Poker Day 420: Information, Please?

We had to check our blog archives for the last time we played a live tournament.  It was 16 February - ten weeks ago.  Yet a few people remembered us at River City Poker today.  And we had several memorable hands which told us we were rested, not rusty....

BLINDS: 200/400

IN THE POCKET: A-K of diamonds

We're on the dealer button at a table with six players (only nine showed up at the table all day).  The blinds will go up with the next hand.  We've won a few pots, but haven't done any pre-flop raising all day.  So "Big Red" is a great time to do it.  We raise to 1,100.  A couple of players at the other end of the table from us call.

ON THE FLOP: A-3-5

Top pair and top kicker looks nice.  But would someone have called us with low cards, hoping now for a straight draw.  The opponents ahead of us check, and we test them by betting 1,500.  One player folds; one does not.

ON THE TURN: 8

This looks nicer.  Our opponent checks again, and we bet 1,500 more.  Our opponent calls again.  He seems skeptical of us -- or is he holding two pair?

ON THE TURN: A

Now we're in the Auto Club (AAA, you know) and feeling very good about this.  Our opponent checks again, and we measure out a "dare you to call" bet of 3,500.  Our opponent now starts thinking out loud.

"Your betting on that Ace almost makes me think you don't have an Ace."  We say nothing, and wear a serious-looking poker face.

"But then, I don't know you to bluff."  Same reaction.

"You never bluff!"  Same reaction.

Our opponent thinks for another moment, then folds.  "You're looking so serious, you probably have the Ace."

We say nothing, except to smile a little.  If he wants to know what we had, he'll have to read this post.

We won enough pots to reach a high of 70,000 chips -- but then came a critical loss.  We had two pair with K-10, but an 8 on the river gave a man with 10-8 a full house.  We never restored full power after that, even though we survived to the Final Four.

We finally went all-in with 10-10, rising blinds and the button.  But the Small Blind called with Q-Q, and won the race over us.  It was a good day, but a fourth-place finish missed the money as only the top two were paid.

MINISTRY MOMENT: Our card protector of the day was a big C-cell battery.  A couple of players noticed it.

"I brought this to remind me," we explained, "that I receive power from the Holy Spirit of God."

At one point, the big talker of the table openly wished for the battery.  We rolled it down the table to him, and he bet in the dark.  It turned out he had 4-4 -- but he lost to an opponent with 7-7.

"I wish I had the power of Jesus Christ," the big talker said moments before that hand.

Well, here's the thing -- he can have it.  So can everyone at the table.  And so can you.  But are you willing to do what the Bible says, to acquire it?

Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.  And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." - Acts 2:38

The first key word in the apostle's statement is a big one - repent.  What does that really mean?

I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus. - Acts 20:21

Repentance means a turning -- in this case, to God.  But away from what?

For, "Whoever would love life and see good days.... must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it." - I Peter 3:10-11

Are you doing good things or evil things?  Are you saying good words or bad ones?  Perhaps your life is a mix of the two.  That's true with many of us.  God wants you to turn to Him, have faith in Jesus to forgive your sins, then walk in a good way as much as possible -- with the Holy Spirit in you, providing the power to help (Acts 1:8).  If you'd like help obtaining that power, please let us know.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 148 final tables in 420 games (35.2%), 25 cashes.