The Book on You

Top poker players write books all the time, offering everything from introductory instruction to advanced ways of spotting an opponent's bluff.  A search on Amazon.com this morning brought 5,155 titles of poker books.

But in a post this past week, we asked for your thoughts about getting in something called "the book of life."  This is a book we all need to enter, whether we play poker or not.  It first came up in a conversation between Moses and God....

"But now, please forgive their sin -- but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written."  The Lord replied to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against me I will blot out of my book." - Exodus 32:32-33

So there's no confusion: the Bible itself is a "book of life."  It contains the "word of life," about how to gain eternal life (Philippians 2:16).  But the book described in Exodus is different.  Apparently it's a book with lots of names, which God can adjust when He chooses.

You know how I am scorned, disgraced and shamed; all my enemies are before you.... May they be blotted out of the book of life and not be listed with the righteous. - Psalm 69:19, 28

So the book of life contains names of righteous people.  But the problem is that we all sin (Romans 3:23) - and when we do that, God can remove our names from it.  And that's potentially bad news....

If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. - Revelation 20:15

This verse describes a vision of the final judgment, when everyone will come before Jesus.  The lake of fire is called "the second death" in verse 14.  To avoid that, we need our name back in that book -- badly.  How can we get there?

Yes, and I ask you, loyal yokefellow, help these women who have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel.... whose names are in the book of life. - Philippians 4:3

How did these women get in the book?  Apparently by helping the apostle Paul spread Jesus's gospel message.  We think that requires actually believing that message -- and something else:

He who overcomes.... I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels. - Revelation 3:5

Overcome sin, in your own life and this world.  Then help spread the news about Jesus coming to put an "end" to sin (Hebrews 9:26-28).  You'll be well on your way to appearing in the book that matters most.

Poker Night 391: Leading Ladies

The news of this week includes the resignation (forced, some say) of a New York television news anchor.  Police say he strangled his wife (also a news anchor) in a rage, attempting to kill her -- except he wound up with an arrest and a bloody nose.  We bring this up here because ladies also can be lethal in poker at times.    Check what happened tonight at Lil Kim's Cove....

BLINDS: 200/400

IN THE POCKET: Q-Q

Our table has been a bit like the TV series The Office -- a place with a lot of characters.  A quiet young woman across the table is playing like a newcomer, but winning large pots.  The Tournament Director next to her is having trouble remembering who's dealing -- even when it's her turn.  And a man to our immediate right is being what one player calls controlling, with provoking pre-flop and post-flop raises.

Because of him, we've folded a couple of promising hands which would have wound up winners. This time he's at it again, raising pre-flop to 1,400.  Then we see our big pocket pair and decide it's time to fight back.  Starting this hand with 5,250 chips, we re-raise to 3,000 -- a move which clearly surprises him.  He calls; the rest of the table folds.

ON THE FLOP: 10-2-2

This is where it helps to pay attention to what other players are saying.  They've hinted our opponent likes to bet big with any Ace.  There's none showing here.  He checks.  So the next step seems only logical.

"I'm all-in for 2,250," we say -- and we feel confident about it.  But after a moment, the man quietly calls.  Then we show our Queens.  He keeps a poker face, and says nothing.

ON THE TURN: 5

Good.  One more....

ON THE RIVER: 8

Now our opponent shows his cards -- A-10.  Our read was correct, and we double our holdings to 11,000.

History repeated itself a few hands later, when we were dealt Q-Q again.  A King came on the flop, and we played it cautiously.  But the Queens combined with 7-7 on the board to give up a winning two pair, and a gain to about 30,000.

Like Monday night, those two big wins were enough to get us to the final table -- only on this night, there were only enough players for two tables.  Probing bets failed us there, and we wound up going all-in after the two-hour break with 9-9.  That "Ace-anything" player caught an Ace on the flop, and wound up eliminating three players in all.  We finished tied for seventh (eighth in points).

MINISTRY MOMENT: An Ace on the flop in one early hand was not what one player wanted to see.  He folded before the flop, and cried: "Lord, have mercy!  JESUS!!"

"Jesus truly is merciful," we told him from across the table.

We suspect he was more focused on the Ace he folded than the advice we gave -- but we meant what we said about Jesus....

