Poker Night 389: Turn and Twist

We don't celebrate Valentine's Day.  (Click here for a thought-provoking explanation why.)   So tonight was simply another Thursday night at the poker room for us.  For everyone who gathered at Lil Kim's Cove, the only "hearts" they might appreciate would be for making a flush.

BLINDS: 100/200

IN THE POCKET: A-J offsuit

We burned ourselves in one early hand when we tried a "bluff bet" with A-6 on the flop.  No Ace was showing, and a man who held a King made a winning pair on the river.  So now with about 6,500 chips, we want to rebuild.  But these nice high cards come early in the betting order.  We decide to limp in, and no one raises.

ON THE FLOP: A-Q-3

The right flop for playing some "class AA" hardball.  We lead the betting with 300.  A couple of players fold, but two others on the other side of the table call.

ON THE TURN: 5

We still have top pair, and probably could make a more aggressive bet at this point.  But the man next in line tends to play on the wily, scheming side.  So we set out another relatively modest bet of 300.  He responds with a few seconds of staring.

"I'm not sure if my two pair is better than your two pair," he says.  We stare back and say nothing.  (You'll notice we do not have two pair.)  Then he raises: "1,500."

A woman between us in the order calls the 1,500 bet, but she's not the focus of our attention.  We're wondering if the man really meant what he said.  After a few seconds of introspection, something tells us he's bluffing.  "I'll call," we decide.

ON THE RIVER: 8

We still have only one pair.  But then comes the best thing we could have seen -- as the man who raised on the turn folds.  He doesn't even check!  The woman checks, and so do we.  Our Ace tops her Queen for a better pair -- and our risky read turns out to be correct.  (The man never reveals what he had.)

That was our highlight of the night, as we didn't win any pots after that.  Potential victory seemed ours with 7-8 when the flop had a 7 and the river brought an 8.  But a man to our left made a big raise, and this time our read was wrong: the 8 gave him a straight.

We held on well into the second hour, but finally had to go all-in with 10-8 of clubs in the Big Blind.  The board didn't pair, and we missed the final table by finishing 11th.

MINISTRY MOMENT: At the one-hour break, we asked a man to our right if Jesus was His Savior.  He said yes, and told us he's been "blessed." Then a man next to him added a couple of examples.

"Wakes me up in the morning -- and lets me get to sleep at night.  That's a blessing, too, you know."

He's absolutely correct about that.  And that's a blessing you might not consider very often.

In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat -- for he grants sleep to those he loves. - Psalm 127:2

It's one thing to be sleepy because you're lazy.  The Bible has something to say about that, too....

I went past the field of the sluggard.... A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest -- and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man. - Proverbs 24:30, 33-34

But if you're productive and work hard six days a week (as the Ten Commandments advise), a time of rest each week on the Sabbath can become a welcome gift from God:

The sleep of a laborer is sweet, whether he eats little or much.... - Ecclesiastes 5:12

Work hard, get your rest as the Bible advises -- and you'll thank God in the morning for a good night's sleep, too.


UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 134 final tables in 389 nights (34.4%) - 20 cashes.

NATIONAL LEAGUE OF POKER TOTAL: Full tournaments - 283 point wins in 1,366 games (20.7%), 92 final tables, 10 wins, 12 cash prizes.  No-River Hold 'em - 25 point wins in 97 games (25.8%), 19 final tables, 1 cash win.

We had a strong finish in a Sunday afternoon tournament, placing 24th out of 1,079 players.  Too bad only the top seven won money, and no points were awarded.

POKER STARS.NET TOTAL: Pretend cash games - $86,838, up $1,118.