Since our plans for a poker tournament were changed, we'll make it up to you by showing an online hand we promised awhile back. This one took our pretend chip stack at Yahoo above $12,000 on January 18:
BLINDS: $1/$2
IN THE POCKET: 9-2
It's a fairly busy table, with plenty of what critics call "pot pumpers" -- raising back and forth at will, because they know it's not real money at stake. We were suited (as best we recall), so call it along in hope.
ON THE FLOP: 9-9-K.
3x9 = really fine. We're betting, and a couple of others do the same rather obliviously.
ON THE TURN: 8.
We keep on betting, and one player to our right insists on taking us on. Could he have a set of Kings, and have a full house?
ON THE RIVER: 10.
Hmmm -- our opponent might have caught a straight with that. But we bet in hope, and he takes us all the way to the $20 limit.
End result: He had K-10 for two pair. Our three nines hold up, for a heavy-duty pot of more than $280.
In a small cash game, it was worth betting our three of a kind. In a tournament, the chance of a big hand on the flop or the river would have brought more caution -- especially if the opponent had thrown out a big bet of his own. There is a difference.
YAHOO POKER SCOREBOARD: $11,713 -- down $15. (We haven't had time to play much lately.)
Thursday, January 29, 2009
If it's Thursday, this must be....
UPDATED/11:45 a.m. ET
well, this would have been our Poker Night. But a work emergency has come up, so we'll have to fold our plans for tonight. The Boss pays, guaranteed. Poker doesn't always.
But the Texas Hold 'Em tournament doubleheader is still on at Lil' Kim's Cove, on Fourth Street near the Columbus Civic Center. The first game starts at 7:00 p.m. ET. The second should start around 9:00-9:30. Have fun, although we might not.
well, this would have been our Poker Night. But a work emergency has come up, so we'll have to fold our plans for tonight. The Boss pays, guaranteed. Poker doesn't always.
But the Texas Hold 'Em tournament doubleheader is still on at Lil' Kim's Cove, on Fourth Street near the Columbus Civic Center. The first game starts at 7:00 p.m. ET. The second should start around 9:00-9:30. Have fun, although we might not.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Believe and Win
Unless you're in the blinds, why do you bet during a poker hand?
Silly question, you may say. I'm betting because it's the only way to win the pot.
Yes, but why do you bet what you bet? In some cases, players are bluffing. But most of the time, players throw chips in because they think they have a winnable hand. (Of course, that perspective could change if the wrong cards show up on the flop.)
As the hand goes on, you may become sure the pot is yours. You believe your two pair are good, for instance -- until an opponent surprises you with a pocket pair which makes three of a kind.
Believing in a hand can be risky. But in most countries which allow religious freedom, believing in Jesus doesn't have to be. (We should pray for God to protect believers in difficult countries and situation.)
Remember the earlier post about the online player with believer in his handle? He told us he believed in Jesus. That won't necessarily win you any pots, but you can gain something much more valuable.
"Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved," Paul and Silas told a jailer in Acts 16:31. That means you're saved from your sins -- sins which lead to death (Rom. 6:23).
But it means more, as Hebrews 1:14 says believers "will inherit salvation." That's a future thing, as Jesus "will appear a second time.... to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him" (Heb. 9:27). It's an eternal salvation, for "heirs having the hope of eternal life" (Tit. 3:7).
This is good news, and Jesus told people years ago we should "repent and believe" it (Mk. 1:15). If you want to believe in Jesus but aren't sure how, leave a comment. We'll be happy to help explain it to you.
Silly question, you may say. I'm betting because it's the only way to win the pot.
Yes, but why do you bet what you bet? In some cases, players are bluffing. But most of the time, players throw chips in because they think they have a winnable hand. (Of course, that perspective could change if the wrong cards show up on the flop.)
As the hand goes on, you may become sure the pot is yours. You believe your two pair are good, for instance -- until an opponent surprises you with a pocket pair which makes three of a kind.
Believing in a hand can be risky. But in most countries which allow religious freedom, believing in Jesus doesn't have to be. (We should pray for God to protect believers in difficult countries and situation.)
Remember the earlier post about the online player with believer in his handle? He told us he believed in Jesus. That won't necessarily win you any pots, but you can gain something much more valuable.
"Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved," Paul and Silas told a jailer in Acts 16:31. That means you're saved from your sins -- sins which lead to death (Rom. 6:23).
But it means more, as Hebrews 1:14 says believers "will inherit salvation." That's a future thing, as Jesus "will appear a second time.... to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him" (Heb. 9:27). It's an eternal salvation, for "heirs having the hope of eternal life" (Tit. 3:7).
