Poker Night 543: Bunker Mentality

In our first-ever ten live poker tournaments in 2007 in Georgia, we made three final tables. In our first ten in southern Kansas, we made seven and cashed three times. Wednesday night marked tourney #10 in our new home area. Could we keep succeeding at Hollywood Casino Indiana?

BLINDS: 200/400

IN THE POCKET: J-J

It's another small, late-arriving Wednesday night crowd. The tournament started with six players, but now has a full table of ten. We took a loss betting A-Q early, and still are a bit below the starting 12,000 chips.

This nice high pair in late position inspires us to raise to 1,000. Only two players call.

ON THE FLOP: 4-J-J

Well, what do you know - quads! We're last in line to bet, and are ready to wait for our opponents to take a dare. Only they check this flop. So do we, of course.

ON THE TURN: 2

Now do we have any takers? Sadly for us, no. The two opponents check. We do the same.

ON THE RIVER: 8

Now who wants to be daring? The first man checks once more. But a man down the table from us takes a stab at the pot, betting 1,100. Can we entice more?

"How about.... 2,500?!" we say as we raise.

Player #1 gives it up. The man who bet quickly does the same. He probably concludes he was trapped. But we don't tell him so; in fact, this blog is first to reveal that we had quads at all.

On a night with 14 total players, we had no big breakthrough pots - and no huge losses, either. A-Q in our pocket eliminated one player, and we strolled to the final table with about 13,000 chips. Then we won more modest pots, to stay alive while the field dwindled.

An all-in bet with two hearts was rewarded with a flush on the river, and we were in the final five.... then four! But as blinds went up, we had to push with anything hopeful. Our last stand was with K-10, but they lost to pocket 3's.

Final result: Some remarkable deja vu. We finished fourth in Lawrenceburg for the third tournament in a row - and fourth in six nights there! And because the turnout was small, we missed the money again; only the top two were paid.

MINISTRY MOMENT: As the final table dwindled, a woman across the table received a "walk" in the Big Blind - meaning no one at the table called. The very next hand found her in the Small Blind, while we were in the Big Blind. No one else called - but she did.

"You see, he gave you a walk," we said tongue-in-cheek. "You can do the same. It's called paying it forward."

Then we mentioned a radio station in our area which actually encourages the "pay it forward" approach at restaurant drive-through lanes. It's a way for people to show the love of God to others - even to complete strangers:

Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. - Ephesians 4:32 (NLT)

It's one of many traits Christians are expected to have, to be a light to others around them....

Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. - Colossians 3:12 (NLT)

This may seem like a hard thing to do at first. After all, poker is a game built on taking (or more politely, "winning") chips away from other players. But if you try it, you might find it's a hidden specialty you've had all along:

If your gift is serving others, serve them well.... If it is giving, give generously.... And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly. - Romans 12:7-8 (NLT)

The late Glen Campbell put it well in a song, which is still sung in some churches: "You've got to try a little kindness." There are creative ways to do it, even to fellow poker players. What suggestions would you make? Write a comment if you have some.
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UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 200 final tables in 543 games (36.8%) - 41 cashes. After ten tournaments in the Ohio Valley, we have eight finals and one "bubble boy" payoff.

Eyes Upon You

Want to be a TV star? All you have to do is sit down in some casino poker rooms. Security cameras are placed above tables, to record every hand and ensure every player and dealer is ethical.

But in a recent post, we mentioned a watch that's even higher in the sky than that. The Biblical book of Ezekiel includes a vision indicating "living creatures" have wheels "full of eyes all around" (Ezekiel 1:16-18).

This admittedly sounds weird - like something from a horror movie. What could those eyes be looking for? Another Old Testament book hints at the answer:

For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.... - II Chronicles 16:9

In the classic words of Bugs Bunny: Did you ever get the funny feeling you're being watched? Well, the Bible indicates you are. God is watching - and living cherubim are helping Him do it.

The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good. - Proverbs 15:3

God is doing this to build a case for a day of judgment, which will come after we die. It could be a case for you.... or against you.

Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it....And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne.... each person was judged according to what he had done. - Revelation 20:11-13

What can you do to prepare for this judgment? The answer is back in that verse from II Chronicles. Be "fully committed" to God the Father and Jesus Christ.

So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good. - I Peter 4:19

You might get mocked at a poker table for trying to do God's will. We faced that this past week, at a final table. But commit to doing good deeds for God, and He promises to notice. He's watching, keeping score - and if you last to the end, a nice reward is coming.

