Funeral for a Poker Friend, Part 2

We return to the funeral we attended this past week for fellow poker player "Bobby."  He died in a car crash 13 November.

The short message by a church deacon (we think Bobby's grandson) included these words to the grieving family: "Robert knows a lot more about giving and taking -- and hoarding! - now than he did last Friday morning."

Was this a reference to Bobby's poker habit?  We didn't ask afterward, so we don't know. But let's face it - the object of the game in poker is to hoard. The tournament is won by the player who takes everyone else's chips. But there are other games that work that way; Monopoly and checkers come to mind.

Hopefully Bobby was able to detach that poker objective from the rest of his life. It's something we all should do:

People curse the man who hoards grain, but blessing crowns him who is willing to sell. - Proverbs 11:26

If you're rounding up items for a time of trouble that you know is coming, that seems wise. But will you be willing to share those items when the trouble comes? That shows what kind of a loving heart you have - as Joseph showed when he knew seven years of plenty would be followed by a famine (Genesis 41).

But wait a minute - the deacon claimed Robert knows a lot more about these things now.  We realize this may step on some religious toes, but that's not what the Bible says.

For the living know that they shall died, but the dead know nothing.... for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom. - Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10

These words were written by King Solomon, one of the wisest men of his time. These are words of the Bible, the "word of truth" (John 17:17).  He said dead people "know nothing."

But the deacon also claimed we're on a transition "from life to life" - where death perhaps is only instantaneous, and we pass into the next life immediately.  That's also not what the Bible says.

For David himself never ascended into heaven, yet he said, "The Lord said to my Lord: 'Sit in the place of honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies, making them a footstool under your feet.'" - Acts 2:34-35 (NLT)

King David talked of Jesus's resurrection (verse 32) - not his own. That's coming someday, but hasn't happened yet.

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, and the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. - I Thessalonians 4:16

David will go up when Jesus Christ comes down - and not until. If Bobby was judged to be among "the dead in Christ," he'll go up then as well.

In the meantime, we all should walk in a way so that we'll be considered "the dead in Christ." Learn Jesus's ways now, and practice them daily. You may indeed understand them a lot more after you die - but that will be the start of living with Jesus in God's Kingdom forever.

A Vision of Success

"Blinds up!" the man down the table from us said as the blinds changed.... and he stood up.

Later on, that same man declared he'd "check in the dark."  And since he started it, we couldn't resist joining in the humor.

"Don't you check 'in the dark' most of the time?" we asked.

"I check in a blur," he explained. Aha.

If you haven't figured it out by now, we played poker recently with a vision-impaired man. He's apparently a regular at the poker room we visited, because the dealer was ready for him -- announcing every card as it came out on the board, while the player held his cards practically against his eyes.

The man isn't 100-percent blind, so he can play -- and he played well enough to reach the final table.  We give Prairie Band casino credit for accommodating him and his situation.  He's an example of why you shouldn't let disabilities or physical obstacles get in the way of playing poker, if it's possible to do so.

A Bible writer had something to say about this sort of thing:

To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. - II Corinthians 12:7

The Bible doesn't tell us exactly what this "thorn" was. Some have guessed the apostle Paul developed partial blindness, like that man at the table had.  Whatever it was, the apostle wanted it out of his life.

Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness...." - II Corinthians 12:8-9a

Sometimes God heals; sometimes He does not.  Sometimes He takes us out of difficult situations, even in a poker tournament; other times He does not.  The key is to learn what the apostle learned....

...Therefore I will board all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. - II Corinthians 12:9b-10

Are you facing some kind of trial, at the poker table or away from it?  There's nothing wrong with praying about it, as the apostle Paul did. But learn to expect strength from God, even if the trial doesn't end in the way you might like.


NOTE: We'll have more to say about this man in our next post.

Poker Day 452: The Road Home?

After a few days doing other vacation-time things, our BPPT ended today on home ground. We entered the Friday 12:00 noon tournament at Arrowhead Poker, which has a reputation of being the biggest of the week there.  But Kansas Star Casino now has its own Friday noon game, so the turnout today was small.

We won a couple of small pots early, but then hopeful pre-flop bets failed miserably.  We survived to the final table on a two-table day, but things came down to this:

BLINDS: 10,000/20,000

IN THE POCKET: K-7 of clubs

We've stayed alive with a couple of pushes so far -- but in both cases, no one called to allow us a big double-up.  Now we have 30,000 chips left, with Big Blind and Small Blind coming in the next two hands.  Bottom line: we're out of time, and have to play anything reasonable.  Like this one -- reminding us of K-7 highway, leading to some of our relatives.

"It's now or never," we say as we push.  Eight players remain.  A man at the opposite corner of the table from us, who's acted like a poker newcomer at times (such as trying to fold the Big Blind when he could check) goes all-in for 40,000.  He has A-2.  The man in the Big Blind simply can't resist, and calls. He has something less than the others (which we don't recall).  We have a horse race.

