Is Anything Else Better?

The website that lets us practice Ultimate Texas Hold 'em for free also allows you to try out other casino poker-like games.  This weekend we did -- and here's what we found:

Caribbean Stud deals you five cards, then shows you one of the dealer's five.  You make one bet based on that -- and if you don't have much, we found you're likely to lose a good bit.

Let It Ride deals you three cards.  Then you bet on letting those three ride, or "pulling" bets on a fourth "community" card and a fifth similar one. The online game pays for a pair of 10's or better -- and in our brief play, we lost about 85 percent of the time (especially if our three didn't amount to much).

Three-Card Poker deals you three cards.  Then you make one bet about whether you can beat the dealer's face-down three cards.  We won a bit more there, but not much.

Mississippi Stud provides you two cards.  Then you bet on "community cards" one at a time, trying to make at least a pair of 6's.  Our winning record there was about the same as Let It Ride.... but with one notable exception:

We were dealt pocket 9's, bet the maximum three-times on every "street" -- and wound up with quad 9's!  It meant a big pretend payoff of $6,000.  We didn't come close to that in following hands.

There's a little skill involved in these games - but not a lot.  Perhaps that's why we win more often in Ultimate Texas Hold 'em.  And it's all about winning money - right?

Well, "hold 'em" a minute.  We've been reminded in our Bible study over the last few days that winning a big stack can be deceptive:

And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop.... Then he said, 'This is what I'll do.  I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods'.... But God said to him, 'You fool!  This very night your life will be demanded from you.  Then will who get what you have prepared for yourself?' This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God." - Luke 12:16-21

You can build a small fortune playing poker, or other casino games.  But you can't take that chip stack with you beyond the grave.

Man is a mere phantom as he goes to and fro: He bustles about, but only in vain; he heaps up wealth, not knowing who will get it. - Psalm 39:6

Not even a well-written will can guarantee your wealth will go where you want it to go after you die.  So we think it's best to be "rich toward God" now -- giving to your church or worthy charitable causes.

The most common question of big winners on TV game shows is: "What are you going to do with all that money?"  Do you have a good answer ready - a godly one?