False Alarms, True Sense

Our last post mentioned the moment of fear we had driving to a poker night. A tire warning light started flashing as we crossed a high bridge. The last thing we wanted was a flat tire there - especially on a cold winter evening.

Thankfully, a tire store was still open on the other side of the bridge. There we learned a flashing light really means a "sensor battery" to monitor the tire had failed - not the tire itself. So we could drive on to the poker room with that knowledge.

Have you ever faced something liked that, when playing poker? You sense trouble in the middle of a hand - perhaps by how an opponent is betting or a "tell" you're perceiving. It could be right. Or you may discover it was all a bluff, to scare you out of a big win.

Some people say you should run at the first sign of danger. Others say you should "curse the torpedoes - full speed ahead." We consulted a famous book filled with wisdom for the best approach you should take....

For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have.... pierced themselves with many sorrows.... man of God, so run from all these evil things.... - I Timothy 6:10-11 (NLT)

This is interesting - if your "spidey sense" (to borrow from an old cartoon) indicates trouble, you should check yourself. Why would you plow on? Because you're greedy for a big pot, or want to get even with someone for an earlier pot? If that's the motive, the Bible recommends running the other way.

Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts... - II Timothy 2:22 (NLT)

(For some people, this could mean not playing poker at all - but that's not really our topic here.)

But you may be convinced that moving forward is the right thing to do. (For instance, it's easy when you have a nut flush.) If so, move ahead:

And the Lord said to Moses, "Why do you cry to me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward...." - Exodus 14:15 (NKJV)

At this point, God was intervening to pull a nation out of Egypt - even splitting the Red Sea in two to do it (verses 21-30). He can back your wise decisions as well. He can even come to your rescue when a decision appears wrong; we've seen this happen in tournaments more than once.

In the case of our warning light, we stopped for advice from an expert. Obviously, that's not allowed in the middle of a poker hand - but we've seen blackjack dealers offer some from time to time. And after a hand or tournament, it's worth pursuing....

The godly offer good counsel; they teach right from wrong. - Psalm 37:30 (NLT)

So feel free to comment - what was the biggest moment you've ever had in poker where your sense of trouble was right, and you had a "great lay-down"? Or even a bad one?

Poker Night 553: Service Error

"Sunday night is folding night," we said several times tonight at Jack Casino. No, not football night. We entered the Sunday evening tournament, partly because of a busy schedule this week - but also partly in hopes that other players would be distracted by pro football games on the TV screens. But when is a fold right, and when is it wrong?

BLINDS: 800/1,600

IN THE POCKET: 10-10

We've won a few pots and slipped a few times. But we start this hand with around 17,000 chips from a starting 15,000. And because very few people have entered the night tournament (as opposed to 96 in the pricey Sunday midday event), we're already at the equivalent of the final table.

It appears seven players are left - but a troublesome man who was knocked out has returned, thanks to a re-buy. So there are eight of us, and no one has raised. It's tempting to raise with this pocket pair in the Dealer's spot, but we decide to cautiously call. About four players are in.

ON THE FLOP: 5-6-7

Straight potential is in plain sight. But no one bets ahead of us. So in last position with an overpair, we bet 2,500. The returnee calls; everyone else folds.

ON THE TURN: 7

Now we have two pair, and the returnee checks to us. His actions during the evening have left some players puzzled, and we wonder if he returned on tilt. So we bet 2,500 again - and he raises to 5,000. Now we're more sure he's on tilt. We quickly call.

ON THE RIVER: 2

If he's on a straight draw, he missed it. But this time, our opponent bets first - putting out 5,000 of his own. This gives us pause.

"This is a big moment," we say as we stare at our cards. "I know your works, to borrow from a book I've read."

"There's a tell," the man sitting to our left says.

Huh?!? We look across the table and see nothing unusual. Our opponent is getting a drink from a server. But we have the sense that our pocket pair isn't good enough - like he has pocket Jacks or something.

"I'm going to let it go," we say.

Our opponent then turns over - 6-6! He had a full house on the turn! Our hunch was right, but a little late. So what about that tell?

"He's paying for a drink when he has 800 chips [really thousands] on the table," the man to our left explains. "He knows he's winning."

What do you think? Is that a real tell? Or could it be a sign that a player is confident, and potentially could be too confident?

We thankfully received a bail-out moments later, when we received pocket Aces. A double-up put us at 19,500 at the two-hour break. Another big hand after the break put us at a high of 30,000.

But much like our last trip to Jack Casino, then came a couple of fatal slips - this time from erring on the side of caution. We folded pocket Queens when a man pushed after a flop with J-10. We feared he'd hit two pair; he only had one, as did a man who took him on.

