Poker Night 345: Paul Revere and the Pot Raiders

The Dallas (Arlington?!) Cowboys and New York (Jersey?!) Giants had the attention of pro football fans tonight -- even those who gathered to play poker at Soho Bar and Grill.  In fact, the Tournament Director became so caught up in the opening night action that he was seven minutes late in calling one blind increase!

We went to Soho due to a change in our weekly routine.  But New England Patriots sprang to our mind at one point -- and not the football team....

BLINDS: 200/400

IN THE POCKET: 9-9

Did you ever have one of those nights -- when you can't even catch cards with a fishing net?  That's been our lot tonight.  A-K came early, but we had to fold it due to a missed flop and a player betting big with two pair.  Hands such as A-6 have fallen short as well.  Now we're dealing, the one-hour break is approaching and we finally have a fairly nice pocket pair.

Pre-flop raises have been common at our table of six, and a woman across from us raises to 800.  Players to our left start throwing out chips to call -- but as dealer, we have to tell them to wait.  Why?

"I'm going all-in," we explain.  There aren't many chips to count, but the total comes to 1,775 -- which reminds us of a classic poem an old church buddy used to recite by memory:

On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-five;
Hardly a man is now alive Who remembers that famous day and year, of the midnight ride of Paul Revere.

We think we puzzled other players by repeating that bit of U.S. historic literature about the year 1775.  A couple of them don't care; they're calling anyway.  We stand to "triple up" at least, if our pair stands.

ON THE FLOP: 7-Q-8

Two players to our left check.  But the woman who raised pre-flop goes all-in herself -- with a chip stack much larger than ours.  We smell big trouble.  So do those other players, who fold.  The woman then confirms it, by turning over a Queen.  We need help.

ON THE TURN: 7

"Two pair," a man to our left says hopefully.  But we're still losing.

ON THE RIVER: 5

Our "patriot game" is over.  The woman makes us walk the plank and out the door -- finishing sixth at our table of eight.

MINISTRY MOMENT: For several weeks we've taken a wrapped Life Saver candy to poker tables.  But only tonight did a good opportunity arise to refer to it -- when that winning woman responded to a raise by saying "Jesus!"

"He's my hope of salvation," we said holding up our card protector.  "He's my Life Saver.  Is he yours?" we then asked a man sitting next to her.

The man agreed with our statement, albeit a bit reluctantly.  "Who else is there?" we then asked.  Before you try to come up with an answer, consider these words of Jesus....

For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. - Luke 9:24

This verse reminds us of a TV evangelist who appealed for money 25 years ago by implying God would kill him if the funds didn't come.  "Won't you save my life??" he pleaded at one point in his telecast.

No, we didn't -- and considered that program a terrible Christian example.  As hard as scientists try and we might watch our weight, death is inevitable for all humans.  (Even the minister who made that appeal died in 2009.)  The only way to have a life beyond this one is to give yourself over to Jesus, accepting Him as your Savior.

It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God -- that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. - I Corinthians 1:30

I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth, And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God. - Job 19:25-26

For the believer, seeing Jesus face-to-face with an immortal body will be sweeter than any roll of candy.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 122 final tables in 345 nights (35.4%) - 19 cashes.