National Heads-Up Week 4: The Family That Plays

It's Mother's Day in the U.S. -- so how timely of the National Heads-Up Poker Championship to feature a comment about mothers from Michael Mizrachi. All four Mizrachi brothers finished in the money last year at the World Series of Poker Main Event. But "The Grinder" declared his mother plays poker more than anyone else, by doing so online.

It's good for a family to do things together. But poker?! We can imagine some hard-line ministers scolding mothers, by turning to verses such as....

But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives. - I Timothy 5:6

But hold on. We have nice memories of family game nights from our youth (although it was Rack-O and Chinese Checkers instead of poker). That same section of Scripture speaks well of such things, when it comes to mothers who have lost their mates:

But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God. - I Timothy 5:4

In other words: your ancestors cared for you, so pass it on.

Care for the family should take many forms. See the last half of Proverbs 31 for some examples of how women can do this. But it doesn't have to be 100-percent drudgery and chores. Sometimes lessons learned in fun and games can stick with a young person for life. It can be a "time to build," as Ecclesiastes 3:4 puts it -- building strong moral values and character.

So if you're a "poker-playin' Mama," have a Happy Mother's Day. Be sure you take time to care well for your children. The queen of the house might even find ways to care while holding a pair of Kings.

Poker Night 246: Cincos de Mayo

We noted this is the National Day of Prayer. But at Lil Kim's Cove tonight, the talk was more about Cinco de Mayo -- even though the music from the jukebox was country and rap. Our evening was doing a slow "sink-o," until this happened....

BLINDS: 200/400

IN THE POCKET: 5-6 of diamonds

It's the last hand before the one-hour break, and things don't look too good for us. Despite a "go-slow" approach in hopes of breaking our long final table slump, we begin the hand at 2,850 -- and we're in the big blind, so take 400 away from that. We're comforted when the table simply calls, so we can check.

ON THE FLOP: 5-5-9

"Cinco de Mayo!" the dealer points out. For one night only, a winning hand with 5-5 would earn a 5,000-chip bonus. We don't have that, but we have an obvious move to make. The small blind folded pre-flop, so we push.

"I'm all in -- 2,450."

A couple of players fold, but a young man across the table calls. So does "The Sheriff," as we call him from the badges on his hat. We're not sure what to make of these calls, since the table has been betting big most of the night.

ON THE TURN: 10

The board is practically a rainbow, so we're not really concerned about this. The two players who still can bet build a sidepot.

ON THE RIVER: As

Even with this big card, we're feeling pretty good -- unless one of these men has a 5. The young man makes us wonder, by spending a long time in the tank before making the first action. He finally bets about 3,000. The Sheriff calls.

"I've got two pair," the Sheriff says -- showing 9-7.

"I've got a five," we declare.

The young man says nothing, but turns over A-9.

"You win it all," the Sheriff concludes. Huh?

"How can he win it all, if I have a 5?" we ask. That man spent so much time thinking that the Sheriff forgot we were still in the hand. Indeed, we do take the main pot - and take a Mexican jump (without any beans) to 9,550, increased to 10,000 by the "color-up" of chips which follows.

That big win allowed us to play for awhile after the break -- but then big bets came around us as we held A-K. We went all-in, as did two other players. But the board didn't pair for us, and a man holding 10-10 eliminated two people. We finished tied for 20th -- but not completely unhappy about the day. (Keep reading to learn why.)

MINISTRY MOMENT: A young man wearing an old-school uniform of basketball legend Dominique Wilkins sat to our left, and couldn't believe some of the play he saw.

"Oh my freaking God," he exclaimed at one point.

"He's my hope for salvation," we quietly responded. And we're not the only ones....

Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me.... Say to my soul, "I am your salvation." -- Psalm 35:1, 3

King David apparently wrote this during a time when he was under some sort of attack. The salvation we seek today is different -- and eternal, which God promises believers ultimately will receive when Jesus comes back.

By the way, the faux "Human Highlight Reel" didn't respond to our one-line answer. What would your answer be?

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 94 final tables in 246 nights (38.2%) - 15 cashes. The slump reaches 15!

NATIONAL LEAGUE OF POKER TOTAL: Full tournaments - 135 point wins in 645 games (20.9%), 49 final tables, five cashes. UFC Knockout: 1 win in three games (33.3%).

Our latest money win came earlier in the day -- as we finished third in a tournament with 579 players, and at one point led the field by more than 80,000 chips! Third place earns us $10, while first and second would have gained us $50 and $20.

POKER STARS.NET: Pretend cash games - $44,916, up $119.

Ask Early and Often

Wednesday night was a big night for us in online poker -- with a top 30 finish out of more than 750 players. One opponent late in the match was someone with the handle "PUSHINANPRAY."

"Happy National Day of Prayer," we said to that person.

It brought no response -- but we meant it. Today is the National Day of Prayer in the U.S. And we believe prayer is for far more than all-in moments.

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. -- I Thessalonians 5:16-18

As one radio minister likes to put it: pray your way through the day. Not only for wisdom and spiritual help to be a light at the poker table -- but in dealings with people from morning to night, whether in person or online.

We hope you take special time today to ask for God's help in matters far beyond yourself -- from needy people in your community to our national leaders. All of them (and all of us) probably would appreciate it.

Poker Night 245: Don't King Me

We pondered for a long time what approach to take at The Red Barn tonight, to break our long final table slump. We leaned toward playing very tight, and pouncing when the moment was right. It wouldn't take long to see if that worked....