Then we entered with 6,000 and A-8, saw an Ace on the flop, called an all-in bet - only to see an opponent with A-Q! The board didn't save us, and lousy timing took us out. We finished fifth out of 15 entries - but only the top three earned money, and we left frustrated about another potential cash that got away.

MINISTRY MOMENT: That man to our left hit a big jackpot, when he dared to play 3-6 and the flop was 3-6-A. "Thanks, God," we thought we heard him say.

"If you're thanking God," we told him, "you're thanking in the right direction."

A lot of people curse God and Jesus Christ. You may hear it often, in a poker environment or other places. But instead, we should be thankful to God for any blessings we receive. Consider this case Jesus encountered....

As he entered a village there, ten lepers stood at a distance, crying out, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" He looked at them and said, "Go show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy. - Luke 17:13-14 (NLT)

It was a healing miracle times ten! But keep reading....

One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, "Praise God!" He fell to the ground at Jesus's feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan. - Luke 17:15-16 (NLT)

In this moment of praise and worship, the Lord seemed to pay more attention to the people who were not there....

Jesus asked, "Didn't I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?"....  Luke 17:17-18 (NLT)

If other people around you are thankful over something - even if it's a big comeback by another poker player - do you join them? Be careful. God doesn't get so distracted by the praise of some people that he overlooks the ingratitude of others. In fact, it might come up where you least expect it - at the judgment seat of Jesus Christ.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 205 final tables in 553 games (37.1%) - 41 cashes. We'll be taking a short break from live tournaments for upcoming church activities.

Flop Friday Funny

As seen recently on Facebook....

Flop Friday Funny

As seen on social media....

(We wear glasses, and this has actually been a concern for us at times!)

Moment of Hesitation

The flop has come. Your hand is OK, but not too great. You check. The player to your left waits a moment or two, then offers a big bet.

What have you just learned about your opponent? Anything?

You probably should learn something, according to one poker writer we found recently. He says hesitation is a "physical tell" - revealing someone has a strong hand. On the other hand, players with weaker hands or bluffs will act quickly to avoid getting analyzed.

Isn't real life sometimes exactly the opposite of this? People who hesitate to make decisions might be considered weak and indecisive. Yet consider one of the most important decisions ever made....

Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, "Sit here while I go over there and pray"... Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." - Matthew 26:36, 39

Jesus Christ knew what He had been sent to do. Prophecies in the Old Testament spoke of it. Yet the Lord went to the garden of Gethsemane before He was arrested to be crucified. There He took time to pray - and even appeal to the Father for some kind of alternate course. A spiritually strong "man" hesitated, to be sure of what was coming and how to act.

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope. - Psalm 130:5

Even if you're sure about your situation - in poker or otherwise - stop a moment to think things through. If you're in a strong position, you'll be more sure of your actions. If you're in a weak position.... well, you might scare some opponents away.

Poker Day 494: Show and Tell

It always helps a poker player to know what his opponent has. But let's face it - how often does that happen? Well, check what we encountered Friday at Kansas Star Casino....

BLINDS: 300/600

IN THE POCKET: Q-5 offsuit

If the blinds are this high, we've done pretty well. It's level seven, and we've won some nice pots to reach a high for the day of 11,500 chips. We honestly don't remember how many we had at this point. And we don't recall anyone raising pre-flop. We recall three players entering the hand, out of seven or eight at the table.

ON THE FLOP: Q-10-3

At this point in the tournament, top pair on the flop is nice. Out notes indicate we checked, then a woman to our left bets 1,300. A man to the right folds, but we call.

"I want to go play cards," the woman says (she means at some other casino table) - and turns over K-10! The rest of the table wonders what she's doing, since she has plenty of chips left.

"I'm sorry, I thought you were all in," she says to us. No, far from it. We have several thousand chips left - and we suddenly have a huge advantage which goes beyond top vs. second pair.

"I'm going to have to call the Tournament Director," the dealer says. While that woman comes over, the play continues....

ON THE TURN: A

We have first position, and we're neither showing nor telling what we have. Instead we bet 1,200. The woman seems resigned to her fate, and calls. As we recall, a flush threat was on the board at this point....

ON THE RIVER: A

....But that card settled that. Now we know we've won the pot. So we pretend to do some math, and bet 1,200 more. She calls. We show our Queen. We won a big pot. And the Tournament Director now makes her ruling.

"You'll have to take a ten-minute penalty," she tells the woman we beat. That woman still has a good-sized stack of chips - and now has time to go play "craps," as she put it.