ON THE FLOP: 6-10-Q

None of these are clubs.  That hurts, but no one's hit a pair yet.

ON THE TURN: 5

Still no matches.  Still two live cards for us.

ON THE RIVER: 5

The only pair is on the board.  The newcomer's Ace is high, so he takes us out and triples his stack.  We leave with another "earned" final table (as opposed to a one-table tournament) -- and we realize if eighth place is our worst showing in a tournament during this "poker tour" week, we've actually had a very good week.

MINISTRY MOMENT: We used a bottle of hand sanitizer as our card protector, explaining to the man next to us we wanted to clean up some of the hands in the tournament.  And oh yes....

"I use this to remind me I need Jesus to clean up my life."

"I like that second part," the man next to us said.  He went on to say he believes in Jesus as his Savior.

"What's Jesus been doing for you lately?" we asked.

The man seemed thrown by this question. "Everything," he said quietly.

Would this kind of question stump you?  We try to thank Jesus in prayer for all the significant events of each day....

...Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. - I Thessalonians 5:18

But what if the events don't always turn out the way we hoped -- like missing the money, after making it three times in a row?  We still look for the positive in it:

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. - James 1:2-3

If you need to learn lessons from a poker loss, go ahead and learn them -- and thank God that you're still able to learn lessons and go forward from there.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 166 final tables in 452 games (36.7%) - 29 cashes.

Poker Night 416: Behold the Star

"Christmas Eve is the casino's slowest night of the year," a poker dealer told us at Kansas Star Casino Tuesday night.

Good -- that's in a way what we wanted.  With a Tuesday night off from work, we were able to drive to the casino (despite its ice-coated parking lot), to play in the weekly Deep Stack Tournament.  We're told it normally fills up with 70 players.  On this night, only 37 showed up -- but still leaving a first-place prize of more than $1,100.

People at our local poker room describe the casino players as top-level.  So we wanted to see how we'd measure up:

BLINDS: 25/25

IN THE POCKET: 4-Q of clubs

It's the first few minutes of play, and our table seems to be playing on the tight side.  A man to our left raises modestly to 75, and we decide to call with suited cards.  About four players out of nine are in.

ON THE FLOP: 5c-7c-7s

Close to a flush, but not quite.  The man to our left makes a continuation bet of 75, and we see no reason to be scared of it.  We call; as we remember it, three players remain in.

ON THE TURN: 8s

No flush yet -- but now a straight draw has emerged.  Yet that man to the left turns up the heat, by betting 175.  We have too many chances to hit it big (12, to be precise), so we stand committed to this pot.  We call, as does the player between us.

ON THE RIVER: 4d

Like some gifts in December, that's not what we really wanted -- but it might be OK, anyway.  We check, and are a bit reassured when the other players check as well.

"I caught two pair on the river," we announce.  No one else caught anything!  We win the wild goose chase, and pick up several hundred chips.

We won several pots along the way, including a semi-bluff bet on the river with an Ace in our hand and nothing more.  Our stack went up and down, but we never had the breakthrough hand for a big gain -- not even when we were dealt pocket Aces.

We hung around more than three hours, as the blinds increased slowly.  But at the semifinal table, we were forced to push our last 3,500 chips with A-10.  The board didn't pair for us, and a man to our right paired an 8 to get us eliminated.  We shook his hand as we left -- and come to think of it, we don't recall anyone else doing that as they left the table.

Our final result: 14th place -- a finish in the top half.  That's good, but not great.  A final table was our real goal -- not to mention the money, with the payoff positions shrunk from 7 to 4.

MINISTRY MOMENT: During breaks, we showed our reflector card protector to players around us -- explaining it reminds us to reflect the light of Jesus Christ.

"What do you think of Jesus?" we asked the man at our immediate left with several other players listening.  "Is He your savior?"

"Well, I don't know," he answered.  "There have been so many bad things going on in the world.... so many catastrophes."

We certainly can't dispute that.  This year has brought everything from bombings at marathons to school shootings and devastating typhoons.  Yet Jesus knew such things would happen....

For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now -- and never to be equaled again. - Matthew 24:21

Many churches use the King James Version of this verse, and refer to a "great tribulation."

If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. - Matthew 24:22

Jesus promises a potential "end of the world" will be avoided -- and for the sake of "elect" people, which many understand to mean believers in God.  And here's the even better news:

Immediately after the distress of those days.... At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn.  They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. - Matthew 24:29-30

Jesus (the "Son of Man") will be returning -- but the nation will be mourning.  Why?  Perhaps because they'll finally realize the Bible was right all along.  Jesus will show He meant what He said.

