First-Century Gambling

When you hear a Baptist preacher say the word "gambling," you might think he's about to go on a tirade against poker and casinos. But we heard a radio sermon the other day which used that word in a very different light.

The minister talked about two "heroes" in the Bible who took a big risk. OK, it wasn't for a poker hand - but it was something bigger. One risked his life to help an apostle in the early church....

But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow workers and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger…. he almost died for the work of Christ, risking his life to make up for the help you could not give me. - Philippians 2:25, 30

The radio preacher put it this way: "God honors people like that - people who are willing to gamble it all away, risk it all, for the service of Christ."

Anytime a poker player goes all-in, his "life" in the tournament or cash game is at risk. A loss means elimination, or at least a trip to the ATM for more money. But that man with a long name risked everything "for the work of Christ." What sort of service is that? You might be surprised....

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance form the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. - Colossians 3:23-24

"Whatever you do," the verse says. If you're working for Jesus, be diligent about it. Can that include a poker night, which might not really be "work?" We think it can, if you focus on serving the Lord instead of your own desires of the flesh.

For everything in the world - the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does - comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever. - I John 2:16-17

The point is to go all-in for God, not yourself. Be an example and a witness for Jesus. And if you can have some fun along the way, enjoy it. That's what Epaphroditus did. Are you willing to take the same sort of gamble?

Right or Wrong?

Several weeks ago we referred to a radio message by a deceased Baptist pastor on whether gambling is right or wrong. (A link at the earlier post may call up that message, so you can listen to it.)

It's really the ultimate question for some people, when it comes to playing poker. If God doesn't gamble, believers should not. If He does.... well, we don't hear that many "religious people" dare to say that.

We've now used that Adrian Rogers message for several days of careful Bible study. He tried to make several points against gambling - and probably by extension, against playing poker in casinos. We invite you to meditate with us on some of them, over the next few posts.

1. Gambling is different from risk-taking.  The pastor noted all things we do in life have risks - and that's true. Even a walk down a flight of stairs can be disastrous, if you're not careful.

Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap. - Ecclesiastes 11:4

The minister referred to farming with this verse. Many a farmer has planted a crop, only to see it ruined by drought or flooding rain.

So where does "risk-taking" end and "gambling" begin? The minister indicated the difference lies in what the effort produces. A farmer can bring in a crop, while "nothing is produced" by gambling and the vast majority of players lose.

We agree that a lot of people lose when they gamble. That's why we say if you're not doing well at it, you should probably cut your losses and stop.  In the Internet age, plenty of free online sites let you test your capability at no charge. (Compare that with, well, maybe Farmville on Facebook.)

But we'd also say the same thing about farming, or any other business career. If you're not succeeding, why keep trying something which will lead to a dead end? Consider....

Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God. - Acts 5:38-39

This advice was given to the Sanhedrin, which was trying to shut down the first Christian apostles. The group accepted that advice, let the apostles go (verse 40) - and Christianity spread rapidly from there. The Sanhedrin's work seemed proper to them, but God had other ideas.

Like it or not, plenty of poker pros make an income and a living at the game. Whether it's "God's will" for them is not really for us to judge. But whether they realize it or not, they practice a Bible principle:

Cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it again. - Ecclesiastes 11:1

Not everyone eventually finds it, but some do. That's every bit as true on farms as in casinos.

(NOTE: This will be a series of posts, so keep checking here for the next part.)

Czech or Bet

It's one of the classic poker questions. Is it a game of skill? Or simple luck? Or a combination of both?

This question has gone to courts of law more often than you might think. The latest ruling comes from a court in the Czech Republic. It ruled even poker tournaments (as opposed to cash games) are gambling, so organizers have to obtain state licenses:

The court argued that chance was a crucial factor in poker, making it gambling rather than a game.

We really can't deny that point -- and we don't think most experienced poker players would, either.  When tournaments get late, blinds are high and players are scarce, the cards you're dealt matter a lot.

But we'd add life is full of chances and big decisions. The biggest risk you'll ever make does not involve the choice of a spouse, or even whether to go all-in with pocket Kings.  It's this....

Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out -- those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned. - John 5:28-29

Jesus is talking about an upcoming time of judgment. How will He determine good from evil?  He answered that....

