be words or actions done in public, either.  Some say Donald Sterling was "set up" because a girlfriend recorded what he probably thought was a private phone conversation made in his own home.  Yet Jesus warns:

So do not be afraid of them. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. - Matthew 10:26

.... your Father, who sees what it done in secret, will reward you. - Matthew 6:18b

The Biblical evidence seems clear: there's no such thing as a "right to privacy" when it comes to God.  He can see all, and Jesus ultimately will judge all.  Given that knowledge, what are you saying about other people (or about God) - even when no one is watching or listening?

Running for What?



Photo courtesy Washington Post

Have you heard about the next big poker movie?  Justin Timberlake and Ben Affleck have a drama coming out in October called Runner Runner.  We'll save details about the plot for another day -- but we're thinking about that title.

Regular poker buffs know the phrase "runner runner".  It refers to the turn and river cards in Texas Hold 'em.  If you have three cards to a flush (let's say diamonds) after the flop, then diamonds are dealt on the turn and river, you hit the flush "runner runner."

We're not sure how that phrase developed -- but if you think about it, all poker players in a tournament are "runners" in a way.  They're in a race to gain chips, as blinds go up and options become more difficult.

And beyond that, everyone is "running" whether they play poker or not.  We're running in a race called life.  A Biblical writer looked at it that way:

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize?  Run in such a way as to get the prize. - I Corinthians 9:24

Yes, there's a prize at the end of the race.  For poker players, the goal is to finish in the money.  What's the prize on the road course of life?

I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 3:14

Really - God's handing out prizes to runners?!  That's what Jesus says....

Behold, I am coming soon!  My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. - Revelation 22:12

Jesus will reward faithful followers when He comes back to earth.  Tonight marks the start of a fall "holy day season" which pictures that return, as well as that reward.

It begins with what Jews call Rosh Hashanah, the "Jewish New Year."  In ancient Israel, it was celebrated by blowing trumpets (Leviticus 23:23-24).  The book of Revelation indicates many trumpets will sound in heaven, right before Jesus comes back.

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

Jesus will rule the world -- and then His "runners" will receive (at the minimum) the reward of eternal life.

If you'd like to read more about the upcoming holy day and the return of Christ, this study guide provides plenty for you to consider.  Review it with an open Bible.  Then ask yourself: are you really running to win the ultimate "jackpot" God has to offer?

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 328: Make Mine 89?

The Red Barn has less-expensive soda.  Uptown Wings is closer to our front door.  With that choice of Monday night poker action, one thing made the difference for us tonight.  We had a "title" to defend.  So we walked back to Uptown Wings, hoping for our third cash win in a row.  Hope is one thing, achievement another....

BLINDS: 200/400

IN THE POCKET: 8-9 of spades

We've heard players say mid-range cards are the best to play, because you have more flexibility in dealing with a flop.  We haven't been able to do much with any flop on this night, as weak cards have come our way over and over.  This shows promise, at least -- so it's one of the few hands we've actually played.  We call in the Small Blind; no one raises.

ON THE FLOP: 5-2-J (only the Jack is a spade)

We have dreams of a flush or straight -- but we need a lot of help.  A man across the table from us tests us with a bet of 600.

"I'm probably going to regret it, but I'll call," we say.  Two other players call as well.

ON THE TURN: 2s

There's one "runner," but we need one more.  The man across the table seems to sense that, because now his bet is 2,500.  A woman between us calls, and we're left to ponder.  That's really a card we wanted, but the price is awfully steep for seeing one more.

"I'll fold," we finally decide.

ON THE RIVER: 5s

Ouch!  Of course the flush comes after we fold -- but the hand is still going.  The bettor stares at the woman's stack, computes she has 1,800 chips and bets exactly that amount.

"Get out of my pot," he says as she ponders.  Then he does her a big favor -- and shows her a 5.  She folds. He wins.  And a big question mark is removed from our mind.  Yes, he ran us off a flush with that big bet on the turn -- but in this case, we're thankful he did.

But it was a night when nice cards simply didn't come for us.  Even A-10 in the Big Blind went nowhere, as we missed the flop and that opponent bet big again.  Our stack drained to the point where we were forced all-in with 10-4 in the Small Blind.  The turn brought a 4, but we had nothing more.  Two pair eliminated both blinds at the same time, and we wound up tied for 14th place.

MINISTRY MOMENT: With Independence Day approaching, we took a small U.S. flag lapel pin for a card protector.  And we asked a couple of players a question our Pastor has mentioned in passing in recent weeks: what does it mean to be an American?

