We didn't think of our self-talk as a prayer -- but maybe it was, because things started happening for us in the second hour. First we dealt ourselves A-Q, and a successful push advanced us to 5,000. Then we moved to a different table, and this happened....
BLINDS: 1,000/2,000
IN THE POCKET: 5-8 of spades
Ugh -- this isn't the sort of hand you want for a desperation all-in bet. But we're in the Big Blind, and we have no choice. We're forced to go all-in for our last 2,000, sight unseen with these cards. Several players around us call.
ON THE FLOP: 8-4-2 (suits don't matter)
Hmmm -- maybe there's hope for us yet. The table checks to the dealer. But then he makes a massive bet in the 10,000 range. Everyone else folds, a couple expressing frustration as they do. No complaints from us, though....
"Well, you gave me top pair," we say as we show our cards.
The dealer almost ashamedly turns over K-7! He made a massive bluff, and may have done us a big favor.
ON THE TURN: 5
Wow - a second pair! If we can avoid a straight....
ON THE RIVER: Q (as best we recall)
A couple of men gripe at the dealer, about running them off winning hands. "We were trying to take him out," complains one man -- and he does not mean a late-night dinner after the tournament.
"Thank you very much," we say as we drag in a 12,000-chip blessing.
Several hands later, A-9 brought a 9 on the turn -- good enough to advance us to 24,000. Then in the third hour, A-3 looked beaten when a man had a pocket pair and two Queens were on the board. But an Ace landed on the river, to keep us alive again!
After a divided pot where we were forced to play 2-2 in the Big Blind and a third 2 arrived on the flop, we survived to the final table. But our run ended there, as 10-4 in the Big Blind failed to bring a pair for us. A double-takeout ended our evening with an eighth-place tie -- and also thanks to God for helping us escape defeat at least five times.
In fact, a song on Christian radio as we drove home expressed our mood very well: sometimes "miracles just happen." (But for believers in God, should there really be any "just" about it?)
MINISTRY MOMENT: A fierce argument developed in the first hour, over a hand where the dealer turned over a card too soon and apparently cost a woman a big hand. We had folded our cards and didn't really pay close attention. But the woman went to the Tournament Director to say something, then returned with a loud voice to berate the dealer for his error.
"I apologize," the dealer said several times with equal loudness. "Nobody is [insert expletives here] perfect!"
We bowed our head at our seat and let other players calm things down; one man stood and took charge right away to cool the tension. Several players reminded the woman everyone can make mistakes when dealing cards. They're correct, of course. All of us are human. For those who might disagree....
If we say that we have not sinned, we are fooling ourselves, and the truth isn't in our hearts. - I John 1:8 (CEV)In fact, when the complaining woman's turn as Dealer came, she tried to send cards to an open seat for a moment. A quiet word of correction resolved that. No one "rubbed it in" (well, at least not to her face). How easy it is to see the faults of others, instead of focusing and working on our own....
You're nothing but show-offs! First, take the log out of your own eye. Then you can see how to take the speck out of your friend's eye. - Matthew 7:5 (CEV)There's much more that we can say about this situation -- but we're posting late at night, so we'll share more in an upcoming post.
UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 119 final tables in 334 nights (35.6%) - 19 cashes.
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