Pocketing Ten

Tonight is a big moment for this little blog. Shortly after midnight U.S. Eastern time will be the tenth anniversary of our first post!

That first post was about a memorable hand a few nights before, at a west Georgia bar's weekly tournament. This blog actually is a spinoff from another blog we wrote for several years about the city where we lived. We've moved out of that city (two moves in all), but still like to play poker when we can.

From the start, we've tried to make this a blog about far more than poker. That's because we think there are parallels between the game and real life - and even spiritual life. Throughout the ten years, we've asked God to bless our efforts, because....

As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: it will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. - Isaiah 55:10-11

In other words, we want the words we put here to reflect the word of God....

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." - Isaiah 55:8-9

We don't claim to have any genius when it comes to poker. But God is smarter than anyone else, whether or not they play cards.

For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength. - I Corinthians 1:25

We've allowed you to comment on our blog posts for ten years - but to be honest, the response has been very small. So we're asking you to leave an "anniversary comment" with this post, to see what the returns from it are. Has this blog taught you anything - about poker or otherwise? Have you gained from it in some way? Are there things we could do better? Please let us know.

In the meantime, we hope you'll take the advice of a new song. Go "All In" - not necessarily the next time you're dealt cards, but in a commitment to something (and Someone) greater.  

Poker Night 542: What's Your Sign?

We asked God in prayer during the day if we should play poker tonight at Jack Casino, or do something else. Then during the day, something happened that.... well, let's jump to the moment in the tournament where we were able to share it with everyone:

BLINDS: 1,500/3,000

IN THE POCKET: 8-8

It's been a big night for us, in terms of hitting big hands. Pocket Aces in the Big Blind led to one win. We hit full houses at least twice, with one of them gaining 7,000 chips on the river. With little trouble, we made it to the final table with about 52,700 chips!

Now nine players remain, with six officially getting money. We have about 51,100 chips. And when we see this pocket pair in second position, we smile - then slow-play them by calling. The man sitting next to us then goes all-in. The rest of the table folds.

"There's a story behind my decision," we then explain.

"Is it a long story?" a man out of the hand asks.

"I'll keep it short. I was looking for a sign about whether I should play here tonight. And then at work, I saw a number pass my desk - LOTS of this number. So...."

"Was it A-K?" people around the table ask. "Sixes?"

"So I'm calling.... with eights."

"Then I feel better," the man who pushed says. He turns over.... pocket 10's. This is an expensive play for us; it's 29,900 to call.

ON THE FLOP: 2-4-7

Not looking good here. We need a third 8 - but we've made full houses on the turn and river already tonight.

ON THE TURN: 5

OK - now a 6 could rescue us with a straight.

"Did you have some sort of premonition about this?" a scoffer asks. "Did you see snowmen?"

ON THE RIVER: 4

The 10's win, and we take a crippling loss. But we've put the table in an uproar, by explaining we considered all those eights we saw at work a sign from God. More on that in a moment.

Back at the tournament, we were left with about 18,000 chips. We feared we might miss the money again. But then other players with much more pushed - only to be eliminated. Within minutes, only seven players were left!

The group then agreed to pay the "bubble boy" - a poker phrase for the player who misses the prize pool by one spot. We join the other six men in contributing $10 cash. As it happens, we were in the Big Blind - and saw A-Q!

"No story. Just pushing," we said. Our last 16,200 went in. The man who beat us minutes earlier called us again - and was pained to see our cards, because he had A-J.

"Did you see anything with the name Jack in it today?" he asked. We couldn't think of anything. But the flop brought a Jack, to give him a winning pair. We finished in seventh place, out of 37 entries.

Someone paid one dollar too little to the "bubble boy" fund, so we wound up with $69. That didn't cover our $80 buy-in - but we're calling it a "cash", anyway. We're thankful to God for little wins. And you know.... that "sign of the eights" may have been right after all.

MINISTRY MOMENT: "You mean God told you to play poker?!?!" one man across the table exclaimed as we told our story.

"God doesn't care about a poker game," said another.

"But God made the greatest gamble of all, by sending His Son," we responded. "How'd that turn out?"

Only one man wanted to comment on that. "They rolled dice for His clothes." And that's true....

