Remember As You Play....

The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know. - I Corinthians 8:2

Just when you think you've seen it all....

That phrase is fitting in all walks of life.  It could be a straight flush topping quads.  It could be that last-second college football play, not far from where we used to live.  It sadly could also be a savage act of crime or violence.

If you've played poker for years, it's easy to think you know it all.  You may have played thousands of hands in person or online.  You may have won a bracelet or two.  But our verse is a reminder that we are not the sum of all knowledge.

Even classic cartoons illustrate the silliness of thinking we know everything.  We think there's a better approach to take when you head for the table....

Do not deceive yourselves.  If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a "fool" so that he may become wise.  For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight. - I Corinthians 3:18-19

That doesn't mean you have to play dumb -- although we've tried it a time or two around people we've never met, and it can work.  But it does mean playing and conducting yourself in a way which indicates a humble approach:

He has showed you, O man, what is good.  And what does the Lord require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. - Micah 6:8

May you "grow in grace and knowledge" (II Peter 3:18) - not only of Jesus Christ, but in how to play poker successfully and honorably.

The Wise Course

In a recent post we asked how you know as a poker player (or elsewhere) you're following your heart, as opposed to good godly counsel.

We think the key lies in a word called wisdom.  The problem is that not all wisdom is good and godly:

But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth.  Such "wisdom" does not come from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. - James 3:14-15

These are words which cut to the core.  Why do you play poker?  For fun?  To make money?  To get even with another player, who did something to you in the past?  Your answer may determine the sort of wisdom you're trying to use.

Who is wise and understanding among you?  Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility and that comes from wisdom. - James 3:13

In other words, a wise person doesn't seek self-promotion -- such as stories of how brilliantly you steamrolled the other players at the table.

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. - James 3:17

It's not in the nature of a poker player to be submissive -- but sometimes it's the only logical course.

If K-Q-J-10 are showing and you have a 9, what do you do if an opponent makes a confident big bet?  Realize you're beat, submit to it and fold -- or dare that opponent to prove he holds an Ace?

We realize some of this comes down to reading whether or not your opponent is bluffing.  If you're good at that, it's probably due to the "considerate" side of wisdom - under the definition of "careful thought."

If all of this has convinced you wisdom is running low in your life, remember one more statement from James:

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. - James 1:5

But be sure you ask for God's wisdom -- not that other kind.  Wise words in prayer can matter every bit as much as wise play at a poker table.

Follow the Leader

"Changing out 100!" announced the dealer at our Ultimate Texas Hold 'em table. The dealer apparently wore a well-hidden microphone, because a "pit boss" came within moments to verify the transaction.

The dealer explained to us he had to get approval for any chip exchange of $75 or more.

"So in other words," we noted, "you're one under authority."

The phrase stumped him for a moment, so we explained.  "You're under his authority.  I read that in a book once."  Moments later, we explained that book was the Bible....

The centurion replied, "Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof.  But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.  For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me.  I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and that one, 'Come,' and he comes.  I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it." - Matthew 8:8-9

The phrase about being "under authority" actually was spoken to Jesus Christ, instead of by him.  Historical legend claims a Roman centurion was an officer over 100 soldiers (although the actual number may have been lower).

This man came to Jesus to have a servant healed of paralysis (verses 5-6).  And he was convinced the mere statement of healing by the Lord would do the job.

When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, "I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith." - Mathew 8:10

Faith in Christ paid off for that centurion and his servant, as the servant "was healed at that very hour" (verse 13).  So we would ask two questions from this:

1. Are you under authority in your life?

2.  If so, to whom?

Professional poker players may seem like free spirits.  But have you noticed how many of them wear sponsorship logos at the table?  Those endorsement deals provide a steady income, we suppose -- but players probably are obligated to do what the endorsers desire.  When they do, they're under the authority of those sponsors.

Even if you don't have a sponsor, you're "under authority" at a poker table.  A Tournament Director or dealer enforces the rules and settles disputes about hands -- whether you like the outcome or not.

In the classic words of a Bob Dylan song, we all "have to serve somebody."  Believe it or not, even Jesus Christ did while walking on Earth:

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 26:39

Jesus offered this prayer at least twice, in the hours before He was crucified (verse 42) - and perhaps stunningly, God the Father told His perfect holy Son no.  It was God's will that Jesus suffer and die.  Jesus accepted that authority from His Father -- and was rewarded with a resurrection to the Father's right hand in heaven.