BLINDS: 25/50

IN THE POCKET: K-K

We're only about five hands in, and we haven't lost much from our starting stack of 6,000 chips. Sitting fourth in the betting order, we choose to hold on tight and limp. Most of the table plays this hand, with no one raising.

ON THE FLOP: Q-10-3

An overpair has us thinking happy thoughts -- so when someone across the table bets 200, we're pleased to call. Only a couple of players fold.

ON THE TURN: K

"We three Kings" is a very out-of-season song. But that's what we have, and we're ready move on it -- but hold on. A woman across from us bets 2,000. The board is an absolute "rainbow," so we think this is a classic "two pair versus trips" bet. So we don't hesitate to call. Another player calls, to go all-in with less than the bet.

ON THE RIVER: 5

The woman across from us doesn't slow down, betting 2,000 more. With "top trips," why should we worry? We call again.

"I've got a straight."

NOOOOOOOO! The woman shows A-J! The King which gave us confidence gave her something even better. Our dream of a big gain turns into a huge loss - down to 1,625 chips.

We never recovered from that moment -- as attempts to limp with A-8 and A-7 brought no pair on the flop and forced us to fold. A final desperation move with 9-8 of spades brought a pair of 9's, but other players made two pair to eliminate us. We miss the final table for the 14th live tournament in a row -- finishing sixth at a table of eight.

MINISTRY MOMENT: Our card protector tonight had several messages combined in one. The American Red Cross sent us this lapel pin several years ago, for giving two gallons of blood. It was a reminder that the Red Cross is accepting donations to help survivors of last week's devastating tornadoes in the Southern U.S.

But one man who noticed the pin thought of something more. "Blood - the gift of life." And it's a gift Jesus offered long ago for you. Do you know why? Offer a comment if you'd like to answer; we'll explain in an upcoming post.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 94 final tables in 245 nights (38.4%) - 15 cashes. Our last final table appearance was way back on February 10.

When Things Don't Make Sense

We mentioned a poker night last week which included a lengthy discussion about what God can and cannot do. One man asked if God is all-powerful, "why can't He make a rock He cannot lift?"

"How do you know He hasn't?" we answered. The man admitted he didn't know. Other people around the table noted some of the things which seemed like absurd "science fiction" 100 years ago now are reality. (No one brought up online poker as an example, but we could have.)

"I think logically," the man insisted -- and this raises an interesting question: is God a logical God? Does He do things in a sensible way, or doesn't He?

Some people point to the creation account in Genesis 1 as evidence that the Creator worked in a logical way. Other ministers note a long list of parallels between the life of Joseph in the Old Testament and Jesus in the New Testament.

But what about the moments which defy scientific explanation? Our logical thinker cited this case....

During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear. - Matthew 14:25-26

"Low tide" was how the man at the table explained this. Jesus waited until the tide was low, to merely give the appearance He was walking on water.

The water in this case was the Sea of Galilee, which can be 141 feet deep in spots. A parallel passage in John 6:16-19 indicates Jesus took His famous walk while the disciples' boat was at least three miles from shore!

Would low tide really reduce the water level in the middle of a lake that much? The largest recorded tidal swing is only 52 feet. So the logic of physics says no -- thus showing how God (even in the person of Jesus) can defy logic to accomplish what He wishes.

We should note logic doesn't always work in poker, either. How many players (including us one night last week) have lost winning hands, when someone hit running clubs or hearts to make a flush?

We noted to this man that some things mentioned in Scripture ultimately are a matter of faith. As an Old Testament prophet put it:

As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. - Isaiah 55:9

On this day marking the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible, we'd note God expresses some of His ways clearly in Scripture. If you follow those ways faithfully, maybe some things which seem illogical will start to make sense.

OK Then - Good Dawg

We talked to a police vice squad captain a few minutes ago. No, officers did NOT stage an intervention at The Dawg House last week, to stop the regular poker games.

Maybe the managers simply had to buy some new decks of cards?!

Heads-Up Championship Week 3: Timing Patterns

Four "words of wisdom" were uttered during today's NBC Heads-Up Poker telecast. So said the opponent of poker legend Doyle Brunson. Brunson's statement: "Poker's all about timing."

Time your big bluff with 4-7 just right, and you might steal a pot with it. Push with J-J, and you might lose to an opponent with Q-Q (which Vanessa Selbst had in another match today).

But let's think bigger here -- isn't life all about timing? Whether it's buying a home, selling stock or waiting at an intersection as a drunk driver comes by? The Bible has plenty to say about it....

Since a king's word is supreme.... Whoever obeys his command will come to no harm, and the wise heart will know the proper time and procedure. For there is a proper time and procedure for every matter, though a man's misery weighs heavily upon him. - Ecclesiastes 8:4-6

This comes from a book which shows "time" relates to choices we make (3:1-8). The ultimate "king" for a believer is Jesus. We should pray for the wisdom to know the right time and way to act. That's as true about a major investment or career change as it is a pocket pair.

We write this only days after devastating tornadoes killed hundreds of people in the U.S. South, and left damage not far from our home. Survivors understandably might wonder if they were in the right (or wrong) place at the wrong time. We can take comfort in the promise that when the time is right, God will intervene -- for good.

At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and the 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

Ministers like to say God's always on time, and never late. If you're reading this, it's not too late for you to turn to God and seek His wisdom to have perfect timing in your life.