Poker Day 530: Hidden in Our Hearts

Sometimes the best things in life are right in front of us, and we never stop to recognize them. That's true in poker, too. Watch what happened Friday at Kansas Star Casino....

BLINDS: 25/50

IN THE POCKET: A-2 of hearts

Early missteps didn't work for us, but we've recovered to win one modest pot. We have about 3,000 chips from a starting 3,500, and we have these cards in the Big Blind. No one raises, so we check. As we recall, five players are taking part.

ON THE FLOP: 8h-9h-10c (third card suit not precise)

A potential straight for someone. We check. The table checks.

ON THE TURN: Qh

Even more potential. We check again. The table checks again.

ON THE RIVER: Jc

No more potential. A straight is on the table! We check once more. So does everyone else.

"I'm playing the board," we say as we turn over our cards. Others seemed resigned to that. The Small Blind has pocket 4's. Other players have Ace-small, like we do.

"Wait a minute!" a man two seats to our left suddenly exclaims. "There's a flush!"

Hey, what do you know - there is. And we have it! In fact, we have the nut flush! We were so busy looking at the straight develop that we totally ignored our suit. An opponent does us a favor, and we win several hundred chips.

Modest gains developed from there, and we reached the first break at a high for the day of 7,400. But then good cards started losing, nibbling away at our stack. We were down to 2,700 with rising blinds when we were moved to a different table.

But then one of those classic second-hour surges happened. Pushing with A-J brought no takers, and a gain to 3,600. Another all-in bet with A-Q brought a double-in when we beat a pocket pair with a Queen on the flop. Several other wins later, the table was stunned to see our stack at 24,500! Even 7-5 worked in the Big Blind, when we made a straight and knocked a player out.

In the third period, pocket Queens brought a win that helped us reach 37,500. A drought came after that, but we still survived to the final table with 18,500.

We won at least one more big pot with an unrevealed A-J. (We write this for the opponent who was stumped by our cards, and thinks he'll never know what we had.) Our stack built to about 49,000 - and as players fell off, we reached the top six and qualified for the money!

Then with five players to go, a massive hand happened. A man across from us pushed. We saw pocket Aces, and called. A third player did the same! The first pusher had J-J; the third had Q-Q - for three high pocket pairs in a five-handed game! But the man with Queens hit a straight on the river, knocking the first pusher out and leaving us with a mere 12,000.

That happened at break time - and after the break, we pushed again and failed. But a full afternoon of poker ended with us finishing fourth and winning $160! We hurried home to keep God's Sabbath, thankful for His blessing on our effort.

MINISTRY MOMENT: "You came here sad," a man pointed out during that second-hour surge. "And now you're rejoicing."

We had to agree. "As a minister in Atlanta once said," we told him as we restacked our chips, "'I preached myself happy.'"

Then a song came to mind, which we doubt anyone around us knew. "He has made me glad.... I will rejoice, for He has made me glad."

How much gladness do you see at a poker table? Probably not that much. Even when players win big hands, they tend to "stay in character" and not make too much of it. But if God make you glad, we think it's OK to show it....

I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders. I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High. - Psalm 9:1-2

David praised God here because He provided victory over the king's enemies (verses 3-6). But you don't need a massive triumph like that to be glad for God's blessings....

The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy. - Psalm 126:3

Those things could be as "simple" as a recovery from illness, or providing a helper when you have a need. But we think the greatest gladness is yet to come....

Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When the Lord restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad! - Psalm 14:7

"Restoring the fortunes" can go far beyond a double-up in a tournament. The ultimate salvation will occur when Jesus Christ returns to Earth:

Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. - Revelation 19:7

Are you ready for Jesus to come again? If not, examine yourself carefully to make yourself ready - and be glad in the meantime for the great things God provides along the way.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 192 final tables in 530 games (36.2%) - 40 cashes. Experiment update: Down $65. Since our experiment started last November, we've made four final tables in 14 tournaments and won close to $700!