"My fathers were slaves," one man next to us said.  "What the f*** do you think it means to me?"

This African-American man proceeded to share his feelings about race relations and civil rights, past and present.  He believes there's still plenty of inequality and prejudice based on skin color, and he indicated he deals with it on a daily basis.  (We live in a city which officially has no "racial majority" at this time.)

"If you see a man down on his luck, sitting outside an IHOP," he said for an example, "that person's more likely to be offered a handout and get help if he's white."

We didn't tell the man this, but we personally don't offer anyone a handout unless they ask for it.  But when the request comes, we try to fill a beggar's need (the need itself, not simply a request for money) without concern for their skin color.  The Bible instructs us to do that....

Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.  If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? - James 2:15-16

(If you're wondering who qualifies as a "brother or sister," check the results of a Bible study we did into that topic several years ago.)


"If we could get rid of the bigotry," the man went on to say, "we'd be the greatest country in the world."

"The only way you're going to get rid of bigotry," we told him, "is for Jesus Christ to come back."

The man agreed with that view.  And we pray Jesus returns soon -- not only to bring reality to the Declaration of Independence's phrase "all men are created equal," but to heal the hurt of racial prejudice that the man next to us clearly feels.

....For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.  There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. - Galatians 3:27-28

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 117 final tables in 328 nights (35.7%) - 19 cashes.  We missed the final table in our "early-week" tournament for the first time since Memorial Day.

Poker Night 255: Thou Shalt Not Steal

The Sports Page's "clock" for Texas Hold 'em allows a generous amount of time for each round of blinds -- giving patient players more time to wait for the right moment. We were in a position tonight where we needed that wait.

BLINDS: 50/100

IN THE POCKET: A-K offsuit

Some people say they can't stand to see these cards, because they frequently don't win. We learned why earlier tonight, losing a lot of chips to a woman who hit two small pair on the flop. Sitting second in line with only 2,625 chips, we choose to limp in with these big cards. But a woman in the big blind raises to 900, and we decide we can't hold back.

"I'm all-in," we announce -- for 1,725 more. The big blind calls. Everyone else scrams. The good news for us: she has K-J -- which means in a way, we was trying to steal the pot pre-flop. Now if the cards will kindly cooperate....

ON THE FLOP: 4-7-5

The cards are dealt very quickly -- with no TV drama.

ON THE TURN: A

ON THE RIVER: 8

"Thank you very much. I needed that," we say to the woman. We make up our earlier loss with a pair of Aces, returning to about 5,100.

We split a pot after that with a full house -- but otherwise, good cards were hard to find for us. We pushed all-in again with A-9 and 2,500 left, but another woman made a straight to top our pair of 9's. On a night when there was a waiting list to join a table, we exited in about 24th place.

MINISTRY MOMENT: Someone at our main table mentioned Jesus in an exclamatory way.

"He's my hope of salvation," we said. No one pursued the subject with us. Maybe next time?!

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 98 final tables in 255 nights (38.4%) - 15 cashes.

Testing Time

We mentioned before Monday evening's poker tournament, we faced a test at a discount store near The Sports Page. It consisted of standing in line behind a woman who had bought a cart filled with canned goods, and wasn't able to load them onto the checkout counter very quickly.

What was the test we told a cashier at another aisle we would have flunked? It was the patience test -- and it certainly came in handy later at the poker table. We waited for the right cards and moments to make a move, and in most cases it paid off.

The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride. - Ecclesiastes 7:8

A "race" occurs in Texas Hold 'em when one player is all-in, and at least two players show assorted cards (as in no pair) before the flop. But in most tournaments, you don't have to race to build up a big stack of chips. The rules are structured to allow for a certain amount of patient play -- although, of course, rising blinds can increase the pressure.

Phil Hellmuth writes in one of his poker books that if you try to play almost every hand, you are destined to lose. The "pride" of a big stack in the first hour can be broken by someone hiding a big pair in the second hour. So we take our time -- and lately we've been pleased with the results, both in person and online.

Hebrews 12:1 advises, "....let us run with patience the race that is set before us." That's good advice not only for a poker tournament, but the spiritual race which leads to eternal life through Jesus Christ.

If I've Only Half a Heart

We mentioned last Thursday night how our body was at the poker tournament, but our mind and sentiments really were elsewhere. That probably explains why we made an early exit -- but events since then have led to some soul-searching about our approach.