For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. - Hebrews 2:17

Who is this "he"?  Someone who became flesh and blood as we are, yet was a minister serving God -- and somehow was able to be our atoning sacrifice through His shed blood.  This chapter of the Bible leaves no doubt who this is:

But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. - Hebrews 2:9

Jesus's death opened the ways for "bringing many sons to glory" (verse 10) - as in eternal life.  Believers no longer are in bondage to "their fear of death" (verse 15).  Have you accepted the offer of freedom which Christ provides?

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 136 final tables in 391 nights (34.8%) - 20 cashes.

NATIONAL LEAGUE OF POKER TOTAL: Full tournaments - 283 point wins in 1,375 games (20.6%), 92 final tables, 10 wins, 12 cashes.  No-River Hold 'em - 25 point wins in 100 games (25.0%), 20 final tables, 1 win, 2 cashes.   One-table Sit-N-Go's - 8-13-10-4-4.

A lot has changed at NLOP in the last week or so, and we need a separate post to explain it all.  But the big news is that Wednesday afternoon, we won money in a biweekly No-River Hold 'em Championship tournament!  We finished fourth out of 141 players (the top six win money) -- and had big gains along the way when we hit quads on the flop, not once but twice!

POKER STARS.NET TOTAL: Pretend cash games - $85,819, down $1,019.

It's Only a Game?

"Who got shot @ the poker game???"

When a Facebook post has those words, the news clearly isn't good.  Yet it happened in our city this past weekend -- a shooting not on the organized poker circuit, but in a home game at the east edge of town.

Police say two soldiers got into an argument about a poker game at a party.  It led to fisticuffs and weapons -- and before it was over, one person was shot and a couple of homes had damage from bullets.

We admittedly don't have all the facts about what happened.  But we're led to guess the soldiers were playing a cash game -- and alcohol may have fueled this incident, as much as the playing cards and firearms.  The Bible warns too much alcohol can lead to all sorts of problems....

Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler; whoever is led astray by them is not wise. - Proverbs 20:1

Yet let's face it: arguments can develop over poker games -- everything from whose turn it is to how many chips a sidepot should have.  We've heard them many times.  But they never reach the point of a fistfight, much less weapons.

The games we play thankfully have a Tournament Director to settle disputes.  And some players actually apply some advice the apostle Paul had to give feuding Christians....

The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already.  Why not rather be wronged?  Why not rather be cheated?  Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers. - I Corinthians 6:7-8

In other words, take a loss -- and try to get it back the right way, by winning a future hand.  We think that's what Jesus would do.

But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person.  If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. - Matthew 5:39

A veteran of the U.S. civil rights movement spoke in our city the other day, and put it very well: If you are in a fight and lose your temper, you have lost the fight.  However the fight at the poker game started, it ended with one person shot, another person arrested and plenty of collateral damage.

If you stay under control -- in what you drink, what you say and how you act -- fighting and arguing at poker games probably will happen a lot less often.  You might not win and go home completely happy, but at least you'll go home in one piece.

Poker Night 390: The 5-K Race

It was the night of Presidents' Day, and The Red Barn was packed with poker players.  But strangely, most of the people we met didn't seem to realize it was Presidents' Day.

"I'm not a President," one man said skeptically when we mentioned the holiday.  He went on to dismiss all U.S. Presidents as "crooked," because they lie to people.  We're led to think some poker players would fit in well with them.  But would they pull a fast one when a lot of chips were on the line?

BLINDS: 200/400

IN THE POCKET: J-10 of hearts (suit may not be precise)

The evening was a disappointment until only a few hands before this.  We had K-9, looked at K-Q-9 on the flop, went all-in and scored a double-up plus a 5,000-chip "Rodney hand" bonus.  Now we're feeling better with around 14,000 chips.  No one raises before the flop, so we're happy to call with suited connectors.

ON THE FLOP: 10-10-3

Now we're even happier -- but only for about five seconds.  A woman down the counter from us (we're playing on a counter top again) bets 5,000.  She did this on the K-9 hand, which put us all-in.  She had Q-9 then.  We're puzzled by what she has now -- perhaps a second high pair?!  But there's little question about the right move: we call with three of a kind.  Everyone else gets out of the way.

ON THE TURN: 5

The respect level seems to be mutual at this point.  The woman checks.  So do we.

ON THE RIVER: J

Wow -- now we want our opponent to make another bet.  But instead, she checks.  We will not.

"Five-thousand," we say as we bet.  The woman calls.

