Slot, Pop and Play

Casinos are filled with them. We tend to walk right by them. But this evening, we were challenged to be successful at them - for two minutes.

Jack Casino invited us to its August "Birthday Bash". (Now you know our birthday month.) The main event was a free-entry slot tournament, with $2,500 in free play at stake. All we had to do was post one of the five highest scores in a two-hour span.

Our game time was 6:20 p.m. We stood behind the early leader, who racked up more than 100,000 points at 6:05. Doris's strategy was simple: pound the "play" button on the slot machine as quickly as you could, and watch the screen to touch balloons that occasionally appeared for thousands of bonus points.

"May the best button-pusher win," we said to a man next to us when our turn came.

Our tongue was only partly in-cheek. This tournament reminded us of why we avoid slots and prefer playing poker. Slot machines tend to be mindless, with no real skill involved. If you think religion is that way as well.... well, it really shouldn't be. Consider what Jesus told one man:

He answered, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'....." "You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live." - Luke 10:27-28

Jesus was talking about how to obtain eternal life (verse 25). It's an "all-in" process - and that includes loving God with "all your mind." Does that mean turning your brain off at the church door? We believe it's exactly the opposite....

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things. - Philippians 4:8

For instance, it means thinking over whether poker players are telling "true stories" in the way they play their hands. It also means thinking carefully about what God really expects of your life....

...But test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. - I Thessalonians 5:21 (NLT)

Sometimes the "gospel truth" well-intentioned people bring you is really "fake news." You can prove fact from fiction by comparing those comments with the Bible. If you're not a Bible reader, we recommend doing it daily to understand God properly.

But we digress....

The countdown went to zero, and our "two-minute drill" was on! We pressed the slot machine's "play" button with our right hand about six times a second, while saving our left hand for balloons to pop. We saw "second place" on our screen at one point early, and noticed we were above 60,000 points at the one-minute mark (everyone starts with 10,000).

"We want balloons!" we said to the machine several times, changing hands for the "play" button to avoid slowing down. To our knowledge, we didn't miss any balloons. But were we strong enough to win?

"You beat me!" we said to the man on our right after the clock reached zero. Our final score: 82,035 points. He was above 88,000. Based on the early results, 100,000 or more probably would be required to "make the money" - and we were only sixth in our group.

With our daily exercise (as we called it) completed, we walked over to the birthday party area. Jack's email promised cupcakes, but Jack topped that (for a change) with a full two-flavor cake, cookies and punch.

"If I had eaten the cake before the game, I might have done better," we joked to people around us. Perhaps a "sugar rush" would have made us press buttons faster. Instead, we settled for a consolation prize of a small win at a blackjack table.

In contrast to this, Hollywood Casino Indiana awarded us $15 in "birthday comps" on our card - good for a couple of free meals at one of the restaurants. Which deal do you think was better? Use your mind to comment - and even to worship the God who makes these moments possible.

Poker Day 527: The Perfect Storm

The old cliché says lightning never strikes twice in the same place. But is that really true? Before we answer, take a look at an amazing hand today in the tournament at Kansas Star Casino.... and yes, there will be a connection:

BLINDS: 300/600

IN THE POCKET: K-Q offsuit

We won two nice pots in the first hour, including one with pocket Aces. Then A-J paid off to eliminate a player, and move us to 7,700. But a couple of hands before this one, an amazing thing happened. We pushed with K-K, ran into a man with A-A - yet we caught a King on the river to stay alive!

So we start this hand with more than 14,000 chips. The man we beat moments earlier is sitting two seats to our right, and going all in for 2,500.

"I'll help him out," we say as we call - realizing he could be pushing with anything. But two other men at the table call. This could be huge.

ON THE FLOP: K-Q-8

We're quietly thrilled by this - top two pair! We're first in line and bet 2,000, expecting the other men in the hand to concede. Trouble is, they both call. Do they have pocket Kings or Queens?

"This could buy you right back in," a man out of the hand says to the player who went all-in.

ON THE TURN: 9

Seemingly harmless - but now we want to make sure, and we have the chip stack to back it up.

"Four-thousand," we say - emphasis on the four. A young man at the end of the table ponders it for a moment. Then he goes all in! And if that's not enough, the other man in the hunt pushes behind him! Have our worst fears become reality?

