Five-Dollar Come Along. Part 2

So we sat down at the Ultimate Texas Hold 'em table -- but not the one we wanted.  The $5 table was full and seemed to have several people waiting.  So we went to the $10 table and turned in our lottery coupon.

We took only $60, and had to plunk down $20 at the start of every hand -- $10 for the blind, $10 for an "ante."  We made an early gain with two pair.  Then came this hand....

IN THE POCKET: K-3 offsuit

Unlike the other players at the table, we have NOT put down an extra $10 on the "trips" option.  If you make three of a kind or better, you win money no matter what the dealer shows.  We're choosing to follow the old advice of financial counselors and "build wealth slowly."  There's little reason to think we'll build here, so we check with these cards.

ON THE FLOP: A-10-3

A pair of 3's isn't bad -- especially considering we're only playing the dealer, whose cards are face-down and cannot be changed.  Even though it's bottom pair, we decide to be daring with a surplus.  We bet $20 more, locking in our hand.

ON THE TURN/RIVER: 3-7 (last card may not be precise)

Three times three equals win for me?!  We feel very good about this.  But if we had put $10 on "trips," we'd feel even better -- because that option alone would have assured us a $40 payout.

Now comes the showdown, and our dealer turns over.... 10-10!

That's a heartbreaking full house, which tops everyone at our table.  That's the peril of everybody playing any two cards -- although in regular Texas Hold 'em, the dealer probably would have raised pre-flop with his pocket pair and chased us away.

.We had a surplus for awhile, but would up quitting when out $60 dropped to $30.  It was a small loss, with a five-dollar lottery ticket offering hope for winning some of it back.

"I won $10," another person at our table said about his lottery ticket.  But alas, we did not.  None of the five games had matching numbers to win money -- although most of them came tantalizingly close.

What can we learn from all this?  Many things, probably.  We're reminded of how fleeting riches can be....

For riches do not endure forever, and a crown is not secure for all generations. - Proverbs 27:24

A church elder told us years ago he considered the stock market gambling, every bit as much as a casino trip.  Stock prices indeed can go up and down every day.  We've found there are long-term gains in the market, as long as you don't panic at the low points.  And even if they drop....

He has caused his wonders to be remembered; the Lord is gracious and compassionate.  He provides food for those who fear him; he remember his covenant forever. - Psalm 111:4-5

God can meet your needs, even in tough times -- especially the spiritual ones.  We can speak personally of God doing that for us in recent years, during job trials.  Are you trusting in a savings account to help you through -- or in a God who can provide all that, and the even more valuable gift of eternal life?