"I've got a 10," she tells us -- and then she sees our 10-J.  It gives us a winning full house, as her kicker card is a 6.

"You got it on the f**king river," she says in frustration.  "You did it to me twice!"

"No way either of you were going anywhere, with a 10," a man between us comments.  He's right.  We're happy.  We simply smile, as our stack of chips jumps to around 29,000.

Those two hands were the only ones we won all night, as we became very "card dead" after the one-hour break.  Pocket 8's and pocket 5's were trumped by big cards on the flop and big bets which followed.  But our two big wins were enough to reach the final table, then hang around through some drama involving other players.

With seven players remaining, we were forced to go all in for our remaining 10,000 chips with J-8.  The flop brought an 8.  The river brought a Jack.  Trouble was, that Jack put four spades on the board.  We didn't have one, while a man on our right did (Qs).  He sent us home in seventh place.  But on a night with about 30 players and lots of huge stacks, we were pleased.

MINISTRY MOMENT: "There's the man with that little pencil again," a man said at the semifinal table.  We've recorded hands for this blog with a small pencil and paper for a long time.  But in the last couple of weeks, that pencil has become a card protector as well.

"I bring it to remind me," we said across the table, "that my name is written in the Lamb's book of life."

This reference appeared to puzzle several people.  But it's mentioned near the very end of the Bible:

Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life. - Revelation 21:27

You may be listed in the telephone directory.  But this "book of life" is much more important -- because if your name is there, you're in the running for a reward which may sound like only a dream:

And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming out of heaven from God. - Revelation 21:10

"But wait," you may be asking; "isn't Jerusalem on Earth now?"  Yes, there's a city in the Middle East with that name.  But this is a new one, which God will bring down from heaven to Earth after Jesus returns (verse 2) -- and the incredible scene described through Revelation 21 indicate it will be forever pure, for God and Jesus Christ will live there (verse 23).

But that leaves a big question: how can you get your name in this "book of life"?  What's your answer to that question?  Feel free to leave it in a comment, and we'll offer our thoughts in a future post.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 135 final tables in 390 nights (34.6%) - 20 cashes.  This was our first live final table since the end of January.

Your Turn: Playing Things Tight

Your comments are always welcome about our blog.  Here's one we received a few days ago about our delay in being paid by the bankrupt National League of Poker:

I too am owed winnings,but not to preach if the money is that necessary to you maybe you should not be gambling when money is this tight

One reason why we've played at NLOP is that it's not "gambling," in terms of betting money.  Anyone of legal age can play for free, simply by signing up.  (We've never had a VIP membership, which has a monthly fee and offered more cash prizes.)

There's been some hopeful news from NLOP's Facebook page in recent days -- that the site has been "authorized to pay outstanding prizes that were previously on hold."  It also claims the site will NOT go out of business.  But the recent bankruptcy filing reportedly called free poker a "failed business model."

There's a Biblical lesson there for the managers of Zen Entertainment -- as well as all poker players tempted to gamble money they can't afford to lose:

Suppose one of you wants to build a tower.  Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it?  For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him.... - Luke 14:28-29

Hopefully the managers of NLOP followed this guidance of Jesus, and "counted the cost" (using the classic language of the King James Version) before launching the site.  Perhaps unexpected circumstances got in the way of profitability; our own experience with failed businesses has shown us that can happen.

Oh, by the way -- it's OK if you "preach" to us.  Countless visitors to our site probably think that's what we're doing....

For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. - II Corinthians 4:5

Any wisdom we might have, about poker or otherwise, comes from the Lord.  May you come to realize that, too.

Poker Night 389: Turn and Twist

We don't celebrate Valentine's Day.  (Click here for a thought-provoking explanation why.)   So tonight was simply another Thursday night at the poker room for us.  For everyone who gathered at Lil Kim's Cove, the only "hearts" they might appreciate would be for making a flush.

BLINDS: 100/200

IN THE POCKET: A-J offsuit

We burned ourselves in one early hand when we tried a "bluff bet" with A-6 on the flop.  No Ace was showing, and a man who held a King made a winning pair on the river.  So now with about 6,500 chips, we want to rebuild.  But these nice high cards come early in the betting order.  We decide to limp in, and no one raises.

ON THE FLOP: A-Q-3

The right flop for playing some "class AA" hardball.  We lead the betting with 300.  A couple of players fold, but two others on the other side of the table call.

