Super (For Us) Sunday

NBC Sports used to show a poker tournament on this day.  But today, NBC actually is showing that big U.S. football game with a trademarked name.  So it was up to us to have poker fun -- and with errands to run at midday, we skipped the poker room and entered the National League of Poker no-river game.  NLOP lets players register a bit late now....

....and that was good news for us, because we wound up winning the 206-player tournament!  This was the winning moment against "Crazyguy1", as we both made heart flushes on the turn (you're dealt three cards, and there's no river card).  He bet the minimum 6,000; we raised all-in with only 433 to spare -- and he seemed resigned to end the game and move on.  Our "nuts" won the pot, and a $10 prize.

This was our first NLOP win since December 2013 (also a no-river game). And the final table turned on a hand with three players left, where a pair of 2's was showing.  We had a third 2 with a K; a player named Grayzo took us all-in with a third 2 and a Q.  His surprise loss led to this exchange:

Dealer: 　flopblogger wins Main Pot ($195,024) with Three of a kind, deuces
grayzo: 　om *** god
crazyguy1: 　wow
Me: 　PTL!
grayzo: 　?
Me: 　praise the Lord!
grayzo: i don't do church
How interesting.  This player doesn't "do church," yet he/she actually brought up God before we did.

Of course, lots of people bring up God's name every day.  But many of them use it in exclamations and cursing.  The Bible has a warning about that:

You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. - Exodus 20:7

This is one of the basic Ten Commandments.  But a close look at the Bible shows there can be many ways where the name of God can be misused.  For instance....

Do not swear falsely by my name and so profane the name of your God. I am the Lord. - Leviticus 19:12

This can deal with giving false testimony in court - or simply saying "swear to God, I had a flush" when you really didn't.  But Jesus seems to take this a step farther:

But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. - Matthew  5:34-36

Some people "affirm" their words to be truthful in a court of law, instead of being "sworn in.... so help you God."  These verses are a main reason why.

It seems to us the overall lesson is to be careful with every word we say.  Be truthful. Be accurate. When you can, be loving.

The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit. - Proverbs 18:21