This is good news, and Jesus told people years ago we should "repent and believe" it (Mk. 1:15). If you want to believe in Jesus but aren't sure how, leave a comment. We'll be happy to help explain it to you.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Poker Night #56: Nearly Worst to Nearly First
Now this was more like it. Good cards came. For the most part, they held up. And with the help of a couple of all-in escapes late in the evening, we rebounded from Wednesday night's early crash to finish fifth in tonight's first tournament at Lil' Kim's Cove. (We skip the second game, so we can blog about it for you.)
Our approach admittedly was more cautious tonight. We only "chased" marginal hands if we were in the blinds, or had the chip advantage to afford it. Many times that worked. On this hand at the semifinal table, it didn't:
BLINDS: 2,000/4,000
IN THE POCKET: 5-5.
It's enough to call, but not much more with blinds at this level. Several players join in.
ON THE FLOP: 5-A-Q (as best we recall)
We're effectively on the button, and sitting very pretty with three of a kind. So when our turn comes, we raise 7,000 on top of the 4,000. Two players take the challenge.
ON THE TURN: K.
Hmmmm. We check, as do the others. Maybe if we had bet again, we wouldn't have seen....
ON THE RIVER: J.
Uh-oh. A straight is there for the taking, and suddenly a late play isn't advantageous anymore. A player ahead of us makes a bet of 5,000 or so.
"I think you've got it." And we fold. We were right.
The final push came for us with blinds at 5,000/10,000. We bet early with K-Q, but another player has the cards to make a seven-card straight.
MINISTRY MOMENT: At our starter table, one player wore a metal cross around his neck. We bring it up asking, "Is that a fashion statement or a statement of faith?"
"I'm Catholic," the man admits. The man to his immediate left mentions he is as well.
We show the man our "Jesus as your Savior" coin, and he agrees with the message it has. It turns out he attends Columbus's biggest Catholic church, and his daughter is in a Catholic high school. And he didn't really harm his religious example during the evening.
He didn't make it to the final table, but we did -- and at one point there, a man frustrated by his cards exclaims the name of Jesus. "He's my hope of salvation," we add.
UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 24 final tables in 56 nights (42.9%) - 7 cashes.
YAHOO POKER TOTAL: $11,728 - up $391. But that's very misleading, as we climbed to a record high of $12,232 two days ago. We've dropped $500 in two days there, due to some bad beats.
Our approach admittedly was more cautious tonight. We only "chased" marginal hands if we were in the blinds, or had the chip advantage to afford it. Many times that worked. On this hand at the semifinal table, it didn't:
BLINDS: 2,000/4,000
IN THE POCKET: 5-5.
It's enough to call, but not much more with blinds at this level. Several players join in.
ON THE FLOP: 5-A-Q (as best we recall)
We're effectively on the button, and sitting very pretty with three of a kind. So when our turn comes, we raise 7,000 on top of the 4,000. Two players take the challenge.
ON THE TURN: K.
Hmmmm. We check, as do the others. Maybe if we had bet again, we wouldn't have seen....
ON THE RIVER: J.
Uh-oh. A straight is there for the taking, and suddenly a late play isn't advantageous anymore. A player ahead of us makes a bet of 5,000 or so.
"I think you've got it." And we fold. We were right.
The final push came for us with blinds at 5,000/10,000. We bet early with K-Q, but another player has the cards to make a seven-card straight.
MINISTRY MOMENT: At our starter table, one player wore a metal cross around his neck. We bring it up asking, "Is that a fashion statement or a statement of faith?"
"I'm Catholic," the man admits. The man to his immediate left mentions he is as well.
We show the man our "Jesus as your Savior" coin, and he agrees with the message it has. It turns out he attends Columbus's biggest Catholic church, and his daughter is in a Catholic high school. And he didn't really harm his religious example during the evening.
He didn't make it to the final table, but we did -- and at one point there, a man frustrated by his cards exclaims the name of Jesus. "He's my hope of salvation," we add.
UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 24 final tables in 56 nights (42.9%) - 7 cashes.
YAHOO POKER TOTAL: $11,728 - up $391. But that's very misleading, as we climbed to a record high of $12,232 two days ago. We've dropped $500 in two days there, due to some bad beats.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Poker Night #55: If You're Posting Early....
Yup, you guessed it. We were sent packing early.
On a night when about 190 players showed up at Club H2O -- so many that police were called to tow some cars away -- the best thing we could do is surrender our legal parking space. We didn't really TRY to do that, but it happened when we finished ninth out of our starting table of 10.
It was a short and strange night for us. We won three pots in about 15 hands, yet never climbed above the starting chip stack of 100.
Perhaps we didn't play two of them well. One case was a K-3 of hearts, where a K came on the flop for top pair. We somehow didn't grasp that and failed to bet until the turn, minimizing our gains. The other case found up with pocket Aces one off the button. We raised 15 above a call of 2, and the rest of the table folded.
We dreamed of a big gain when a player to our right went all-in for 29 chips -- but another player called with us, and topped our pocket jacks by pairing an Ace on the river. That same player put us out for good a few hands later....
