Poker Night 316: Jacks or Better?

One poker book recommends new Texas Hold 'em players only play 15 hands: pocket pairs, A-K and A-Q.  But veteran players will tell you not all pocket pairs are created equal.  In fact, there are some they'd rather avoid.  We faced a moment along those lines Monday night at The Red Barn....

BLINDS: 50/100

IN THE POCKET: J-J

We've been waiting patiently for this sort of hand to come along.  Early efforts with lesser cards have reduced our starting stack of 7,000 chips down to the 5,500 range.  A player ahead of us doubles the bet to 200, and we're willing to sneak behind that lead by calling.  Most of the table of six gets in.

ON THE FLOP: 6-6-8

We have an "overpair," and doubt anyone jumped into a raised pot with a 6.  The man who doubled ahead of us offers a meager-looking minimal bet of 100, which emboldens us.  "Raise to 400," we say.

"Re-raise," a man two seats to our left then says.  "Five thousand."

Huh?!?!?  This seems at first to us like a "go away" bet to run us off.  At this table, people have been sticking around pots with unlikely hands.  But then two other players call the 5,000 bet, before our turn comes around again.  This leaves us with a moment of decision, as calling the re-raise wouldn't leave us with many chips.

"I tend to get in trouble when I play this," we say after a moment, "so I'll fold."  But the hand continues with three remaining players....

ON THE TURN: 9

That seems to change nothing; everyone checks.

ON THE RIVER: K

This card could have topped our overpair.  But the three players check again.

"I've got a boat," the re-raiser announces.  He shows 6-8!  No wonder he bet big -- he made a full house on the flop.  No one else comes close, and our decision to fold a high pocket pair turns out to be wise.

We won a pot minutes later, to restore our stack a bit.  But with 4,000 chips left after the one-hour break, we needed a big comeback -- and thankfully, it came several times.  First A-K turned into a double-up flush .  We went all-in minutes later with King-Jack of diamonds, and made two pair to top a man's Q-Q.  After that came a push with A-Q, which prevailed when an Ace hit the board!

We took 10,000 chips (barely enough for a rising small blind) to the final table.  Forced to push in the Big Blind, we saw A-K -- and a pair of Aces kept us alive for about one more lap around the table, while other players pushed and fell short.  With six players left, we pushed again with Q-J of diamonds.  A player called with a trailing 10-9 -- but he caught a 10 while we didn't pair.  We drove home pleased with a sixth-place finish, and our third final table in the last five nights.

MINISTRY MOMENT: "I wake up thankful every morning," a player to our right told us during the one-hour break.

"How has God's Spirit been working in your life lately?" we asked him.

The man's answer was stunning.  "God gave me plenty of misery last year."

"What happened, if I might ask?"

"I lost my wife."

This left us speechless for a moment -- but thankfully, the man also was carrying on a conversation about poker with someone else.  Finally we were ready to respond.

"I didn't know your wife died, so I'm sorry about that.  But it's good to see you're still thankful, through it all."

How can someone be thankful through such a loss?  We're reminded of a king who lost his baby boy -- taken by God because of the king's sin:

Then David got up from the ground.  After he had washed, put on lotions and changed his clothes, he went into the house of the Lord and worshiped.  Then he went to his own house, and at his request they served him food, and he ate. - II Samuel 12:20

King David did this after a week of fasting, while his son had a deadly illness (verses 15-17).  The king's servants feared he might "do something desperate" (verse 18) - but instead, David worshiped God.

He answered, "While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept.  I thought, 'Who knows?  The Lord may be gracious to me and let the child live.'  But now that he is dead, why should I fast?  Can I bring him back again?  I will go to him, but he will not return to me." - II Samuel 12:22-23

Was the king referring to a reunion in heaven?  We don't think so, based on Peter's statement in Acts 2:34 -- along with some of David's other words:

Is not my house right with God?  Has he not made with me an everlasting covenant, arranged and secured in every part?  Will he not bring to fruition my salvation and grant me my every desire? - II Samuel 23:5

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. - Psalm 23:6 (KJV)

God's throne indeed is in heaven now -- but in the future, that location will change.

I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.... And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them.  They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God." - Revelation 21:2-3

We're led to conclude King David and his young son will reunite in a resurrection, eventually dwelling in what verse 1 calls "a new earth."  The poker player who lost his wife can have that opportunity as well.  May he remain thankful to God, and show that thankfulness in a godly daily walk.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 112 final tables in 316 nights (35.4%) - 17 cashes.