"I'll do it," we say - becoming the fourth player to go all in. After all, we've committed a lot of money to the pot and our hand is strong.

The dealer sorts out all the chips, and it turns out we have fewer than the man at the far end. So there are two sidepots. But who has what? It's time to show....

Man at far end: A-K
Man across the table: A-K
Man who pushed for 2,500 to start all this: A-Q

"I have two pair, though," we point out. No one else does, so we have a big lead!

CORRECTED: Let's take a moment to analyze this. All four Kings are showing. If a Queen comes on the river, we make a full house to beat the first pusher's three of a kind. No straight or flush is in play. The only thing that can hurt us is the lone remaining Ace. We can knock out two players out, win a massive (estimated) 40,000 chips and probably cruise to the final table - if we dodge one card.

ON THE RIVER: A

"Yes!" understandably says the man at the far end. Based on what's showing, the odds of that Ace coming are 39 to one!

The two men with A-K split all the chips. The two players knocked out include us - as we finish tied for 22nd place, out of 56 entries.

So yes, in poker lightning can strike twice at the same table. And in real life, it can happen as well. The Empire State Building gets it several times a year.

MINISTRY MOMENT: A man sitting next to us mentioned the time he walked past a slot machine modeled after TV horror movie host Elvira. "Suddenly it said, 'Come here and play with me.'" That shook the man up a bit.

"Try the voices," we advised him, "to see what sort of voices they are."

We were reminded on Christian radio this evening of a young man in the Bible who faced somewhat the same situation.

The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was. Then the Lord called Samuel. Samuel answered, "Here I am!" And he ran to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me".... - I Samuel 3:3-5

But Eli explained he didn't call Samuel, and sent him back to bed. Then the call by God happened a second time, with a similar response....

Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord.... Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. - I Samuel 3:7-8

Eli was one of God's priests (I Samuel 1:3), so he was clearly sensitive to such things. He sent Samuel back to bed with different instructions (3:9).

The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" Then Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening." - I Samuel 3:10

That marked the official start of a long and beautiful relationship between God and Samuel. In perhaps the same way, we would ask: Is God calling you - perhaps not through dreams, but through other people or events in your life?

The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off - for all whom the Lord our God will call. - Acts 2:39

If God "makes the call" on your life, "call" as in poker. Go heads-up with Him, but in a humble way. After all, He holds all the cards - but we think going all-in for God is the best decision you'll ever make.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 191 final tables in 527 games (36.2%) - 39 cashes. Experiment update: Down $75.

Rage Against the Machine

The word "poker" can mean different things in different places. In our part of the U.S., it usually refers to a table game with cards and chips. But other countries have "poker machines" which are really more like slot machines.

A trial involving those machines is underway this week in Australia. A casino player named Shonica Guy claims a casino and a "poker machine" company misled her about her chances of winning at one particular machine - and she went on to lose a lot of money.

One phrase struck us right away when reading this story. Guy is described as a "gambling addict", who says "poker machines took over my life for.... 14 years." If that's true, that's sad - and it's a reminder that even regular poker players can become addicted to the game. Some timeless advice applies here:

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. - I John 2:15

Would anyone be addicted to poker or "pokies" (as the Aussies call them) if there was not a little "love" involved? Many addicts (gambling or otherwise) probably wouldn't put it that way. They might say something inside draws them in - something they think they can't control. But that "love" of the addiction needs to be replaced. And the love of God is the best possible replacement.

The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever. - I John 2:17

The hope of eternal life in God's Kingdom is offered to those who, for lack of a better term, become addicted to Him and to Jesus Christ. We think you can still play those games (yes, we realize others would disagree). But as Jesus said, borrowing from a message we heard at church last weekend....

You cannot be my disciple, unless you love me more than you love your father and mother, your wife and children, and your brothers and sisters. You cannot come with me unless you love me more than you love your own life. - Luke 14:26 (CEV)

Love Jesus more than anybody. More than anything. More than any game. A good church group can help you with that....

But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. - Hebrews 3:13

For more specialized help with addiction, a support group might be the answer you need. But don't blame the machine or a casino for your problem. We don't really think they're holding you hostage. Go to God in prayer, and begin moving toward a better life - even toward eternal life.

Slots of Luck?

