Poker Night 398: The Prince of Darkness

There are times when a poker player's commitment level is tested -- even before the tournament begins.

Look at what was happening outside our front door, less than an hour before tonight's game at The Red Barn.  A severe thunderstorm nearby covered our courtyard with hail, not to mention heavy rain.

But we truly "braved the elements," as the journalism cliché says, and drove to the poker tournament.  The lights never went out in our bar - but there was darkness of a different kind:

BLINDS: 200/400

IN THE POCKET: A-6 offsuit

We grabbed an early pot with pocket 5's, but have missed with a couple of chances since.  On a three-table night, we're dealing at a full semifinal table.  No one raises ahead of us, and we decide to limp in.

ON THE FLOP: A-5-9

Top pair looks like a good start -- and when the table checks, it looks especially nice.  We use the "button" position to bet 600.  Yet hardly anyone is scared away; most players in the hand call.  Most of them have massive stacks, so they can afford to chase big hands.

ON THE TURN: 3

We doubt that card helped anybody -- but we're a bit concerned someone else has an Ace with a higher kicker.  So we join the table in checking this time.

Somewhere around this moment, we're told the man sitting to our right starts giggling.  We didn't even notice, since we're dealing.

ON THE RIVER: J

There's no flush threat, but we remain skeptical about this.  The table starts checking again -- but that man to our right then jumps into action with a bet of 1,250.  Has our fear come true?  Or is he trying to steal the pot?

"I'll call," we say with a touch of reluctance.  A couple of other players do as well.

"I flopped two pair - 9's and 5's," that man says.  "In the dark."

By that, he means he didn't look at his cards for awhile during the hand.  No wonder he laughed when he saw what he had.

"You can giggle all the way to the bank," we say with disappointment.

That was a big blow, from which we never recovered.  We had 2,850 chips at the one-hour break -- so when we saw A-K in the first hand of the second hour, we went for it all.  But the board didn't pair for us, and another man's Jack did.  At least the rain stopped when we walked to our car, after finishing 15th.

MINISTRY MOMENT: "Everything I've got, I have here," a man to our right said at the first table of the evening.  A couple of pins were on his cowboy hat.

"All I have is a nail," we said humorously.  But a few minutes later, we explained to him the reason for that card protector.

"I brought that to remind me that Jesus Christ gave his life for my sins."

"You need two more of them," the man to our right answered -- an answer which admittedly left us speechless.

It's Christian tradition that Jesus was crucified with three nails driven into His body -- one in each hand and a third for His feet.  Some denominations disagree with the modern stereotype of exactly how it was done.  Yet only one verse in the New Testament mentions those nails at all:

So the other disciples said, "We have seen the Lord!"  But he said to them. "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it." - John 20:25

These were the skeptical words of "doubting Thomas" the apostle.  He came "heads-up" before the resurrected Christ about a week later:

Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, see my hands.  Reach out your hand and put it into my side.  Stop doubting and believe."  Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!" - John 20:27-28

Jesus showed what He had, much as that poker player with 9-5 did -- and that settled everything for Thomas.

Many Christian church groups will remember the crucifixion and death of Jesus over the next few days.  We do it by attending a "New Testament Passover" service, known by others as the Lord's Supper.  Will you be a believer, by participating?

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD:  137 final tables in 398 nights (34.4%) - 21 cashes.