So what about you?  Are you under God's authority?  It's really for your good, because you can enjoy a future resurrection to eternal life as Jesus did.  Accept it by putting your faith in God and what Jesus has done on your behalf.  It will be change worth far more than $100 in chips.

Poker Day 415: One Card Too Many?

Even though the name has changed, the first Sunday of every month remains the "Big Sunday" at River City Poker Room -- with a $50 buy-in, and a shot at a $1,000 top prize.  Still stinging over our big casino loss, we wondered if this might be a "third chance" to refill our envelope.  Tests would come early, even though blinds were lengthy and small at first:

BLINDS: 100/200

IN THE POCKET: Q-5 of clubs (suit may not be precise)

The tables are full, but the action at ours has been relatively tight so far.  We've tried to be active and play sensible hands, but our starting start of 20,000 has dropped by about 3,000.  Our notes don't show the suit of these cards -- but we assume they were suited, because we'd like to get in for the minimum in the Dealer position.  Except a woman in the Big Blind raises to 700.

"You realize it's only 200," we jokingly suggest.

"She wants your 200," the man in the Small Blind answers in her behalf.  Clearly.  So we call, and about half the table is in.

"Now she wants your 700," Mr. Small Blind notes.

ON THE FLOP: Q-5-3

She may want it, but this flop could make it hard to get it.  We have top two pair.  The table checks, but we don't.

"All right, then, we say - and bet 1,000.  The woman folds -- but then comes a surprise from a man across the table.  He raises all the way to 5,000.  This gives us a pause.  But we conclude he only has one pair - certainly not something like 3-3.  We call.  Everyone else steps aside.

ON THE TURN: 4

There's no flush threat showing.  But our opponent now fires again, betting 5,000 more.  Now we're concluding he has pocket Aces.  But if he does, we're still ahead.  It's a "lump in your throat" moment, but we call this big bet again.

ON THE RIVER: 2

This is absolutely the last thing we want to see.  If our opponent has an Ace, he just hit a straight -- and if he bets big again, we might face an early all-in moment of truth.

He thinks for a moment, then does something which happily surprises us.  He checks.  We check as well.

"Two pair," he says -- showing 2-4.  He made running pairs, but misses the open-ended straight draw.  We show our Q-5, and are thankful!  The lack of an Ace wins us a huge pot -- and we're well above the starting line, at 28,100 chips.

Our day went up and down that way -- a few good pot wins, a few losses.  The wins outnumbered the losses to the point that we reached a high of 52,000 chips.  But rising blinds and shrinking tables eventually did us in.  After a couple of all-in escapes, we tried again with A-10 -- but ran into Q-Q.  The board didn't save us, and we finished close to the semifinal table in 18th place.

MINISTRY MOMENT: A-K in the Big Blind brought us a "double-up" late in the tournament, which kept us around a few extra minutes.

"PTL!  I'd write if I was online right now," we said to the table.

"What does PTL mean?" the dealer asked.  We're glad she asked.

"Praise the Lord," we said.

Look through the Psalms of the Bible, and you'll find all sorts of reasons to praise God.  For instance:

I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. - Psalm 16:7

Uh-oh -- we have to treat this verse with care.  God can provide counsel, if we study His Word and listen carefully to people who preach and teach it.  But what about David's heart in this case?

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? - Jeremiah 17:9 (KJV)

We think Jeremiah is speaking in general terms here about the human condition.  So should David have followed the instruction of his heart?  Not always -- because at times he committed serious sinful mistakes, such as lusting after another man's wife and having that man killed to claim her as his own (II Samuel 11).

So how do you know when your heart is talking, as opposed to the counsel of God?  This can matter at poker tables, as well as other places.  Offer a comment if you'd like; we'll look at this more deeply in an upcoming post.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 145 final tables in 415 games (34.9%) - 24 cashes.

Too Long at the Fair

We were due for a night like this.  We went to Kansas Star Casino hoping again to make quick money playing Ultimate Texas Hold 'em - but lousy cards came our way four hands in a row.  At a ten-dollar table, we lost $90 in no time.

We left and walked around the casino, pondering what to do.  Do we cash in our remaining $10 in chips and go home?  Do we dare risk that $10 on a cheap blackjack game?  (No, we concluded -- every time we passed a blackjack table, the dealer was getting heartbreaking wins.)  Do we reach into the "envelope of blessings" we carry for the remaining money inside?