I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me will not be condemned.... the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. -- John 5:24-25

You can "hear" the words the Jesus said, by studying the Bible - especially the first four books of the New Testament, including John. Then believe them by putting them into practice.

We believe Jesus advised doing good things, not bad things. We have an article which attempts to sort them out. Which bet in life will you make?

Remember As You Play....

The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it. - Proverbs 27:12

When you have 4-4 and the flop brings a third 4, that feels good.  But what if that 4 is a heart, and another heart is next to it?

Simply offering a small "come on in" bet could be asking for danger.  Many players with flush draws are likely to wager a little, in hopes of winning a lot if one more heart comes on the turn or the river -- then spring a big "gotcha" raise at the key moment.

One thing we've learned only recently is the importance of "throwing the block" in those situations.  A big bet on the flop could drive the "fishermen" away.  You might not win a huge pot.  But if you need to win a pot because your stack is low, at least you'll gain something.

Now let's reverse the roles.  If you're on a flush draw and someone makes a big "I dare you" bet, how do you respond?  Do you smell danger and cut your losses -- or "go forward in faith" (to borrow from Exodus 14:15) and risk missing the draw?

Decisions like that reveal what sort of poker player you are.  The answer can depend on how you read your opponent, how many chips you have -- and if you're not careful, even whether the dealer laughed at your joke attempt three hands ago.

We've never played the reality game Dungeons and Dragons.  But we've watched other people do it - and one thing they learn when they enter a new room is to "check for traps."  Be smart and aware of potential dangers during poker hands, and you're less likely to be trapped by an opponent.  Do that in life, and your days may be a lot longer.

Remember As You Play....

Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap. - Ecclesiastes 11:4

Some poker players get reputations as "rocks" or "tight," because they only get involved where they have a strong chance of winning.  Sometimes that approach gets results; sometimes it doesn't.

We were reminded the other night through Christian radio of an interesting section of Ecclesiastes.  It includes our verse above, which sounds like it relates to farming -- but one poker players might summarize this way: "Scared money doesn't win."

Wait for the perfect moment to make a move at the poker table, and you might run out of moments.  The odds of being dealt pocket Aces (or, for that matter, any card combination without regard to suit) are 220 to 1.  Since most tournaments have quick-rising blinds, the patient approach ultimately hits a wall of time and reality.  So what's a poker player to do?

Cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it again.... Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let not your hands be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well. - Ecclesiastes 11:1, 6

Despite the commonly-used phrase "Christian conservative," God inspires these words to encourage a certain amount of risk-taking.

Where do you draw the line with that?  Ahhhh - that's the hard part.  Different people set different lines which they don't cross.  Those lines about when to stay in and when to get out get drawn through years of experience.

So let's open this up for discussion.  Where do you draw lines in what poker hands you play -- either pre-flop or beyond?

Poker Night 342: Diamonds or Junk?

Our Thursday night routine resumed tonight -- as Lil Kim's Cove has moved poker night back to where it's been for years.  That meant a short walk, a two-dollar can of soda, and careful play against a table filled with much larger stacks of chips.  But can you be too careful?

BLINDS: 500/1,000

IN THE POCKET: J-8 of diamonds

We won the first pot of the night, but the gain was small.  A large-scale missed flop later in the first hour left us with only 4,500 chips after the break.  We say "only" because bigger stacks abound; one man openly is boasting about having 100,000 in large denominations.

So at our table of six, we now sit one behind the dealer.  We're dealt these medium-high suited cards.  We have enough chips for only three "laps around the race track," as we like to call it.  Would you risk 18 percent of your holdings on this, simply to see a flop?  We decide the odds of hitting a flush are too steep at this point to take this chance, especially with other players calling.  We fold.

ON THE FLOP: 9d-10d-Qd

WHAT?!?!!?!?!!?  It's all we can do to keep a "poker face" when we see this.

"Here come the diamonds," one man says.  Well, not the ones he might want.  We slowly pull back our folded cards and show them to the dealer, who also folded pre-flop.  We say nothing.  He says quietly what we knew -- we let go of a straight flush.  But the hand continues without us....

ON THE TURN: 9c

As we recall, one player offered 5,000 at this point.  "One more diamond!" another says with optimism as he calls.

ON THE RIVER: 2c

"Good no-diamond," that man now says.  After a moment of stare-down, both players check.  The caller has Q-J, and top his opponent's Queen with a better kicker.