ON THE TURN: 5

We still have top pair, and probably could make a more aggressive bet at this point.  But the man next in line tends to play on the wily, scheming side.  So we set out another relatively modest bet of 300.  He responds with a few seconds of staring.

"I'm not sure if my two pair is better than your two pair," he says.  We stare back and say nothing.  (You'll notice we do not have two pair.)  Then he raises: "1,500."

A woman between us in the order calls the 1,500 bet, but she's not the focus of our attention.  We're wondering if the man really meant what he said.  After a few seconds of introspection, something tells us he's bluffing.  "I'll call," we decide.

ON THE RIVER: 8

We still have only one pair.  But then comes the best thing we could have seen -- as the man who raised on the turn folds.  He doesn't even check!  The woman checks, and so do we.  Our Ace tops her Queen for a better pair -- and our risky read turns out to be correct.  (The man never reveals what he had.)

That was our highlight of the night, as we didn't win any pots after that.  Potential victory seemed ours with 7-8 when the flop had a 7 and the river brought an 8.  But a man to our left made a big raise, and this time our read was wrong: the 8 gave him a straight.

We held on well into the second hour, but finally had to go all-in with 10-8 of clubs in the Big Blind.  The board didn't pair, and we missed the final table by finishing 11th.

MINISTRY MOMENT: At the one-hour break, we asked a man to our right if Jesus was His Savior.  He said yes, and told us he's been "blessed." Then a man next to him added a couple of examples.

"Wakes me up in the morning -- and lets me get to sleep at night.  That's a blessing, too, you know."

He's absolutely correct about that.  And that's a blessing you might not consider very often.

In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat -- for he grants sleep to those he loves. - Psalm 127:2

It's one thing to be sleepy because you're lazy.  The Bible has something to say about that, too....

I went past the field of the sluggard.... A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest -- and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man. - Proverbs 24:30, 33-34

But if you're productive and work hard six days a week (as the Ten Commandments advise), a time of rest each week on the Sabbath can become a welcome gift from God:

The sleep of a laborer is sweet, whether he eats little or much.... - Ecclesiastes 5:12

Work hard, get your rest as the Bible advises -- and you'll thank God in the morning for a good night's sleep, too.


UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 134 final tables in 389 nights (34.4%) - 20 cashes.

NATIONAL LEAGUE OF POKER TOTAL: Full tournaments - 283 point wins in 1,366 games (20.7%), 92 final tables, 10 wins, 12 cash prizes.  No-River Hold 'em - 25 point wins in 97 games (25.8%), 19 final tables, 1 cash win.

We had a strong finish in a Sunday afternoon tournament, placing 24th out of 1,079 players.  Too bad only the top seven won money, and no points were awarded.

POKER STARS.NET TOTAL: Pretend cash games - $86,838, up $1,118.

Game Change, Ultimate Edition

Why is poker considered a "sport" to some people?  Perhaps it's because a tournament can have turning points.  One big hand can make someone's evening, while turning hours of hope into disappointment and ruin for someone else.

Even a person can be a "game-changer" in poker.  Bring Mr. or Ms. Chip Leader to a table of tight-playing modest players, and the tone and action can change in a hurry.  Smart players learn how to adjust to the situation, and even the competition.

Long before the phrase was popular, game-changing people were scattered throughout human history.  But there's One who ranks above all the rest for us....

....Because through Christ  Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. - Romans 8:2

In a post earlier this week, we mentioned Jesus's words from Matthew 5 that God's Law would not disappear until "everything is accomplished."  Jesus accomplished a lot for us while walking the earth.  Among them: a replacement of one "law" with another.  Some claim that means the Ten Commandments were revoked.  But consider this key verse:

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. - Romans 6:23

Like it or not, we've all sinned (Romans 3:23).  The "pay window" for that is death, as promised by God to the first humans in the garden of Eden (Genesis 3).  But Jesus changed the "game of life" into one of eternal life:

For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.... For the trumpet shall sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. - I Corinthians 15:22, 52

As a sinless Savior, Jesus paid the penalty for our sins by His blood.  By repenting of your sins and accepting Jesus as your Savior, you can come under that "new law" -- with God's Holy Spirit dwelling in you, and the promise of eternal life when Jesus returns.

If you want to win the big poker tournaments, you'll probably need to make a lot of big decisions.  To win the "Ultimate Game," you need to make only one....

That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. - Romans 10:9