After several minutes of sports-watching and pondering, we decided to reach.  We made change for the remaining $100, and only plunked down $50 at the table.  And what do you know -- the tide turned in our favor!  Several quick wins transformed our $60 into $160.  We had the money back, plus $10.

We knew that streak had to end eventually -- and it did on the next hand.  We could have packed up, left with a $10 loss and thanked God for a good comeback.  But we stuck around, hoping to get back on the "plus side."  Only we didn't.  The losses returned -- and we wound up going home with a $160 loss.

At that moment we were reminded of a man at a regular poker table who talked of losing $300 in a cash game.  "Why don't we ever get out?" he moaned.

That's a very good question.  Perhaps part of the answer can be found in a very familiar Bible verse:

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.  Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. - I Timothy 6:10

Notice carefully: the love of money isn't the root of evil.... but it's certainly one of them.  We can be so eager after winning a little that we stick around, dreaming of winning a lot -- and the law of averages comes back to bite you.

You want something but don't get it.  You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want.  You quarrel and fight.  You do not have, because you do not ask God. - James 4:2

This may sound strange -- but looking back to the start of the night, we probably didn't pray enough about what was going to happen inside the casino.  We certainly didn't pray for God's wisdom in being a light to other people. (We tried to be in the second trip; that's an item for another post.)  Ignore God in prayer, and He well could ignore you....

Come near to God, and he will come near to you.  Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. - James 4:8

We take the blame for not following the advice of fictional TV anchorman Ron Burgundy: "Let me out at the top." That door was open.  We didn't take it.  We needed to keep a wise godly head at that moment -- instead of waiting until we drove home, confessing our faults to God and resolving not to go back to that casino for awhile.

Thanks-Living

It's a bit embarrassing to admit this, but we often forget to tip dealers at poker tables after we win hands.  Perhaps it's because the game is built so much on taking -- and we became used to having the players act as dealers in other poker tournaments at other places.

How much should you tip a dealer in a poker room?  While the 15-percent line at restaurants is commonly known, no one ever gave us good advice for poker.  We found one online article which actually recommends a 33-percent tip in some small cash games.  That can feel like a lot, if your chip stack is small.  But it errs on the side of giving.

We bring this up because today marks a day for giving thanks in the U.S.  Some people say "thank you" is one of the hardest things for people to say in our society.  So a tip for your poker dealer is one way to offer thanks in a physical way.

But in reality, Thanksgiving Day should be a time for thanking the One who provides all our blessings -- even the physical strength to sit down at a poker table and win pots.

You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. - II Corinthians 9:11

Many people, groups and businesses use this time of year to perform charitable acts -- but many times they come across as self-promotion.  We think there's a better way to be generous, in a way which will make God happy:

But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret.  Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. - Matthew 6:3-4

Giving thanks, as well as tips, can be every bit as effective in private.

What's that -- you say you see nothing to be thankful about?  We disagree.  We went through the Bible, and found dozens of reasons to be thankful to God.  Read this Bible study article for the list, along with other thoughts about thanksgiving.  And may you be thankful every day, not simply at a table with a turkey.

Meek First

A visitor's comment on one of our recent posts brought up this verse -- one you're admittedly not likely to hear at a poker table:

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. - Matthew 5:5

Meek is one of those words that tends to get confined to church discussions.  Yet Jesus said it's a trait believers need to show in their lives.

The New Testament was written primarily in Greek -- and the Greek word for meek can mean "mild" or "humble."  Our home dictionary points out another meaning, which has become too common: "spineless."

Poker players without spines soon will be without chips.  Weakly folding to other players' raises can make sense if you have 2-5 offsuit -- but when you have K-K or Q-Q, it's more logical to take a stand.  After all, your opponent could be testing your spine by raising with nothing.

That's why we think the New Testament rendering for "meek" is better.  You can play solid poker in a mild-mannered, humble way.  For instance, have you ever quietly raised with K-K with a friendly smile on your "poker face?"

The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way. - Psalm 25:9 (KJV)

Arrogant people are far less likely to accept correction and instruction -- whether it's about a misplayed hand or godly living.  Yet meekness can bring improvement and success.

The Lord lifts up the meek: he casts the wicked down to the ground. - Psalm 147:6 (KJV)

Oh yes -- did you notice what Jesus said the meek will inherit?  It may surprise you to learn it's not a place in heaven:

....With your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.  You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth. - Revelation 5:9-10

God will send Jesus to set up His Kingdom here on earth.  If you can accept that Bible statement with meekness, you'll be well on the way to being able to play with meekness at the table -- and possibly winning as you do.