When we win a big pot that way, we get the feeling it's going to be a good day for us. It wasn't easy, though, with a couple of all-in escapes from three tables down. But a big win with a pair of 6's allowed us to reach the final table with 13,500 chips!

Once we got there, a pursuit with A-8 lost. That forced us to push with A-5 - and while a 5 appeared on the board, another man made a pair of Kings to eliminate us. Out of 71 players, we finished in ninth place. That missed the money by two spots, but allowed us to match a final-table start to 2016 in live play.

MINISTRY MOMENT: We took our "Lord's Supper" card protector, which gained the attention of several people. One dealer figured out right away what it displayed.

"The church I attend will take that in about 11 weeks," we told him. "We only take it once a year."

That may come as a surprise to some people. In fact, we were in a congregation about a week earlier which takes communion at every worship service. Which approach is right?

We don't think the Bible gives a flat-out answer, but it offers some clues....

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, "This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year.... Take care of them until the 14th day of the month...." - Exodus 12:1-2, 6

This was the mention of a Passover in the Bible (verse 11). A lamb was set aside and prepared for days, before the Israelites left Egypt. Many observant Jews still do something like this once a year, in the spring.

Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover." - Luke 22:7-8

Jesus's physical heritage was Jewish, so He followed the ancient example.

And he said to them, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer." - Luke 22:15

Instead of departing Egypt, Jesus was able to enter about 18 hours of personal darkness - with an arrest, persecution and crucifixion. Yet He took the Passover (or communion or "Lord's Supper") first - following tradition, but adding new symbols (verses 19-21).

For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. - I Corinthians 11:26

Jesus Christ died for us. The Bible leaves no doubt about that (I Thessalonians 4:14). "It's that big a deal," we told the dealer - something we don't think should be diminished by taking the Passover/Lord's Supper repeatedly. So we would ask: how big a deal is Jesus's sacrifice to you? And how big should it be?

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 182 final tables in 494 games (36.8%), 36 cashes. We've finished 12th and ninth in our last two trips to Kansas Star, both in tournaments with 70-plus players.

The Tell Overture

If you can figure out when your opponent is bluffing, you're far more likely to succeed at a poker table. But we never imagined there are so many ways to do it.

One man is making a living by telling about "tells." He has at least 16 videos, along with books about things to spot that could tip off a player's hand. For instance: if a player waits for you to act, it usually "will indicate nervousness and hence weak hands."

Maybe so - but here's our question about this. Do videos revealing potential tells actually make some players more likely to include those "tells" as part of their bluffing strategy? The game becomes more than simply a reaction to your cards - it becomes how well you sell that reaction.

Perhaps this is why some professional actors like Don Cheadle have done well in tournaments. They know all about "Hollywooding", as it's called in poker. Some of us call it an acting job. And it's been used to fool people for a long time:

David took these words to heart and was very much afraid of Achish king of Gath. So he pretended to be insane in their presence; and while he was in their hands he acted like a madman, making marks on the doors of the gate and letting saliva run down his beard. - I Samuel 21:12-13

This occurred before David became the Bible's "King David." He was on the run from the then-ruling King Saul (verse 10), who wanted him dead (chapter 19). David apparently was concerned about King Achish as well, so he did some "Hollywooding" to avoid staying long.  Some might call this kind of acting a form of lying....

You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. - Deuteronomy 5:20

....But consider what happened to David. God didn't punish him for what he did. In fact, he gained a total following of about 400 men (I Samuel 22:2) - although we'd note they weren't necessarily the cream of the crop, described as "in debt or discontented".

So we're led to think a little "acting while you're acting," if you know what we mean, is OK. But we'd add this....

Let your moderation be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. - Philippians 4:5 (KJV)

There can be such a thing as "ham acting" - going so far overboard that you're not simply telling, you're screaming.

So what do you think? Are tells that common at the poker table? Have some people "shown a tell" to throw you off the track? And what's the top thing you examine, in considering an opponent's hand?

Poker Day 435: Running Down Chicago's Line

The crowds have been sparse at the Sunday poker games we've attended lately  Then again, we've been sparse at those games.  Today's tournament at Arrowhead Poker was our first in four weeks, due to vacation and things surrounding it.  But only seven players were at the table when it started - so anyone could come in late, sit right down and do what they pleased....

BLINDS: 1,000/2,000

IN THE POCKET: 3-9 offsuit

The day has been going very well, thanks to big gains from a full house on the river and a surprise win with pocket 5's.  We're near our high of 50,000 chips.  But there's only one reason we'd play these cards -- and we're in that reason: the Big Blind.  The table of seven checks to us, and we get in for free against three other players.