When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares.... "Let's not tear it," they said to one another. "Let's decide by lot who will get it." This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled which said: "They divided my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing," So this is what the soldiers did. - John 19:23-24

Some Bible translations openly call this "gambling" - but did you notice it fulfilled a prophecy about Jesus? That moment was predicted in Psalm 22:18!

But our point was more about how the first coming of Jesus to Earth actually had a happy ending, beyond the crucifixion. Well, "had" and "will have"....

We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.... And so we will be with the Lord forever. - I Thessalonians 4:14, 17

Your Bible says Jesus Christ will come again, to resurrect believers and give them eternal life. This won't be a gamble - it will be guaranteed. Are you ready for that moment, whenever it might come?

(As for numbers and signs - we'll dig deeper into that in a future post.)

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 199 final tables in 542 games (36.7%) - 41 cashes. Tonight was our second cash of 2018. And our remarkable final table run in our new area is now seven out of nine!

The Marathon Man (WSOP Edition)

As this year's World Series of Poker rolls on in Las Vegas, we're struck by how may events now have catchy titles. The "Deuce-to-Seven Lowball Triple Draw" admittedly sounds awfully nerdy. But we've mentioned the "Colossus" - and this weekend, the "Marathon" concluded.

Courtesy WSOP.com

Australia's Michael Addamo won the five-day Marathon, which had more than 1,600 entries. The name apparently comes from the fact that each level of blinds lasted 100 minutes, while your neighborhood poker room might increase the blinds after 15 or 20.

But let's be honest - don't most poker tournaments feel like marathons? Especially if you survive deep into the final table? The first table or two might seem like a sprint, as wild players take their chances and go bust early. But the fight to make the money takes time, and usually isn't easy.

A wise man once wrote about that - even though we don't think he ever played poker:

I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all. - Ecclesiastes 9:11

We've been surprised by how long "turbo" tournaments can last in our new area. Even with 15-minute blinds, it took more than three hours in our last event to whittle 14 players down to four.

Outside the poker room, our lives also can be like that. While Addamo won a bracelet at age 23, it came after four years of effort at the WSOP and other events. To reach the ultimate success in life can take far longer - a lifetime, in fact. But consider what's promised:

To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations... I will also give him the morning star. - Revelation 2:26, 28

Jesus Christ made this promise to a church in the city of Thyatira (verse 18). National authority under Jesus is the reward to those who "endure," as the King James Version puts it. That will happen when the Kingdom of God comes to Earth.

There's been some sad news lately about famous names dying from suicide. It's hard to argue they truly "endured to the end." If you're thinking about doing the same thing, read this letter from a church President. Then seek professional help, if necessary. Save the desperation push for A-Q in a Small Blind - while ending your marathon of life successfully.

Poker Night 541: Steal a Pot, Steal a Taco

Did you take advantage of Taco Bell's giveaway Wednesday? It was called, "Steal a win, steal a taco" because Golden State won on the road during the pro basketball finals. We claimed our free taco(s), then drove to Hollywood Casino Indiana hoping to claim something bigger....

BLINDS: 400/800

IN THE POCKET: A-J offsuit

The first hour of play was mostly lower for us, although we turned pocket Jacks into three of a kind which eliminated a player. We reached the final table with 8,900 chips out of a starting 12,000.

Now we're down to 5,000 chips in the Small Blind, with nine players left. We have pretty good cards and no one has raised, but we play conservatively and simply call. We recall four players being in the hand.

ON THE FLOP: 10-4-Q (middle card not precise)

That's why we played cautiously. We miss the flop, although we have a big straight draw. We check, but the Big Blind bets 2,000. Other players bail out, leaving us with a big decision. After pondering a moment, we decide on a power play.

"All of it," we declare - raising to 4,200. As a small stack, we don't have much to lose. If the Big Blind calls, we have about 10 outs. If not, at least we made another final table.

Our opponent spends a good deal of time thinking about this. Did we read a bluff correctly? When we think he's about to fold, he calls.

"Do you have a pair?" we ask with a bit of concern.

"Yeah," he says, "but not much of one." He turns over 2-2! So yes, he bluffed - but we have two very live cards.

ON THE TURN: 4

No, that wasn't it. One chance left.

ON THE RIVER: K

"Yes!" we say and pump our arm in victory. But for a moment, the female dealer doesn't grasp it. We're sitting to her immediate left, and she's hard of hearing in her left ear!

Other players point out the straight we made. We stay alive, and return to more than 10,000 chips.

