Hard Rock Hotel and Casino is located northeast of Tulsa. The casino security was almost nonexistent on a Friday morning; with no one at the doors, any toddler could walk in with Mom or Dad to play slots. But the poker room is nice and secluded - in fact, the first one we've visited with doors that automatically open.
It costs $35 plus a $5 dealer fee to play the 10:00 a.m. "no-juice" tournament. Sure enough, we didn't see any fruit juice - but with a cup of diet cola in our hand from outside, we joined in what started as a one-table game but turned into two:
BLINDS: 200/400
IN THE POCKET: 8-9 of spades
We won a modest pot early in the first hour. But then we lost a bunch with pocket Jacks, when we missed a straight draw. Now we've dropped from a starting 5,000 chips to a lowly 2,050.
"Looks like it's your time to win," an older man to our left says before we see our cards.
"I hope so," we told him. With suited connectors, we hope this is the moment. We call, and four players are in.
ON THE FLOP: 8h-7d-2d
Two of these cards are diamonds. So we have top pair, but a flush threat. We check to get a pulse of the table, and a man to our left bets 300. We call; the other players fold.
ON THE TURN: 8d
A third diamond - but a third 8. Given our small stack, we see little choice.
"All of it," we say - pushing out last 1,550. "Since he said it was my time," we add tongue-in-cheek. When in doubt, shift the blame.
We hope our opponent has no flush, and will fold. Instead, he calls - and shows 8-K. His kicker is far better than ours. We ask for an Ace - but really, that won't work. We need a 9 for a second pair.
ON THE RIVER: 6c
The King tops our 9, and takes us out of the game. We split the Oklahoma weekend, finishing about 14th out of 17 players - but at least by registering for a Hard Rock player's card with "free slot play," we won back eight dollars playing video blackjack.
MINISTRY MOMENT: The man who gave us that fateful word of encouragement wanted a good look at our "Lord's Supper" card protector before play began. We explained it, then asked: "What do you think of Jesus?"
"Good guy."
"Is He your Savior?"
"I think so. I hope so."
Are any of those answers good enough? The Bible indicates they're not. Let's start from the top....
And, behold, one came and said to him, "Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?" And he said to him, "Why call you me good? There is none good but one, that is, God...." - Matthew 19:16-17 (KJV)
A young man came to Jesus Christ with what comes across as words of flattery. The Lord responded with a pre-flop rise of sorts in the conversation, since a writer long before declared in prayer:
You are good, and what you do is good; teach me your decrees. - Psalm 119:68
God is the original source of goodness. And Jesus was God, walking on Earth (John 1:1, 14). So was the young man ready to acknowledge Jesus as God? The section in Matthew doesn't indicate he did. But Jesus went farther:
"If you want to enter life, obey the commandments." - Matthew 19:17b
He clearly was talking about eternal life here. Jesus said that depends on several things....
"Which ones?" the man inquired. Jesus replied, "Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother, and 'love your neighbor as yourself.'" - Matthew 19:18-19
We can sit all day, in a poker room or a church sanctuary, pondering about whether or not we have salvation. But Jesus indicated we should take definite actions to move toward eternal life. We answered the poker player's second statement with words along this line:
Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall... - II Peter 1:10
Is the list Jesus gave the way you live?
UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 181 final tables in 491 games (36.9%) - 36 cashes.
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