ON THE FLOP: 9-4-6

Top pair and early position gives us a chance to seize the pot right now.  We offer 6,000.

Two players fold -- but a young man who showed up late wearing a big "Chicago" hat (White Sox colors) says, "I'll look at one more card."  He calls.

ON THE TURN: 6

Now we have two pair, and have the feeling our opponent is looking for something bigger than this.  We try 10,000.

"Raise it to 30,000," Mr. Chicago says.  "Do you think a train's coming?"

At most tournaments in our area, this would qualify as a major-league tell.  But if he's going to be talkative, we might as well try for more details.  "Is a train coming?"

"Yup, a train's coming.  You want to get out of the way."

"What's the engine number on this train?" we ask.

"Number 6-6-6."

"Oh - that's one beast of a train, if you've got that."

"I know.  And I don't like the devil."

"I don't like the devil, either," we admit.  "So I'd better get out of the way."

We turn over our two pair and fold.  Mr. Chicago them slams down a 6.

"I don't go riding on that long black train," we tell him.  This draws a laugh from two people around us, including the poker room manager.

"Did I tell the truth?" Mr. Chicago asks.  Yup, he sure did -- to our loss.

This ranks our most humorous and fun poker moments since moving to our current location - if only because most of the players don't have this man's boisterous personality.  But we never recovered from that loss, as our stack slowly diminished from poor cards and rising blinds.

Finally forced to go all-in with the Big Blind and 10-7, a 10 came on the flop -- but a Queen on the river gave the Small Blind a better pair.  He won the race, and we finished fifth; only the top two players were paid money.

MINISTRY MOMENT: Let's go back and analyze that conversation.  We've noted the "beast" number here before....

This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man's number. His number is 666. - Revelation 13:18

 Why should we avoid the beast's number?  This chapter of the Bible explains....

The beast.... opened his mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. - Revelation 13:6

Verse 8 adds in the future, "all inhabitants of the earth" will worship this beast -- unless your name is "written in the book of life."  That book belongs to "the Lamb," as in Jesus....

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

This is way believers consider Jesus "the lamb of God".  He gave His life like a sacrifice, paying the death penalty of sin in our behalf.

"He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth".... The Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. - Acts 8:32, 35

Have you accepted this "lamb's offering", by repenting of your sins and asking Jesus to take them away?

(There's more to analyze from this conversation; we'll do that in a future post.)

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 155 final tables in 435 games (35.6%) - 25 cashes.  Today was our best finish since mid-June and our fourth final table in a row, but the last three were one-table tournaments.

Stuck In Neutral

Can playing poker make you a business success?  We've seen several articles over the years indicating the answer is yes.

The latest one comes from the executive vice president of a high-tech company.  Scott Welch offers five business lessons he's learned from poker rooms.  His top tip is "watching for clues" - checking people's body language or "tone of voice" to determine if they're honest or phony.

In poker, we suspect one of the best approaches to take with a hand is neutrality.  Make yourself as nondescript as possible, in your betting gestures or comments.  We learned to do this long before we entered our first poker tournament -- and sadly, we learned it by listening to church messages which sometimes made outlandish or inaccurate claims.

When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise. - Proverbs 10:19

There are times when saying nothing during a hand is the best way to stay out of trouble.  You won't be caught lying, and you might leave your opponent guessing.

Even a fool is thought wise is he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue. - Proverbs 17:28

But the wise writer of these proverbs also noted this....

There is a time for everything.... a time to be silent and a time to speak.... - Ecclesiastes 3:1, 7

So we're open for your thoughts on this.  When do you decide to speak during a poker hand, and when do you keep quiet?  Does it depend on the opponent?  The time in the tournament?  Leave a comment, and we'll get back to this in a future post.

The Nose Knows

Plenty of poker players wear sunglasses to disguise their eyes at the table.  "They make me invisible," one man declared the other night.

But maybe he's hiding the wrong thing.  New research indicates if you're lying, your nose is most likely to give you away.  It doesn't grow longer as in the story of Pinocchio, but it turns red when you stretch the truth.

Imagine the impact of this news on poker.  Will top players in Las Vegas intentionally develop sunburned noses, to avoid a tell?  Will fake "Rudolph" or clown noses start appearing on ESPN?

It doesn't have to be that way.  Offering a bluff to "stab" at a pot is one thing.  Saying you have a hand you really DON'T have is something else - something God opposes:

There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue.... a false witness who pours out lies.... - Proverbs 6:16-19

God detests lying so much that it makes his "hate list" not once, but twice!  The first time seems to have the implication of careless speech, while the "false witness" phrase refers to seeing one thing and saying another.