The final table was relatively tight, and it took a long time to whittle down the field. But we took a player out with K-J, and received a 9 in the Big Blind which turned into quads!

We held on until four players were left. But after more than three hours of play, rising blinds finally were too expensive. We pushed in the Big Blind with Q-2. A woman called with K-6, and won the race when two more Kings hit the board. We finish fourth out of 14 players - the third time in six tournaments there that we've finished fourth! Too bad only the top two earned money.

MINISTRY MOMENT: A man sitting to our left won a pot with an A-5 straight, known in poker as the "wheel."

"There's an old song about that," we told him. "Ezekiel saw the wheel.... in the middle of the air."

The man seemed intrigued for a moment, but then became distracted by other players and hands. But are you familiar with that song? It's a "spiritual" that we sang in our youth, and it has its basis in the Bible....

As I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the ground beside each creature with his four faces. This was the appearance and structure of the wheels: They sparkled like chrysolite, and all four looked alike. Each appeared to be made like a wheel intersecting a wheel. - Ezekiel 1:15-16

What's going on here? The prophet Ezekiel is having "visions of God" (verse 1) - and he sees "what looked like four living creatures" (verse 5). Another section of his account helps explain....

The Lord said to the man clothed in linen, "Go in among the wheels beneath the cherubim. Fill your hands with burning coals from among the cherubim and scatter them over the city." And as I watched, he went in. - Ezekiel 10:2

So Ezekiel is watching "cherubim" in action - what our old hardbound dictionary calls "the second order of angels." It's quite different from the traditional pictures of cute angels. And one thing more about those wheels....

Their rims were high and awesome, and all four rims were full of eyes all around. - Ezekiel 1:18

Who needs "dash-cams" inside your car when you have eyeballs on wheels? And more to our point, what could all this possibly mean for us? Offer a comment if you'd like, and we'll get back to this section (and that song) in a future post.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: Tonight we mark 11 years of playing live tournaments - and we stand at 198 final tables in 541 games (36.6%), with 40 cashes. Since moving to our new area, the final table count is six out of eight!

Hello, Friends

This year's World Series of Poker is underway in Las Vegas - and as usual, it's far more than one tournament. This year, the "Main Event" is only "Event #65" out of 78 on the schedule.

Courtesy WSOP.com

One of the big early winners is Roberly Felicio of Brazil. He won one million dollars in the "Colossus", defeating more than 13,000 other contestants. Felicio admitted he arrived in Las Vegas "with only one friend" - but as he advanced, other Brazilian residents started rooting loudly for him from the rail.

The skeptic in us wants to ask: Are those supporters really Felicio's friends now?

National pride can create spur-of-the-moment friendships, of course. So can the hope of sharing in someone's big jackpot or success. But a true friendship should go deeper than that....

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. - Proverbs 17:17

Will that person be with you if you don't make the money - or when the money runs out? If so, that's a sign of a real friend. Someone once walked the earth who was willing to be that kind of friend....

The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, "Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and 'sinners.'" But wisdom is proved right by her actions. - Matthew 11:19

Jesus Christ said this in response to Pharisee critics. They couldn't believe a man doing miracles and claiming a relationship with God would associated with such people (Matthew 9:11). But He did, for a reason:

...For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners. - Matthew 9:13

Some believers in Jesus are quick to call Him the "sinners' friend." That's true. But Jesus put very strict requirements on friendship with Him:

Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. - John 15:13-14

Some people stayed close to Jesus because He did miracles providing them free food. He realized that, and told them off for it (John 6:26-27). But are you studying the Bible to see what Jesus commands you to do? It's a relationship that should go much deeper, and far beyond the emotions of a poker tournament.

Poker Night 540: Restless Hearts

The Stanley Cup finals. The Women's College World Series finals. The major league baseball draft. Amidst all that, we played poker tonight at Jack Casino. Could we, like Las Vegas hockey fans, have a golden night?

BLINDS: 50/100

IN THE POCKET: Ace of hearts-Queen of hearts

A couple of early efforts have not worked, and we come to the Small Blind with about 13,500 chips out of a starting 15,000. These big suited cards are worth a raise, and no one else at the full table of nine has done it.

"Three hundred more," we announce. Then the dealer corrects us, because we only put out 300. As Small Blind, we also must add 50 to match the Big Blind. OK, we'll do that. "What's 50 chips among friends?" we joke. But the serious matter is that three players call.