"Look at what I folded!" we now announce -- and show our folded cards.

The table is stunned at the one that got away.  "I would have called with two diamonds," a couple of players say.

"But my stack is so small," we respond as we pick up our five chips totaling 4,500.  Those players insist they still would have entered the hand -- easy for them to say, with much larger stacks.

This hand came down to how much of a risk-taker (some would flat-out say gambler) you are.  We tend not to be.  And in this case, it cost us a 5,000-chip bonus for the straight flush -- and probably 9,000 more, because the players with Queens for two pair were likely to call if we went all-in.

We dreamed redemption would come two hands later, when we had A-8.  We limped in.  A man raised 3,000.  We added 500 more, to go all-in.  But the board didn't pair for us; instead 3-4-5 appeared, and a man with A-2 made a winning straight.  We left with 13th place -- and dreams about what might have been.

MINISTRY MOMENT: Earlier in the day, we visited a local hospital.  One of the regulars on our poker circuit checked in about a week ago due to chest pains.  Harry told us doctors found "other stuff" -- including occasional involuntary shaking, which still can't be explained.  We promised we'd pray for his recovery.

This short visit really is the least we could do for Harry.  But in making the trip, we recall words of Jesus about a future time of judgment....

Then the King will say to those on his right, "Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.  For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat.... I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me." - Matthew 25:34-36 (NASB)

In the Internet era, a "visit" also can be accomplished in an online way.  Harry's relatives set up a laptop computer by his bed -- and of course, he's using it in part to play online poker.  The relatives also created a Facebook account for him.  So if you'd like to send him a message, click on this link -- but be patient; Harry admits he's new at using computers.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 121 final tables in 342 nights (35.4%) - 19 cashes.

NATIONAL LEAGUE OF POKER TOTAL: Full tournaments - 261 point wins in 1,112 games (23.5%), 82 final tables, 10 cashes, 10 wins.  No-River Hold 'em - 8 point wins in 42 games (19.0%), 7 final tables, 1 cash/win.

For the third time in August, we won money at NLOP!  It was a second-place finish Tuesday night, in a tournament with 398 players.  There's an interesting story behind that game, which we'll share in an upcoming post.

POKER STARS.NET TOTAL: Pretend cash games - $82,986, up $1,388.

What Are the Odds?

"I don't know if God likes poker I know lady luck does...." So someone wrote during one of our recent online poker tournaments. Another National League of Poker game brought up the "L-word" as well....

dokerbohm: guess it time to go as usual at this site
dokerbohm: good luck all
Dealer: flopblogger wins Main Pot ($2150)
dokerbohm: cause thatsll you need here luck
Me: What percentage of poker (in general) would you say is luck?
Gonad: skill wins here bwahaha
boondock618: Cant u hear the violin in the background
dokerbohm: use to think it was 70 precent luck 30 precent skill
dokerbohm: but here its 95 luck and 5 precent skill
boondock618: so it is skill to go all in with 1o jack
dokerbohm: constant river saves way beyond industry norms

We've also lost our share of big pots and all-in bets online, to opponents catching river cards. So does that mean poker is entirely a game of chance -- and condemned by the Bible as wrong?

We'd answer NO to both parts of that question. There's a measure of skill (how much is open to debate) in terms of knowing if your cards are good, and utilizing them properly. And believe it or not, we heard a legendary U.S. Southern Baptist Pastor on radio the other day saying risk can be biblically acceptable.

The late Adrian Rogers based that view on the book of Ecclesiastes. "As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother's womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things. Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let not your hands be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well." (Ecc. 11:5-6)

A farmer has no guarantee his planted seed will yield a bumper crop. All sorts of things could happen, from pestilence to a killing frost. But a farmer plants in faith -- and a believing farmer trusts God with the outcome.

We do the same when we play poker. A bad beat could come early. A big pot could come our way, leading to a win. The outcome is in God's hands, and we trust that His outcome is best for us.

"Trust in him at all times, O people.... for God is our refuge," says Psalm 62:8. Is that where your trust is -- at all the tables of life?

A Sermon on Poker and Risk

A pastor in Southern California makes a confession about his history with Texas Hold 'em, as he encourages you to go "All In." This has audio accompanied by PowerPoint.

A check of the church's web site shows it has occasional men's poker nights. We wish more had this sort of thing.