Why does God hate lying?  Because it reflects the exact opposite of His Son, our Savior....

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." - John 14:6

In contrast, Jesus said lying reflects a differing being:

You belong to your father, the devil.... He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him.  When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. - John 8:44

Which one would YOU rather emulate?  Jesus will judge us all someday - and he won't need a "nose check" to do it.

P.S.  How can you tell a "tell" at the poker table?  Care to share any tips - even anonymously?

Soho No-Go

Lil Kim's Cove traditionally is closed on Thanksgiving.  So we've traditionally traveled to Soho Bar and Grill on Thanksgiving Eve, for their Wednesday night tournament.

We did it again tonight - and found hardly anyone was there. A staff member told us the poker game was on Tuesday night this week -- moved up for some kind of pre-Thanksgiving bash tonight.

That's their choice, and we respect that.  We only wish the notice had come much earlier, to spare us the drive.

So we'll update our weekly poker statistics another time.  In the meantime, here's something else that could raise your.... well, hold it.  A New York doctor says he has a way to prevent your eyebrows from going up, and giving your hand away.  It's a form of plastic surgery he calls "poker-tox."

We think the price of several hundred dollars is a bit steep - especially considering it only lasts a few months.  Would you give it a try?  Why or why not?

Liar, Liar, Deck on Fire

It's admittedly an article about romantic relationships.  But when we found an article online today about how to spot a liar, we couldn't help thinking about poker.

So spill to us: when you're at the table, what tips you off to someone bluffing - or outright lying about a hand?  You can be confidential if you wish.

My Bi-Weekly Reader

The flop was 9-8-2.  We had 9-8.  So when our turn came, we bet several hundred.


"You have 9-8," a woman across the table from us said.  We said nothing, as the hand went on to the river.


"Who said I have 9-8?" we asked.  "You're right."  We showed the cards and claimed the pot.  But howwww did she know that?


"I read you.... how you play," the woman explained.


"We play too much d**n poker," a man next to her said with a laugh.


That man has a good point.  Play poker often enough with the same group of people, and you learn tendencies and habits -- not only about how they handle cards, but what sort of music they like and what they do for a living.


From a Biblical standpoint, there are two ways to look at this.  A believer should have a reputation for character that's above-board....

A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold. - Proverbs 22:1

If you say you're a Christian, your life should reflect that name -- especially in the public arena, such as a poker tournament.

We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.  We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. - II Corinthians 5:20

But on the other hand, Jesus warned some people that you might "read" as Christians actually might be something else:

Watch out for false prophets.  They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. - Matthew 7:15

We came across an online article offering tips on finding "tells" in online poker tournaments.  But we disagree with most of the author's conclusions.  For instance, quick bets can come from high-quality hands as much as junk cards.  It's the same way in life.  Even with believers in Jesus, their lives could be a big ol' bluff.

Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment. - John 7:24

Sadly, one minister who prophesied Jesus would return in late May wound up being convicted of federal tax evasion two weeks later.


During the tournament we won Monday night, we made one "bluff bet" on the river which convinced our one opponent to fold.  (No, we won't give further details.)  It was a case where we went against our "reputation" of tight play, and it worked to our advantage.  But going against a reputation of godliness certainly will not.


Let's conclude with a few discussion questions, open for your comments:


1.  Do big-betting players have an advantage in tournaments over tight players, because they're seen as more unpredictable -- and thus harder to read?


2.  Do you wind up with better results when you play poker outside your home area?  (Our quick count shows we've made final tables on road trips four out of five times.)


3.  What secrets do you have for "reading" opponents at a poker table, in person or online?  Is online reading really possible?

Poker Night 315: Show and Tell

Wednesday began for us with a strong morning jog, and ended with a strong finish in live poker.  Thursday began with an even strong morning jog, topping two miles non-stop.  Could the day end with an even stronger showing tonight at Lil Kim's Cove?  Some timely cards certainly couldn't hurt....

BLINDS: 50/100

IN THE POCKET: J-J

We won an early pot when 4-2 of diamonds turned into a flush.  Now we're "under the gun" -- first to act with a high pocket pair and about 8,900 chips.  But we know how other people at the table love to raise pre-flop, so we limp in.  We're a little disappointed when everyone else in the hand does the same thing, with no one raising.

