Poker Night 554: Jack 360

Have you ever played a poker tournament where someone made the final table twice? We saw it happen tonight at Jack Casino. So few players entered the Sunday night tourney that at least one eliminated man was able to re-buy his way into the final table before the first break. That wasn't the only memorable part of the night for us....

BLINDS: 1,200/2,400

IN THE POCKET: Queen-Jack of clubs

While others kept spending $80 a seat for a second chance in this game, we earned our way to the final table. After winning several pots, we've built a chip stack of about 19,000 after starting with 15,000. Now with eight players left, we have strong suited connectors. No one raises, so we limp in. Two other players are with us.

ON THE FLOP: Ac-Kh-10s (Suits might not be precise)

We hit the jackpot! And we want or straight to pay off right now. So after the first player checks, we go all-in. When a man to our left also goes all-in, we smell a big payday.

But first, there's a man to our right - someone who rebought four times to reach this point. "I've got you all beat right now," he declares. (If he's trying to draw a tell from us, we're trying to avoid it.)  "Unless you've got Queen-Jack...."

"I could have a lot of things," we admit in a non-committal way.

Then the man to our right turns over his cards! They're K-10 offsuit.

"Can he do that?" we ask the dealer.

"I can," says our opponent. "I'm last up, either way." The dealer doesn't confirm that view, so the opponent goes back into the tank. Finally he chooses to fold.

"By the way, I do have the straight," we say as we show our cards.

But what about that man to the left? He flips over.... Q-J! His are in spades. So this hand isn't quite settled yet.

ON THE TURN: 8s

Uh-oh - he's one spade away from a winning flush.

ON THE RIVER: 8h

A sigh of relief from us. A fist-bump for our opponent on the left, and an overall gain from a split pot.

Big cards came in spurts for us throughout the evening. A-K was strong enough to eliminate two players at the final table. Then we went dry, as the remaining players started grinding toward the money. Three players would be paid, out of 24 total entries.

We scored timely wins with A-J and 9-8 in the Big Blind. A man to our left clearly seemed to be gunning for us, but we were cagey and refused to over-commit.

Finally, four players were left. That man refused to accept a "chop" of the prize money. But after several setbacks impacting his huge chip stack, he finally accepted the split at around 10:00 p.m. At last - we really made the money at a tournament in our new area!

The four-way split gave each player $360. And because the Tournament Director filled out the names of winners from the bottom up, being last in line gained us the unofficial position of first place. We don't really think we were the chip leader at the end. But boy, that looks good!

We thank God for finally getting a breakthrough to "the money" after a strong final-table record in the Cincinnati area. (We had a "bubble boy" game in June.) It's our third cash win of 2018, and the biggest since Thanksgiving week of 2017 - just in time for Canadian Thanksgiving on Monday.

MINISTRY MOMENT: At one key final table moment, a man to our right exclaimed, "Jesus Christ!"

"He's my hope of salvation," we said - something that's become a common response for us.

"He's the only hope I've got!" the man surprisingly replied. "He's the only one you've got, too."

This was a talkative man who had downed a few beers. Yet we agreed on that key point. If you think you can save yourself by a long list of good deeds, we point you to the apostle Peter:

After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them.... "No! We believe it is through the grace of the Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are." - Acts 15:7, 11

The words "just as they are" may bring back memories of an old Christian song. The context here is that "Gentiles" can receive salvation, as well as members of the tribe of Judah (the "they" and "we" of verse 11). How does this happen?

But because Jesus lives forever.... Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. - Hebrews 7:24-25

We all sin in one way or another, violating God's rules (Romans 3:23). But if we repent of our sins, Jesus Christ the Son can intercede at the throne of God the Father to grant us forgiveness.

Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. - Hebrews 7:27

To go back to that song, it can start right where you are. It officially did for us on a cold January night years ago. Salvation will become final and complete when Jesus returns and the saints of God are resurrected. But we're trying to walk in that path now. We hope that man at the poker table is as well - and we hope the same for you.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 206 final tables in 554 games (37.2%) - 42 cashes.