The following day we read about what NASCAR driver Jennifer Jo Cobb did before a race in Tennessee. Her team owner told her to drive a few laps, park the car to save it for another race and take a small paycheck. Instead, Cobb quit -- walking away before the command to fire engines.

Cobb wanted to race for a win, and would settle for nothing less. Even though we primarily play poker these days for ministry more than money, we concluded that should have been our approach as well. Consider....

No one man serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. -- Matthew 6:24 (KJV)

Jesus said God wants all of your service -- not a half-hearted effort. He added to this in a message to a first-century church.

I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot: I would that you were cold or hot. So then because you are lukewarm, and neither cold not hot, I will spue you out of my mouth. -- Revelation 3:15-16 (KJV)

Warm water might get your permanent press clothing clean, but Jesus prefers you turn up the heat -- or perhaps better put, allow God to turn it up for you.

You, O Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light. -- Psalm 18:28

If you only drive halfway toward the goal in football, you'll wind up punting the ball away. We should be fully committed to serving God -- and beyond that, fully committed to success in all our endeavors. It's an attitude that's, well, all in.

In Living Color

Our last post mentioned a discussion at the poker table with a man named Steve about Jesus and the Sabbath. When we mentioned Jesus was Jewish, Steve offered further thoughts.

"And He was black." Steve admittedly is African-American.

"How do you know that?" We asked curiously, not angrily (read on and you'll see why).

"The scriptures describe Him that way."

The Bible descriptions of the Lord actually can be interpreted in many ways. For instance....

My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand. -- Song of Solomon 5:10 (KJV)

These words from a poetry-laden book are taken by some scholars to describe God. But the New International Version uses the word "radiant" instead of "white" -- and other verses indicate when Jesus comes back, that radiance will dominate:

In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. -- Revelation 1:16

This can be a complex subject, with obvious emotional undertones which can be potentially divisive. It's such a big deal for some people that we did a complete Bible study about it. You're invited to offer comments on our conclusions here.

But at the table the other night, we saw the potential divisiveness and searched for common ground about Christ. "What matters most is the color of His blood."

Steve is Catholic, and he agreed with that. He declared Jesus is His Savior -- and ultimately, the skin color is not what makes the difference.

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace.... -- Ephesians 1:7

Thoughts About One King

It's better to have a pair of Kings at the poker table, of course. But the "one King" we're thinking about is Dr. Martin Luther King, Junior -- whose birthday is a U.S. national holiday Monday.

King labored for racial equality. And in the world of poker, that seems to be a reality. Think about the diversity of names and faces in major tournaments -- from Phil Ivey and Doyle Brunson to Scotty Nguyen and Humberto Brenes. If you have the buy-in money, you can play. The only "color" that matters is the value of your chips.

Free poker games in our area work the same way. Although we've noted a recent incident where a bystander upset a player with racial slurs, we've never heard any racist language at the tables we play. The people around the table want to play poker, not start barroom brawls. And with no entry fee, anyone can join in.

The Bible indicates Jesus Christ will come back -- and when He does, the color of someone's skin or the place of someone's birth won't matter. Here's what will....

You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. -- Galatians 3:26-27

It won't come down to who you are, but Whom you believe. Accepting Jesus Christ as Savior and being baptized into His Church (Acts 2:38) makes you one of His sons. And although many churches today may not look this way, you'll be on the way to an equal opportunity destiny:

There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. -- Galatians 3:28-29

Poker Night 220: Aces and Races

"Scared money don't win," a man at our table told us early in the evening at Lil Kim's Cove. We folded two meager hearts, which turned into a winning flush. But there are times when being afraid is not an issue....

BLINDS: 500/1000

IN THE POCKET: A-Q offsuit

We reached the one-hour break with a healthy 10,500 chips, thanks to several pot wins. But a recent loss has left us with 4,500. Seeing these cards, we could simply limp or push. Taking a middle course usually is not recommended. But after thinking it over, that's what we try -- raising to 2,000, in hopes of attracting as many players as possible. A couple of opponents call.

ON THE FLOP: A-J-A

Three Aces look very A-ttractive! But a woman to our left goes all-in first, stacking up 4,000. We see no choice but to call, with our remaining 2,500. Everyone else bails out. No one turns over cards, except the dealer....

ON THE TURN: 9 (we think; it happened fast, and others at the table disputed this)

ON THE RIVER: A

"I've got a full house!" Our opponent throws down J-J with confidence.