ON THE FLOP: 2-2-K

That face clearly is a concern -- so when the play checks to us, we offer a "feeler" bet of 250.  Most of the table doesn't like that, and folds.  But the Big Blind immediately to our right calls.  We're heads-up.

ON THE TURN: 2

Three x 2 = full house for us.  The Big Blind checks again, and we hope to run him off by betting 600.  But that's where it gets weird.

"Why are we messing with this?" our opponent asks -- and he turns over one of his cards.  It's a King!  He calls -- and without realizing it, he does us a big favor.  We're topped, but we say (and show) nothing.

ON THE RIVER: 6

The man with a King checks.

"You win," we say as we check and show our losing pocket pair.  "You saved me some money.  Thank you!"

Let's face it -- that sort of early card-flip would never ever happen in a major-league tournament.  That low river card probably would have brought a third bet from us.  So his "tell" (done because he thought we also had a King) saved us from walking into a big loss.

If we won any more hands after that, they weren't memorable ones.  We had 6,550 chips at the one-hour break.  But then we bet heavily early in Hour 2 with a Jack in our hand and top pair on the flop -- losing to a  player with two pair.  Then forced a push with A-5, which brought no pair and a loss to two pair.  Our "big move" wound up toward the rail, as we finished in 16th place.

MINISTRY MOMENT: Our little battery brought another curious question, even before the tournament began.  We explained it reminded us of the power of the Holy Spirit.  "Do you believe in the Holy Spirit?" we asked the man.

"Oh yes," he answered.  "Very powerful force."

"What has the Holy Spirit done in your life lately?"

The man thought for a moment, then began listing his blessings.  "A roof over my head, good health, food on the table, money to buy cigarettes...."

Wait - what?!  "I'm not so sure those cigarettes will keep you in good health," we told the man.

He indicated he somehow "needed" those smokes.  But unlike the marijuana discussions we've had elsewhere, we're unaware of any medicinal benefits from smoking cigarettes.  Instead, the Bible reminds us....

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from  God?  You are not your own; you were bought with a price.  Therefore honor God with your body. - I Corinthians 6:19-20

The context of these verses actually involves "sexual immorality" (verse 18), but we think the principle still applies to smoking.  Medical studies by the truckload have shown the harm tobacco can do, at least to your lungs.  And we can smell enough odor on our shirts after an evening at the poker room to know we're getting some "secondhand smoke."

We pray that smoke isn't harming us -- and you know, our morning jogs are a good test of that.  We're thankful to God that we're doing well so far.

Christ gives me the strength to face anything. - Philippians 4:13 (CEV)

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 111 final tables in 315 nights (35.2%) - 17 cashes.

NATIONAL LEAGUE OF POKER TOTAL: Full tournaments- 225 point wins in 947 games (23.8%), 73 final tables, 7 cashes plus 1 other win.  No-River Hold 'em - 5 point wins in 25 games (20%), 4 final tables, 1 win.

POKER STARS.NET TOTAL: Pretend cash games - $76,846, down $4,965.  Suffice to say: a bad week there.

Going Through the Motions

The man checked his cards -- then looked up and down the table, as if he was counting everyone's stacks of chips.  He seemed to stare into space for a moment, as if he was calculating a bet.  He counted out several big chips, as if he was about to raise.  Then he adjusted them again -- and merely called before the flop.

Have you seen poker players do this sort of thing?  We sat next to one for awhile last week, during the tournament we entered in Florida.

"He's crazy," a man sitting near us said of the gesture-maker.  But that man admitted later, "He may be crazy, but he's not dumb" -- a comment made when the gesture-maker walked away for awhile, letting others fight to get to the final table.

Several other thoughts crossed our mind, as we saw the man make his machinations.  Our main thought borrowed from baseball -- that he was trying to "draw a throw," as a runner on third base might fake a start toward home plate on a fly ball.  The gestures might be designed to get other players to react, that they might reveal a "tell" about their hands.

If that was the goal, we're not really sure how well it worked for him.  But the Bible reminds us that nice gestures by themselves do NOT impress God.  Take this example from the days Jesus walked the earth:

The Pharisees and all the Jews decline to eat, till they wash their hands up to the elbow, in obedience to the tradition of the elders. - Mark 7:3, Moffatt translation

It wasn't a matter of being obsessive about cleanness -- some Bible commentaries explain this was a ceremonial show.  In other cultures (baseball comes to mind again), such acts might be called superstition.  But Jesus (the Son of God) didn't swoon at the sight of such things.