One of our recent posts mentioned a surprising development in the city where our poker-playing (and this "poker blog") began. The City Council in Columbus, Georgia is now on record supporting a public vote on legalizing casino gambling.

It's far too early to say if Georgia voters will approve a casino, or whether that casino will have any kind of poker room. But supporters say it will create hundreds of jobs. To which we would respond: what else will it create?

It's a rare state that has poker rooms with nothing else supporting them. Most of the rooms we've visited in Florida also have greyhound racing. In Kansas, the rooms are part of casinos - with lots and lots of slots. We tend to walk past those machines. But we realize many people don't - and the odds are that those people will lose money.

Casinos make money to some extent from restaurants, bars and an occasional concert. But most of the time, they "win" from gamblers losing - primarily from slot machines. It's enough for us to raise a question found in the Bible:

Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy?.... - Isaiah 55:2

We brought this verse up a few weeks ago, in the wake of the WSOP Main Event. But if you have money to burn, we think there are better "investments" than throwing quarters into a slot machine. For instance....

Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. - II Corinthians 9:7

We're posting this a bit late for "Giving Tuesday." But money you might toss down a slot could be used for good causes by non-profit groups and charities. Faith-based groups can use the money to help needy people, whether they're down the street or halfway around the world. Those people might even hear life-changing news about salvation through Jesus Christ.

But, you might say, you have no chance of getting back any money at all? Keep reading....

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, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. - II Corinthians 9:10-11

No, we are not asking for your donations to keep this blog going. But we're suggesting you consider giving some of your "gambling money" to faith-based groups - since the Bible promises you'll "be made rich" in return. It's worked for us, despite some hard times. Yes, a church or fellowship can be a better long-term investment than any casino..

Sodas or Substance?

The day at an Oklahoma lake was very nice - a Bible study and worship service with fellow believers, two rounds of good food, and even a little singing.  But of course, we wanted to make up the costs of the trip.  So without telling anyone there, we stopped at casinos after sunset on the way home.

Some Oklahoma casinos welcome poker players.  Others have nothing to offer.  So in case you're planning a road trip, here's what we found heading north on Interstate 35 from the Perry area:

1. TONKAWA WEST - SODAS.  The cups are free, but the room has nothing but slot machines.  There's a bar in the middle, where we watched hockey on TV for a few minutes.  After the free cup, we moved on.

2. SOUTHWIND CASINO - SODAS.  In Braman, OK, the room had basketball on TV.  But that was about the only difference.  Slot machines were in abundance, but nothing more.  It was one cup and out for us again.

3. KANSAS STAR - SUBSTANCE.  Compared to the first two, this is a full-fledged casino. We knew that, because we'd been there several times before.  But on a busy Saturday night, a quick game of poker wasn't available.  Five players were on a  poker room waiting list, and the Ultimate Texas Hold 'em tables were full.

After pondering it for a few minutes (with a free smaller cup of soda, of course), we found a seat playing $10 blackjack.  It was the perfect time for us - as after an opening-hand push, we hit a couple of doubles and went up $70.  We left after a loss, tipping the dealer and taking $55 profit.

The moral of the story for us is this: some casinos are roadside moneymakers for businesses or tribes.  Let's face it: how many players really hit slot jackpots -- and have some skill required to do it?  But other places give you at least a some chance of succeeding.

It can be that way when it comes to religion, too.  If you're considering a place to worship, ask carefully if the leaders really are doing what the Bible says:

In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage -- with great patience and careful instruction. - II Timothy 4:1-2

The apostle Paul gave this guidance to a young minister.  But it's good advice for evaluating a place to worship God.  Is "the Word" being taught?  As in....

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.... The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.... - John 1:1, 14

If Jesus is being taught and sin is being corrected and rebuked, you may be on the right track.  But here's another verse that gave us pause in recent days:

I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. - Revelation 2:2

Some ministers can seem like "substance", but their actions are more like flat soda.  They don't live up to a Biblical standard.

Now the Bereans.... received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. - Acts 17:11

It takes daily reading of the Bible to know if a minister is true, or if he's bluffing you like a poker player who missed a big draw.  May you check it carefully - and look for substance in worship, instead of a bubbly drink.

Slots or Not

Not all "casinos" are created equal.  We learned this on our vacation, when we stopped at a small one along a U.S. highway in western Oklahoma.

The casino consisted of several rows of slot machines -- and little more.  We looked around, walked right back to the car and drove away.

