Hamilton Downs Cash Game: Undressed to the Nines

It sits 11 miles from the nearest real city, Live Oak.  But the Hamilton Downs poker room in north Florida seems better positioned for card-playing travelers -- as it's less than one mile from Interstate 75 and about seven miles from Interstate 10.

A road trip this past week allowed us to stop at Hamilton Downs, hoping at least to win some gas money.  But there was no crowd at all on a Friday afternoon -- no jai alai action, and only one poker table with what we assumed were "the regulars."  We took that to mean we'd have to be very careful with our play.

You officially need $60 to take a seat at the 1/2 No Limit table.  We only had $56 on us, but the staff showed some mercy and let us in.  At least the sodas were inexpensive, at 50 cents for a cup.  Playing for a pot would cost a lot more....

BLINDS: $1/$2

IN THE POCKET: 9-9

We've tried to nibble our way in with marginal hands, only to miss the flop and get run off by players making large bets.  Showdowns at this table have been the exception, more than the rule.  Our opening $56 stack has dropped quickly to 28.  But this pocket pair is the hand we've been waiting for -- so when a man raises to six, we call with optimism.

ON THE FLOP: 7-5-4

Our overpair gives us more optimism.  So we make a lead-out bet of five -- only to see the pre-flop raiser raise again to 20.

We draw two possible conclusions from this.  Either he has a higher pair (maybe Kings) -- or he has nothing, and he's testing the willpower of a "newbie."  Other players at the table have been making bluffing bets against each other, so we decide to take a stand.

"I have to do it," we say as we call.  This leaves us two $1 chips.  Everyone else has folded.

ON THE TURN: 3

Before we can act, our opponent makes a mistake in our favor.  Apparently thinking we're all-in, he turns over pocket Aces!  The dealer quickly puts his hands over the cards, but we see them.

"Oh, I'll check," we say with an approach that indicates our answer is obvious.  That man has us seriously beaten.  To his credit, he checks as well.  We need a 9 to win, or a 6 to put a straight on the board and get a split.

ON THE RIVER: 10

We show our losing 9's, and announce we're leaving with our two-dollar consolation prize.  We might need emergency cash for the drive home (although thankfully, we didn't have to spend it).

We realized a walk into this format was dangerous ground.  We needed the income from a gain at the cash game, but took the risk of losing a lot in the process.  It's way we prefer limit cash games at the 1/2 level, because you have more time to get a feel for the table and play more hands.  At least we didn't take our entire "envelope of blessings" on this trip.

MINISTRY MOMENT: The regular players seemed intrigued by the coin protector we brought, depicting the Lord's Supper.  One of them apparently thought it was from a casino, and flipped it over to show the picture of a long-haired Jesus.

"I really don't think he looked like that," we explained to the players at our end of the table.  We noted the advice of the apostle Paul:

Does not he very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory?  For long hair is given to her as a covering. - I Corinthians 11:14-15

One man then speculated about the culture of New Testament times.  He said sheep farmers tended to roam the desert, and "they couldn't cut their hair very easily."

"But they'd have to shear the sheep," we responded.  "Couldn't they cut their own hair as well?"

That admittedly was speculation on our part -- so we did some checking on this.  After all, Jesus was a "traveling evangelist" in the Middle East.

Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." - Matthew 8:20

Yet the Old Testament law actually contains some instruction about haircuts....

Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard. - Leviticus 19:27

One study Bible notes this approach still is taken by modern-day Orthodox Jews -- but read the gospels and you'll find Jesus's approach was anything but Orthodox at times.

We found a detailed online analysis which indicates Greeks and Romans preferred clean-shaven appearances, and speculates "Temple barbers" existed at the time of Christ.  Remember Jesus appeared on Earth at a time of Roman rule, and Paul wrote I Corinthians when the Romans were in charge around 55 A.D.  Paul concludes his writings on the topic this way:

If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no other practice -- nor do the churches of God. - I Corinthians 11:16

In other words, short hair for males and long hair for females was the standard practice.

"I never thought I'd be getting into a religious discussion at a poker table," a man across from us said about all this.  That's part of our plan, sir -- part of our plan.

(The religious chat didn't stop there.  Watch for more in an upcoming post.)

CASH GAME COUNTER: 2 gains, 5 losses, 1 even in 8 sessions - down $96.