ON THE FLOP: 3h-4s-5c (last two suits may not be precise)

A flop from the wrong end of town, as far as we're concerned. But we're first to act, and realize we should to avoid looking weak. We bet 500. A man across from us calls.

Then a man at the far end of the table raises to 1,200. Huh?!?! What part of that flop led to a raise? Perhaps he has a low pocket pair, and made three of a kind?! We're not sure, but decide not to be bullied. We call. The other man calls, and three are left in the hand.

ON THE TURN: Jh

This is a bit better, because now we have a draw for the nut flush. This time we check - but the man down the table bets 3,000.

A lot of river cards are potentially good for us here: any 2 for a straight, any heart for a flush, and even an Ace or Queen to secure top pair. That adds up to 18 outs, with a 39 percent chance of success. But we think the man is trying to stop people on draws, and bet big to prove it.

"Nice block," we say - and fold. But the other man in the hand calls.

ON THE RIVER: 5s

We missed all the options, and feel better about our decision. The big bettor goes all-in, and the other man folds. Then the winner of the pot is nice enough to show what he had - A-2! He hit a straight on the flop, and defended it well.

That's the sort of night it was for us - a night when potentially big cards simply didn't work. While pocket 9's turned into a full house for a nice win (we never showed it), A-10 lost to a straight. Pocket 6's lost to pocket Jacks, when a man went all-in. Finally we were forced to go for it all in the Big Blind with K-Q - but a man with pocket Aces beat us. No final table tonight; we finished in 24th place out of 36 players.

Courtesy Twitter.com/DwightC87

MINISTRY MOMENT: Breaking sports news occurred during the tournament, with the death of pro football legend Dwight Clark.

"The good news," we told players around us, "is that he'll live again. There will be a resurrection."

Those players said nothing. Perhaps they didn't understand how we could we say that. Perhaps you've presumed Clark went to heaven immediately after he died. But the Bible tells us something else....

Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.... - Hebrews 9:27

The sad news about life is that it ends. Our physical bodies will stop functioning, due to an endless number of reasons. But this "judgment" does not occur right away.

...So Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. - Hebrews 9:28

Jesus will bring salvation. People don't have it in heaven now - not even believers in God. They're waiting for the second coming, in their graves.

Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years. - Revelation 20:6

First?! Yes - the Bible indicates there are multiple resurrections, based on your relationship (or lack of it) with God and Christ. Eventually....

And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened.... The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. - Revelation 20:12

That point is when the real judgment takes place. We will not attempt to guess whether Dwight Clark will be in a first or second resurrection; that determination is up to God. But we offer sympathies to his family, and hope you'll consider carefully what the Bible really says about what happens when loved ones die.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 197 final tables in 540 games (36.5%) - 40 cashes.

Up, Down and In Love

The man was in line to buy chips for a poker cash game. We stood next to him, buying into a tournament. As we waited, he shared some of his experiences with cards.

The man had traveled to Chicago a few times and started well, but it didn't last. That's because he went to the table with a relatively small stack of chips, and was crowded out by people betting with bigger stacks. So he tired of that, and returned to our area.

"Don't play scared," was his advice to us. "If you're afraid, you won't succeed." His words rang familiar, as we heard similar advice years ago playing free tournaments in Georgia bars.

Then we had a thought. "I read in a book that perfect love casts out fear." The man wasn't familiar with that, but liked the idea.

What book did we read? Regular visitors should know where we found that line....

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear: because fear has torment. He that fears is not made perfect in love. - I John 4:18 (KJV)

Those words from the Bible set up a contrast you may not have considered. Love and fear are opposites. It can be true in all kinds of human relationships - whether romantic, international,  interracial, or even with other poker players. If you're afraid of someone, can you truly love them?

The Bible shows which side God is on in this clash:

Dear friends, let us love one another, for loves comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. - I John 4:7-8

Love is the basis for all God does - even things that may not seem so loving, such as destructive or deadly intervention in human affairs. In response, He wants us to be loving in all that we do:

Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.... if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. - I John 4:11-12

In poker, that can mean being considerate with your words and actions. It can even mean not being afraid to lose to someone, and wishing the best when you do. After all, whatever the format, not everyone wins at a poker table.

We never saw that man the rest of the night, so we don't know how successful he was. But we hope you're not afraid to show some love to other people at the poker table. Some might say it sounds syrupy. But how many of us actually have tried to do it?