"But I have quads," we respond. Yes, we hit quads in a live tournament for the second time in a week! Not only do we double our stack, we get the 5,000-chip "quads bonus" under tournament rules.

But to borrow from Job 1:21, A-Q giveth and A-Q taketh away. We went all-in again with those cards later in the second hour, matched against a man with J-10. Trouble was, a Jack came on the flop and a 10 on the turn. We were sunk -- eliminated in 14th place at the semifinal table.

MINISTRY MOMENT: There's nothing that can clear the tables at a poker tournament quite like word that someone's car has been hit in the parking lot. We won a pot by default that way tonight -- but things turned ugly moments later. Someone involved in the collision used a racial slur, to refer to a young man at our table coming into a "white bar."

"I'm not afraid of him," the young man said. But his actions said something else -- as he was clearly distracted by the presence of the "redneck" (as others at the table called him), and he used a cell phone to call police.

"I've never seen a sign anywhere outside that says this is a white bar," we said.

"That's because there isn't one!" a woman next to us added. (In fact, we believe the bar owner is an immigrant from South Korea.)

Everyone at the table came to the defense of the young African-American man -- and that's good to see. We pointed out during the discussion that poker is a game where anyone can play and win, no matter what their skin color and gender is. (We added "age," but technically you have to be 18 to play at Lil Kim's Cove.)

As it happened, we used a church newspaper article about racism for Bible study earlier in the day. The African-American author points out "racism is a sin.... found within the hearts of people of all races...." That kind of heart needs to be changed -- and the Holy Spirit within you can help make it possible.

Faith in Christ Jesus is what makes each of you equal with each other, whether you are a Jew or a Greek, a slave or a free person, a man or a woman. -- Galatians 3:28, CEV

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 90 final tables in 220 nights (40.9%) - 15 cashes. Heads-up: 8-13.

NATIONAL LEAGUE OF POKER TOTAL: Full tournaments - 102 point wins in 544 games (18.8%), 40 final tables, 2 cashes.

POKER STARS.NET TOTAL: Pretend cash games -- $34,489 up $435.

Heads-Up Week 2: What's the Hurry?

A couple of themes have developed, as we watch today's second week of the National Heads-Up Poker Championship.

1. Overcards beat mid-range pocket pairs in races. For instance, Don Cheadle's A-Q beat J.P. Kelly's 8-8. That happened several times during the first hour.

2. Longer matches are winning praise. Even though Phil Hellmuth gained a quick win over Howard Lederer, Hellmuth said it's a sign of skill in heads-up if you play a longer contest.

Cheadle later mentioned playing with "discipline" in a match. And NBC's Ali Nejad admitted it's good to be "methodical."

The theme in all these statements? Don't rush into something, because you be rushing into trouble.

Proverbs 6:18 warns against having "feet that are quick to rush into evil." And Jesus advised against impulsively following those who think they've found Him in other places: "Men will tell you, 'There he is!' or 'Here he is!' Do not go running off after them" (Luke 17:23).

Unless you're playing heads-up, you can't win a poker tournament in one hand. (Someone tried to do that to us online the other day, and we laughed at it.) It's not a Biblical statement, but it works well here -- good things come to those who wait.

Poker Night 126: Gimme an A

When you're trying to play serious poker to win prize money, it can help to have distracted opponents. That happened for us at Lil Kim's Cove tonight. Many players were more concerned about the Bowl Championship Series title game, as the club is practically on the other side of a bridge from Alabama. But we were looking for A's at places other than Alabama flags and caps....

BLINDS: 100/200

IN THE POCKET: A-3 offsuit

We're content to call in the lead position, but an admitted "gambler" to our left raises 500. We've barely played any hands and have about 5,400 chips, so we decide to call. A couple of other players stay in.

ON THE FLOP: A-A-8

Very nice -- but we're wary of that gambler, because our kicker card is weak. We bet 400, and he calls. So do the others.

ON THE TURN: 6

We turn up the heat by betting 1,100. The gambler has seen enough, and bails out. One other player stays in, and our bet puts him all-in.

ON THE RIVER: Q

"I have an Ace," we announce. No one else does. The gambler says he knew we did. It's a pot which increases our stack by about 3,500.

As the evening wore on, the A's kept coming. Sitting with 6,000 chips after the one-hour break, pocket Aces came -- allowing us to gain to 8,500. But we were more cautious at other times, folding A-3 and A-4 when others made bets in the thousands.

