NLOP Weekly Championship 27: Aces Up, Aces Down

If we really desired, we could enter the National League of Poker $1,000 Weekly Championship every couple of weeks.  All that's needed now is a 50,000-point buy-in.  With our total around 400,000, we thought Father's Day might be a good time to sneak in and play well.  Did we?

:01 IN: We have A-2 under the gun on the second hand.  The flop is 5-8-2.  We bet the minimum 30, but someone raises to 160 and we call it.  The turn is 7.  The raiser bets 130, and we've seen enough.  We fold.

:03 IN: We have A-J in the Big Blind, and wind up heads-up with the Small Blind when the rest of the table folds.  The flop is A-2-5.  We bet 70, and our opponent folds.  Would they were all that simple....

:04 IN: We have A-A and the button!  So we raise to 230, and get one caller.  The flop is 4-3-2, and our opponent leads for the minimum 30.  We call, cautious about that board.  The turn is K; we call another bet of 30.  The river is 8; we call another minimum bet as we remain suspicious.  But there was no reason; our opponent has K-10 -- so we win $875.

:18 IN: After a few hopeful flops get overpowered on the turn, we have A-10 of clubs.  The flop is 7s-Qc-As.  A player bets the minimum 60; we raise to 120 only to be re-raised to 180.  We call and stop there.  The turn is 2s.  Our opponent bets 160, and we dare to call.  The river is Qs, and our opponent goes all-in.  We dare not call, even though we have top two pair -- not with four spades showing.

:21 IN: We have 4-10 and fold -- only to see a flop of 2-3-A, and a turn of 5 which would have given us a comeback straight.

We hobble to the half-hour break with 385 chips.  Out of 584 players still in the running, we're a lowly 559th (tied).

MINISTRY MOMENT: At about this point in the tournament, we landed at the same table as a player named "FatherofLies".  That player split a pot, and it led to this exchange....


Me:  Can't root for 
Me:  FatherofLies, sorry....
Me:  I support God.
FatherofLies:  I understand....
FatherofLies:  Atleast you know me
Me:  Even if I
Me:  would rather not :-/

Why would we write such a thing?  Because yes, we understand the origin of that phrase....

You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire.  He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him.  When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. - John 8:44

Jesus called the devil the "father of lies."  Many ministers say this is a reference to Satan appearing as a serpent in the garden of Eden:

"You shall not surely die," the serpent said to the woman.  "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." - Genesis 3:4-5

God had told Adam he would "surely die" if he ate of the "tree of the knowledge of good and evil" (2:17).  The serpent (Satan) then came along and lied to Eve.  Eve accepted the serpent's view over God's warning -- and the result has been sin and death ever since (5:5).

Come to think of it, we played poker with a "father" on Father's Day - one who takes his screen name from Satan.  Which father would you rather have?  An untrustworthy devil - or God, a heavenly father?

Now back to the tournament in progress....


:43 IN: We have 6-A as decisive blinds approach.  So we go all-in with 235 chips left.  Several players call to give us hope.  The flop is 6-9-K, which offers a bit more hope.  But 7-9 follow with three spades showing, and another player makes a winning flush.

So there's no championship for us again -- but 437th out of 1,255 entries beats the first-hand bust-out we had earlier in the day.