BLINDS: 2/4
IN THE POCKET: Q-10 of clubs
We're down to about 44 chips, and call early. The player to our right raises 10 to put the pressure on, and we decide to match it.
ON THE FLOP: J-J-3 (3 of clubs)
The player to our right plays first, and throws in a small bet. We feel committed to this pot, and call -- but we need help.
ON THE TURN: A second 3.
Two pair are showing. The opponent checks, and so do we. Could our Q kicker be good enough?
ON THE RIVER: A third 3.
A full house is on the board! "I think I'll say.... all-in?!" says the man to our right.
"I'll call," we say. We think we're both playing the table. But no -- our opponent has a third J for a higher full house.
MINISTRY MOMENT: Someone asked for a 5 to come up during a hand -- and then it did.
"Ask and ye shall receive," a woman at the table says.
Between hands I point out to other players, "That's a verse from the Bible." (John 16:24) "Along with 'Seek and ye shall find'" (Lk. 11:9) -- where the "ask" part admittedly is a bit different. No one really responds, but one man seemed to stare closely at our "Jesus Savior" coin.
UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 23 final tables in 55 nights (41.8%) -- 7 cashes.
UP NEXT: We did so poorly tonight that we'll come right back and play at Lil Kim's Cove at 7:00 p.m. ET Thursday night. We'll update the Yahoo count after that game.
On a night when about 190 players showed up at Club H2O -- so many that police were called to tow some cars away -- the best thing we could do is surrender our legal parking space. We didn't really TRY to do that, but it happened when we finished ninth out of our starting table of 10.
It was a short and strange night for us. We won three pots in about 15 hands, yet never climbed above the starting chip stack of 100.
Perhaps we didn't play two of them well. One case was a K-3 of hearts, where a K came on the flop for top pair. We somehow didn't grasp that and failed to bet until the turn, minimizing our gains. The other case found up with pocket Aces one off the button. We raised 15 above a call of 2, and the rest of the table folded.
We dreamed of a big gain when a player to our right went all-in for 29 chips -- but another player called with us, and topped our pocket jacks by pairing an Ace on the river. That same player put us out for good a few hands later....
BLINDS: 2/4
IN THE POCKET: Q-10 of clubs
We're down to about 44 chips, and call early. The player to our right raises 10 to put the pressure on, and we decide to match it.
ON THE FLOP: J-J-3 (3 of clubs)
The player to our right plays first, and throws in a small bet. We feel committed to this pot, and call -- but we need help.
ON THE TURN: A second 3.
Two pair are showing. The opponent checks, and so do we. Could our Q kicker be good enough?
ON THE RIVER: A third 3.
A full house is on the board! "I think I'll say.... all-in?!" says the man to our right.
"I'll call," we say. We think we're both playing the table. But no -- our opponent has a third J for a higher full house.
MINISTRY MOMENT: Someone asked for a 5 to come up during a hand -- and then it did.
"Ask and ye shall receive," a woman at the table says.
Between hands I point out to other players, "That's a verse from the Bible." (John 16:24) "Along with 'Seek and ye shall find'" (Lk. 11:9) -- where the "ask" part admittedly is a bit different. No one really responds, but one man seemed to stare closely at our "Jesus Savior" coin.
UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 23 final tables in 55 nights (41.8%) -- 7 cashes.
UP NEXT: We did so poorly tonight that we'll come right back and play at Lil Kim's Cove at 7:00 p.m. ET Thursday night. We'll update the Yahoo count after that game.
A Clue and an Invitation
Well, let's reverse the order of that.
First the invite: We're going for the big crowd and the big bucks tonight -- playing in the Texas Hold 'em tournament at Club H2O on Veterans Parkway. Register at 7:30 p.m. ET, get down to business at 8:00.
(We should note one of last week's top winners didn't finish playing until 1:00 a.m. This could be a long night.)
Now our new clue, as to what sort of hand we might have:
4-4 = Obamas. (Get it?)
First the invite: We're going for the big crowd and the big bucks tonight -- playing in the Texas Hold 'em tournament at Club H2O on Veterans Parkway. Register at 7:30 p.m. ET, get down to business at 8:00.
(We should note one of last week's top winners didn't finish playing until 1:00 a.m. This could be a long night.)
Now our new clue, as to what sort of hand we might have:
4-4 = Obamas. (Get it?)
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
This I Believe
The person to our left at the online poker table had believer in his handle.
"So Believer," we asked, "who or what do you believe?"
"In Jesus."
"Praise the Lord," we responded.
What would your answer to that question be? We think this person gave a great one. Learn why shortly.
Also ahead - the hand which jumped us above $12,000 at Yahoo!
"So Believer," we asked, "who or what do you believe?"
"In Jesus."
"Praise the Lord," we responded.
What would your answer to that question be? We think this person gave a great one. Learn why shortly.
Also ahead - the hand which jumped us above $12,000 at Yahoo!
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