We held on long enough to make a nine-player final table, finishing in a three-way tie for 6th when our all-in bet with 8-8 was outgunned by Queens. (Officially we were declared eighth, because two other players pushed with us and we had the fewest chips.)

MINISTRY MOMENT: With the football game (mixed with alcohol) on many people's minds, it was hard to have one tonight. But we admittedly became annoyed when one tipsy player called another tipsy player the "N-word" several times.

"Why do you call someone by a racial slur, when he isn't even a member of that race?" Both men happened to be white.

"Did I call someone by a racial slur?" Booze can affect people's short-term memory, as well as their tongues.

Yet here's the strange thing: a couple of African-American players were at the table, yet said nothing. Who would like to explain this?

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 49 final tables in 126 nights (38.9%) - 10 cashes. This was our first final table in four weeks.

NATIONAL LEAGUE OF POKER TOTAL: Five-player sit-n-goes - 3-7-3-1-0. Full tournaments - 8 final tables in 93 games (8.6%), no cashes.

(Yahoo and Poker Stars had no play in the last week.)

Black and Red, Not Black and White

It's a one-of-a-kind weekend in the U.S. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is Monday, then Barack Obama is inaugurated as President on Tuesday.

So what does this have to do with poker? Simply this -- poker is a game of equality. (Or should be.)

Anyone can become a big winner at the table, regardless of their nationality (see Humberto Brenes), gender (see Annie Duke) or skin color (see Phil Ivey). But admittedly, it takes a big bankroll to do the buy-ins necessary to win at top-dollar events in Las Vegas and on the WPT.

At local tournaments which are free to enter, the equality should be on display even more. We sat down last Thursday night at a table which was mostly African-American. We're Euro-American, and everyone got along well. The cards can't tell any difference, you know. Every hand can cause equal opportunity success -- or failure.

"There is neither Jew or Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female...." -- at the poker table? No, this is somewhere else. "For you are all one in Christ Jesus." (Gal. 3:28)

Paul indicates the Church and its members should have no racial or gender barriers. Hopefully you don't have any mental blocks in your poker game, either.

Poker Night #43: When Not to Race

I wondered if I would be rusty tonight, after five weeks away from Lil Kim's Cove. Then I took the first hand of the evening, with two pair.

But it was all downhill from there -- as I was the second player to crash out at my table of eight.

I think I bet a bit too aggressively on a few nice-starting hands, hoping the flop would fall my way. In the Yahoo pretend-money cash games, that doesn't cost you much. In a tournament format with no limits, that can whittle away at your chip stack.

There was big-time drama when I held K-J and three queens showed up on the board. The river card was a K, and I went all in -- but a woman across from me had a king as well, so we split the pot. (An older woman also had a full house, but with Q's and 6's. Yet she survived longer than I did.)

It came down at the end to an all-in bet I couldn't refuse, but almost did:

BLINDS: 200/400.

IN THE POCKET: Jh-Jc.

I smooth call as the wave comes around -- but a ponytailed man two seats to my right raises 800. A couple of us go in with him.

ON THE FLOP: Kh -- plus two small cards I forget now, one a heart.

"I'm all in," the ponytailed man says.

I've played this man before, and know he hardly ever bluffs. He probably hit something, and I think I K-now what it was. I have a longshot flush chance, and give it some thought.

"Let's have a race," I say -- and in goes my 2,350. (He has me covered with ease.)

Sure enough, my opponent paired a K. No hearts or jacks come on the turn and river, and I lose the race by two cards.

Because no one mentioned this blog, I give the man who eliminated me the prize I brought -- two movie passes to Carmike Cinemas. He seems to like them. "I can go to a movie this weekend," he says. Now all he needs is a date -- as he said something during the game about splitting from his wife a few hours before.

MINISTRY MOMENT: "Turn, turn, turn," the man to my immediate right said as he was dealing.

"As in the book of Ecclesiastes?" I say. He seems to get it -- the 1960's rock song based on Ecc. 3:1-8.

The Moffatt translation has for verse 6: "A time to seek, a time to lose, a time to keep, a time to throw away...." In poker, it's all about the timing. Tonight mine was bad.

UPDATED SCOREBOARD: 20 final tables in 43 nights (46.5%) - six cashes.

YAHOO POKER TOTAL: $7444 (Up $189, +221 with blackjack ruled out) -- a RECORD high. It was fueled by a $306 gain in a hot streak Thursday afternoon. But things cooled considerably down the street.