He replied, "Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites.... 'They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by man.'" - Mark 7:6-7 (NIV unless noted)

Jesus went on to say such attachment to tradition caused the Pharisees to "let go of the commands of God...." (verse 8)  In fact, if we're not careful this kind of "showmanship" can become self-aggrandizing -- calling attention to self, instead of acting in a humble manner.

But in saying all this, we have to be careful.  You see, Jesus also said....

Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment. - John 7:24

While top-level poker players are good at "reading" what opponents have, we really cannot fully read another player's mind - especially if we've never met him before.  So the gesture-maker really might be counting stacks and planning a grand strategy before making a pre-flop bet.  But we know who will have the final say about such things....

For the word of God is living and active.... it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.  Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight.  Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. - Hebrews 4:12-13

God will prove to be a better "psychic" than anyone along the rural roadside, or offering services in late-night infomercials.  He'll see right through any faking and bluffing you do, when it comes to worshiping Him.  So consider yourself and your actions - asking if you're simply a "man in motion," or fully engaged in living a life which pleases God and Jesus Christ.

Poker Night 176: A Little Scared

"I think I've spotted a tell," a fellow player told us quietly during tonight's game at Lil Kim's Cove -- as in spotted on us. He said we seem to "tense up" when we're about to play hands, and part of our face starts to twitch. Maybe we need to play online games in front of a mirror, for practice?!

The man mentioned this well after a challenging early hand, where another player apparently didn't notice anything unusual....

BLINDS: 25/50

IN THE POCKET: 9-5 of diamonds

The night is young. The blinds are small. So when a player across the table doubles the bet to 100, we don't mind calling suited cards. About four people get in the hand.

ON THE FLOP: Ad-10d-8c

The man who raised throws out a minimum 50. We're on a flush draw, and that's a small price to pay for one more card. We call.

ON THE TURN: Ah

The betting man bets 50 more. Compared with some online tournaments we play, this is bargain-basement shopping. We call again. No one else is left in the hand by this time.

ON THE RIVER: 7d

There's the flush -- but now along comes trouble. The man who bet small goes big, tossing out 2,000. Does he have a face-card diamond to top us? We have about 5,800 chips, and think a moment before deciding.

"Prove it," we say as we call. "I've got the diamonds."

Our opponent does not. He has two pair, and admits he had that on the flop. His bets were designed to run off everyone else. If he had made bigger bets in the first place, it might have worked with us -- but small ball early gave us a big pot at the end.

Not much else went that well for us tonight. We made it past the one-hour mark, but then felt compelled to push with A-9 and an Ace showing on the flop. A woman to our left with A-J wound up topping us, and we finished in about 22nd place.

MINISTRY MOMENT: The tables were turned tonight, as we received correction from another player about something we've written elsewhere online. We won't go into details (it had nothing to do with our religious views), but we could understand why the player was upset. After the person spoke his/her piece, we said "thank you" and went on our way.

"If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body," says James 3:2 (KJV). That's a very high standard -- one that religious and political leaders admittedly can't always match.

Romans 14:21 adds, "It is best not to.... do anything else that causes problems for other followers of the Lord" (CEV). We're tempted to go one step farther, and say you should do nothing that might hinder non-believers from becoming a follower of Christ. It includes watching what you say, and even what you write.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 73 final tables in 176 nights (41.5%) - 14 cashes.

NATIONAL LEAGUE OF POKER TOTAL: Full tournaments - 57 point wins in 323 games (17.6%), 26 final tables, 1 cash.

POKER STARS.NET TOTAL: Pretend cash games - $10,088, down $530.

Poker Night 130: The Kings and I

Poker is all about making decisions -- and that can include the way you make those decisions. We wonder if our method got in our way tonight, with a key hand at Lil Kim's Cove....

BLINDS: 200/400

IN THE POCKET: 8-7 offsuit

We won the first two hands of the night in a big way, and had more than 11,000 chips. But at this point, we've been knocked down to about 6,300. Sitting in the leadoff spot, we call in hopes of making a straight. Standard calling occurs around the table.

ON THE FLOP: K-10-7

It's a pair, but only bottom pair. We're still first up to bet check. Other players are in a "Hollywood" kind of mood, and fake bets before checking.

ON THE TURN: 8

The play checks to us -- but we're not faking now with two pair. We bet 600. A man to our left thinks about this a moment.

"You've got two pair, right?" a man on the other side asks. We say nothing, and politely clap our hands to The Devil Went Down to Georgia on the jukebox. Finally the other man calls. Everyone else has folded.

ON THE RIVER: K

The board pairs, with just about the last card we want to see. Now we take a moment to ponder -- and then we check.

"I'm all in," our opponent declares. He has 2,900 left.