But the next day, we cashed in a "birthday bonus" at a casino near our home.  We were awarded five dollars in free slot play.  We picked a machine somewhat at random -- and in only a couple of minutes, our five-dollar gift went away with winnings of only 95 cents.  That was enough for us.

Maybe we're wrong, but slot machines strike us as pure gambling.  It's all luck, with no skill or thinking involved.  We agree with the preachers who openly mourn the older people who drop dollar after dollar in this way.

Table games such as poker have a degree of luck, to be sure.  But many times, you have to think a little and consider your chances.  Exercising a bit of skill moves slightly toward fulfilling a proverb:

Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished, but he that gathers by labor shall increase. - Proverbs 13:11 (KJV)

A different Bible translation puts the last part of the verse this way: "Money earned little by little will grow and grow."

That actually happened to us after our slot machine test.  We sat down at an Ultimate Texas Hold 'Em table, won three hands in a row and gained $35.  Then this happened:

BLINDS: $5/$5

IN THE POCKET: 4-6 offsuit

That doesn't look promising.  But as some poker players like to say, any two cards can win.  There's no penalty in checking, so we do.

ON THE FLOP: A-A-5

Not too thrilling for us.  Maybe a longshot straight or full house will come.  But we know better than to bet two times our blind on that.  We check again.

ON THE TURN/RIVER: A-3

A man to our right suddenly is excited.  Three Aces are on the table.  If we had plunked down five more dollars on the "trips" option, that would have earned us $15 -- enough to break even.  But we don't normally play trips at live tables (only online with pretend money), so we miss out.  We fold.

When that man's turn comes to show his cards, he displays a fourth Ace!  "Quads," the dealer announces to the pit boss.

That man truly has a reason to be excited.  Quads pays 30 to 1 on the "trips" button, and 10 to 1 on the blind.  He wins something in the neighborhood of $500.  We sat one seat away from a jackpot.

At that point, we have to leave to go home and run errands.  "Be sure to tithe on all that money," we tell the big winner.  He nods a bit as he smiles -- leaving us to wonder if he knows what that word means.

You people are robbing me, your God.  And, here you are, asking, "How are we robbing you?"  You are robbing me of the offerings and of the ten percent that belongs to me. - Malachi 3:8 (CEV)

A "tithe" is ten percent.  God has required that of believers since the days of ancient Israel.

I am the Lord All-Powerful, and I challenge you to put me to the test.  Bring the entire ten percent into the storehouse, so there will be food in my house.  Then I will open the windows of heaven and flood you with blessing after blessing. - Malachi 3:10 (CEV)

The "ice bucket challenge" is a fad of the moment.  God dares you to take the "ten percent challenge."  We give God a tenth of our poker winnings, through the church we attend.  Will you do the same, and claim His promise of abundant blessings?

Think and Grow Rich

"Any idiot can pull the lever on a slot machine."  So says the last line of an article about whether or not poker is pure gambling, or a "game of skill."

To be honest, that writer sums up well why we walk right by the rows upon rows of slot machines at casinos.  We ask where is the challenge there.  Where is the opportunity to outwit "the system" built into a video slot machine, and actually have success?

Yes, we've heard stories about people who have defied the odds and won consistently.  They're stories mixed with allegations of cheating, primarily by casino operators catering to "high-roller" customers.  But to us, poker requires more thinking than that -- at least to have consistent success.

Which leads us to ask: what do you think about away from the poker tables -- or even during games?  There's one mind we need to be copying and emulating:

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.... - Philippians 2:5 (KJV)

Some would say this sounds bland and boring.  But it's actually a better way to think.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the Lord.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. - Isaiah 55:8-9 (KJV)

God's way of thinking is "higher" -- which in the original Hebrew means it's loftier.  Yet there's a catch here, because many times we think too highly of ourselves....

For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.  But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. - Galatians 6:3-4 (KJV)

You might think you're a good poker player.  But if the evidence doesn't show up in the statistics (such as cash game winnings or tournament final tables), you're deceiving yourself.

It may sound like the "mind control" of a cult, but ask God to help you think properly -- when you're playing poker, and in all aspects of your life.  (For starters, we suggest reviewing every time "mind" and "think" appears in the Bible.)  That help might bring you better skill at a table, and a better life overall.