And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. - Matthew 24:31

Perhaps you're celebrating the birth of Jesus on this day.  These verses remind us Jesus plans to come again - to save the world from destruction, and gather His followers together.  You can be among those who mourn that moment.  Or you can begin to believe and practice what Jesus and the Bible say -- becoming "elect" who reign with Him forever.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 145 final tables in 416 games (34.9%) - 24 cashes.  It appears our final total for Kansas tournaments in 2013 will be 7 final tables in 14 games with three cashes.  A 50-percent success rate is truly a blessing!

Against All Odds

Why do you never hear about professional poker players winning slot machine jackpots in casinos -- or scoring a big win at the blackjack table?

Perhaps they know something ordinary "high rollers" don't.  An essay in the Wall Street Journal has a revealing analysis of gamblers in online casinos.

Since the newspaper might put the essay behind a "pay wall," we'll sum it up this way: over a two-year span....

Just 11% of players ended up in the black over the full period, and most of those pocketed less than $150.... Big losers of more than $5,000 among these heavy gamblers outnumbered big winners by a staggering 128 to 1. 

But wait, you say -- poker is different from ordinary gambling.  This report took that argument into account.  From "Sitting at the Virtual Poker Table"....

About one-third of the poker players classified as "most involved" by the Harvard researchers ended up winning money over time, while just 10% of the rest ended up in the black.

So when it comes to poker, it can pay to play on a regular basis.  But when it comes to other casino games, the opposite is true:

The lightest gamblers—the 10% of customers who placed the fewest wagers over the two years—also had the highest winning percentage. About 17% of them ended up in the black—tough odds but still better than the dismal 5.4% winning percentage of the heaviest gamblers.

There are many conclusions we can draw from this study.  One of them is contained in the book of Proverbs:

Of what use is money in the hand of a fool, since he has no desire to get wisdom? - Proverbs 17:16

That verse sounds harsh.  But how many casino players take time to study their chances of winning at the games they play -- for instance, at a slot machine?  With a little thought and research, some money could be saved.

(We should note here the proverb "A fool and his money are soon parted" is not from the Bible -- but it rather surprisingly does have church roots.)

The study also indicates in poker, practice can make perfect -- but not completely perfect.  We'd compare it to a baseball player.  If he gets a hit three times out of ten, he's considered very good.  he Bible talks about "practice" as well....

Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them to practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundations on the rock. - Matthew 7:24-25

Practicing the teachings of Jesus does not make you immune from storms - but you'll be able to weather them better.

There's one more Biblical point to make from this study.... but we'll wait to see if you can find it.  We'll bring it up in a future post.

At the Crossroads

Irving is NOT his real name, but that's what we're calling him to protect his identity.  We met him at a poker tournament the other night.  He seemed to be new at poker -- but he told us about a trial in his life that's far too commonplace.

Irving apparently went to the game to escape the pain of a marital break-up.  He's separated from his wife of more than 25 years.  We didn't press for details about who did what to whom.  It was a moment to be a listening ear, not an investigative reporter or busybody....

Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave hem over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done.... They are gossips, slanderers.... - Romans 1:28-30

Irving told us he's come to several crossroads, as he deals with this major change in his life -- much like the key decisions poker players face during a tournament.  But he said he's looked to God for help at all those points.  We were glad to hear that.  It's something everyone should do.

...Because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."  So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.  What can man do to me?" - Hebrews 13:5-6

We've faced our own personal challenges in recent years.  They truly can test your faith -- but we've realized ultimately, only God can provide the solutions.

I lift up my eyes to the hills - where does my help come from?  My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. - Psalm 121:1-2

Will you join us in praying for this man we're calling Irving?  Please pray that God will provide the comfort and wisdom he needs -- and help him learn whatever spiritual lessons God wants to teach him.

Question Periods

In one of our poker nights last week, a man said we asked another player a "mean question."  We asked him if he had a nut flush -- then flipped over the real nut flush, which we had.

Was that question "mean?"  Or was it along the lines of something Jesus would do?  Consider this example....

The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water."  He told her, "Go, call your husband and come back."  "I have no husband," she replied.  Jesus said to her, "You are right when you say you have no husband.  he fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband.  What you have just said is quite true." - John 4:15-18

This passage almost reminds us of Chris Hansen catching predators on Dateline NBC, or an undercover police sting.  Jesus apparently knew all about this woman's past -- a past the woman never denied in the following verses, choosing instead to change the subject.  (Whether this proves Jesus was omniscient or the woman was simply "the talk of the town" is not our issue here.)

Yet Jesus made a suggestive leading comment, which cut at the core of the woman's life.  He used this approach at other times as well:

When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?"  He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. - John 6:5-6

Note the reason for the question -- to test him.  Jesus apparently wanted to see if the disciples would look to Him to feed the crowd, the way He had performed previous miracles.  Our question at the poker table the other night was along the same line.  We wanted to see how far this bluffer would go -- perhaps all the way to lying about the hand he really had.