Now we take even longer to ponder this. Was our opponent betting with top pair, and now has three Kings? If we call and lose, we'd be down to less than 2,000 chips. We finally decide he means it.

"I'll fold."

"I didn't have nothing, man...." Sure enough, he has J-3 of hearts. He missed a flush draw, but bluffed his way into making us surrender a big pot.

Looking back in our mind, an immediate bet on our part at the river might have persuaded this man to fold. If he sensed a lack of confidence on our part, he made it work.

We never rebuilt our chip stack after that -- and while we reached the semifinal table, we eventually had to push with 8-8. But two 3's came on the board, and a man with a third 3 eliminated another player along with us. We finished in a tie for 14th place.

MINISTRY MOMENT: During the one-hour break, a man across the table from us talked about some sort of situation where "I was praying like a m****r f****r...."

"Praying is good," we said in response, "but I wouldn't recommend praying that way."

The man laughed at that -- but hopefully he understood our point. There's a much better way to word this in James 5:16. "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." (KJV)

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 51 final tables in 130 nights (39.2%) - 10 cashes.

NATIONAL LEAGUE OF POKER TOTAL: Five-player sit-n-goes - 3-7-3-1-0. Full tournaments - 9 final tables in 114 games (7.9%), 0 cashes.

POKER STARS.NET TOTAL: One-table sit-n-goes - 0-1-0-1-1-4-0-0-1. Pretend cash game total: $1,650.

We finally figured out how to build our chip stack at this site -- by playing "fun" walk-in tables with small blinds. Starting with 1,000, we gained 55 dollars in a five-card stud room. Then at no-limit tables with blinds of 5/10 or 10/20, we gained 1,405 in a two-day rush! Since Tuesday, we've given up 810 -- but we're still ahead.

(After making this discovery, we admittedly might not play Yahoo poker anymore. The action is faster, with higher stakes and easier entry and exit.)

Poker Night 110 (UPDATED): Quadzilla

When was the last time you had made quads at a poker table? It could have happened to us Wednesday night at Soho Bar and Grill -- not once, but twice.

It was part of a night where we finished tied for fourth place, out of more than 40 players. After an early escape when we topped an opponent 8 of spades for a flush with a 9, the first big moment of the night came....

BLINDS: 50/100

IN THE POCKET: 8-8

It's a full table, and several people call. We choose to limp.

ON THE FLOP: 9-5-5

A woman to our immediate right is first to act, and bets about 600. "Get out of my pot," she warns with a bit of humor. Not with two pair, we won't. We call, as do a couple of others.

ON THE TURN: 8.

With a full house, we're certainly not getting out now. The woman seems to smell trouble and checks to us. We bet 2,500. A man who was moved to our table only one hand before calls, and the woman bails out.

ON THE RIVER: 8.

On the night the World Series ends, the runners come home to score! But knowing the house rules for Big Dog Poker, we have to check to assure a quad bonus.

A man to our left later says he caught us noticeably squirming at this point, and figured we had quads. Looking back on it.... yeah, our posture changed a bit at the turn. We knew we had a big-time winner. Around poker pros, that would be a "tell" which could cost us big profits.

But the man across the table apparently doesn't notice this, perhaps because he just sat down with us. So he bets 8,000.

"I'll call," we say. "And this is a $5,000 call, because I've got quads." (We kept a level voice at that point, instead of shouting and jumping around like we just won a TV game show.) Our opponent never saw that coming.

The second quad chance came in the second hour, when we had a 5 and the flop was Q-8-5. A woman across from us went all in -- and fearing she had two pair, we folded. Yet when the dealer played out the hand, the turn and river were 5-5. Ouch, that hurts.

Suffice to say it was a night when we hit big hands several times. In one case, we had the Queen of spades when A-K and two other spades hit the board. The "nut flush" let us eliminate two other players.

We took 100,000 chips to a nine-player final table -- but big blinds ate away at our stack, and we finally had to go all-in with A-4. A young man wearing a New York Yankee hat had K-K, and no Ace came to bail us out. Yes, we did the proper NYY thing at the end -- declaring: "Thaaaaaaa Yankee wins."

MINISTRY MOMENT: We showed our "Jesus as your savior" coin to a retired veteran at our immediate left early in the evening. He had trouble reading the message for a moment, then eventually said he agreed with it.

This man had recently spent time in a V.A. hospital for a heart problem -- so we reminded him of the comfort Jesus can offer. See II Thessalonians 2:16-17 for more about that.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 46 final tables in 110 nights (41.8%) - 10 cashes. We've now played at Soho five times, and made the final table twice.