Ryan's Hope

The Detroit Lions haven't won a pro football title in almost 60 years.  Could it be that someone wearing a Lions jersey will break some kind of curse?

 Michigan native Ryan Riess won the World Series of Poker Main Event this week.  He went to the final table in fifth, and overcame a chip disadvantage at the start of heads-up play -- all to win more than $8.3 million.

Riess's Twitter feed includes some X-rated language about his anticipation of the final table.  But today he wrote this:

Well that was a profitable trip to Vegas. Thanks again to everybody who helped make this possible #blessed

Riess uses that hashtag often -- and we hope he means what it says.  We should all realize our blessings, and give thanks to the One who provides them:

The blessing of the Lord brings wealth, and he adds no trouble to it. - Proverbs 10:22

A traditional church song says, "Praise God from whom all blessings flow."  But there's another verse in Proverbs which might cause a quandary for poker players:

A faithful man will be richly blessed, but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished. - Proverbs 28:20

At its core, poker is all about "getting rich."  Riess couldn't claim the WSOP bracelet until he possessed all the chips on the table.  So what gives here?

Perhaps the key word in the verse is eager.  The Contemporary English Version translates it as "get rich quick."  While building a big stack of chips early can be helpful, the Main Event isn't a one-day tournament.  It took hours of table grinding over several months to decide a champion.  Get overanxious to win big in a hurry and you may wind up making mistakes which cost you everything.

The first part of that verse actually is the key part for us.  God promises to bless a person who is faithful.  Are you faithful to God in the way you live - including how you conduct yourself in a poker room?