There's one more question from Jesus we'd like to offer -- and it's actually the most important question of all.

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?"  They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets."  "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" - Matthew 16:13-15

Your answer to this question matters -- a lot.  It could determine whether you'll be part of the "first resurrection" mentioned in Revelation 20, or a more general resurrection which comes 1,000 years later.  Who is Jesus to you?

We'll leave this open-ended for now.  If you'd like to know what Jesus considers the correct answer, open a Bible and read on in Matthew 16 through verse 20.  Is His answer your answer as well?

God and Cybergod II

Let's continue our post about an online poker conversation which one player didn't seemingly want to have.  First we reminded "Cybergodsig" he wasn't god.  Now let's pick up the chat in progress....


Pokerpiz eliminated from the tournament (he/she has lost all his/her chips)
Me: very good
Cybergodsig: *** talker
THEWIZ: TY
Me: So this game
Me: should have no chat?
Cybergodsig: awwww
Cybergodsig: feelings hurt

How interesting -- he says our feelings are hurt, when he is the one who made a fuss about talking at the table in the first place.  That's the sort of blame-shifting a real God does not accept.  And God saw it as early as the garden of Eden:

And he said, "Who told you that you were naked?  Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?"  The man said, "The woman you put here with me -- she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it." - Genesis 3:11-12

We've heard several ministers point out recently Adam not only blamed Eve for his disobedience -- he even blamed God, for putting Eve with him at all.  God wound up kicking Adam out of the garden, and cursing the tempting serpent as well (verses 14-15, 23-24).

So were our feelings hurt?  No....


Me: No asking
supertjc won Main pot 65,216 with One pair, aces
Me: Have you suggested
Me: that to NLOP?

Every online poker game we've ever played has some kind of "chat" function.  At least it gives play-by-play of the game -- who wins pots and who's been eliminated from the table.  We've noticed not many players use it, but few make a big issue about our comments.

If Cybergodsig had been polite in his request to tone down the chat (or at least given a reason why he wanted it), we probably would have done so.  We're reminded of this Biblical guidance:

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

But instead of answering our question, this was the response which pretty much ended the discussion:

Cybergodsig: thin skin dies

Cybergodsig: same in life

Well, let's be more accurate.  Sooner or later, all skin dies.  We're all facing an appointment with death someday (Hebrews 9:27).  The big question is: what will happen to you after that?

For I know that my Redeemer lives, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth.  After I shall awake, though this body be destroyed, yet out of my flesh shall I see God. - Job 19:25-26 (KJV text and margin)

Job's skin had "painful sores" all over it, from Satan's persecution (Job 2:7) -- yet he maintained hope of seeing a "Redeemer" in a resurrection!  How much did he understand Jesus Christ?  The book of Job doesn't offer a direct answer.  But we encourage you to understand Jesus better, and have hope the true God will redeem you from death to eternal life.

Rise and Fall

We can't help thinking back to our last two hands at Soho Bar & Grill Wednesday night.  We went all-in and won a huge pot -- then called an all-in bet with an arguably better hand, and lost it all.

How do you handle moments like that?  First of all, we're grateful it's free poker.  No money was lost.  (If that had been a real cash game, the sting probably would have been tougher.)  Secondly, we're reminded of some advice from an Old Testament success story.

"Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart.  The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised." - Job 1:21

Read the entire first chapter of Job, and you'll see this man lost a lot more than 15,000 poker chips.  With God's permission, Satan was allowed to plunder and destroy his livestock, servants and even his children.  Yet what was Job's response?

At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head.  Then he fell to the ground in worship.... - Job 1:20

To borrow from our opponent Wednesday night, pressure didn't bust his pipes.  Job kept on worshiping God.  He seemed to realize the blessings we receive in life (even family blessings) are merely temporary.  Job was tested again on this a bit later....

So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.... His wife said to him, "Are you still holding on to your integrity?  Curse God and die!"  He replied, "You are talking like a foolish woman.  Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?"  In all this, Job did not sin in what he said. - Job 2:7-10

Read on in this book (we won't give away the details), and you'll find Job eventually wonders deeply about what had happened to him.  But at the end, Job finds peace with God and receives a marvelous ending.

You may be wondering deeply about sudden losses in your life -- whether it's a big lead at the poker table, a job, a marriage or something else.  Keep in mind that somewhere in the midst of those clouds, God is at work.  He may have lessons for you to learn, which you don't understand right now.  We may not even understand them until the day of our resurrection.  But if we "keep the faith," God will bring blessings from them.

Praise the Lord.  Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who finds great delight in his commands.... He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.  His heart is secure, he will have no fear; in the end he will look in triumph on his foes. - Psalm 112:1, 7-8