The fool folds his hands and ruins himself. - Ecclesiastes 4:5A poker player looking for some "inspiration" might stumble across that verse, and resolve to play every hand during his next trip to the table. But we've seen plenty of players wind up in ruins taking that approach, too.
Verses like this are why we believe you should read the Bible carefully. This is not about poker at all - at least not directly. Consider the verses around it....
And I saw that all labor and all achievement spring from man's envy of his neighbor. This too is meaningless.... Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind. - Ecclesiastes 4:4, 6The context here involves the work we do. Some people make a living playing poker, of course. Whether you do that or not, what is your motive behind the work you do? Verse 4 indicates some people act based on jealous envy of the success of others. That's a dangerous approach to take....
For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts.... greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy.... All these evils come from inside and make a man "unclean." - Mark 7:21-23Jesus Christ said those words - declaring greed and envy "evil." But our main verse is in contrast to that. Someone who "folds his hands" and doesn't work at all will wind up in ruin.
Verse 6 shows the more balanced why of thinking. Earn a modest living peacefully, instead of overworking with a greedy intent. To borrow an old Rush Limbaugh phrase, going for it all can lead to a loss - in this case, loss of relationships and sound-minded priorities.
Hmmm - come to think of it, maybe there are poker lessons here. Play hands and games with a tranquil, peaceful state of mind, instead of a "get-even" philosophy. And don't overdo things, as you strive for success. After all, we've played long enough to know that sometimes a "fold" can be the best play of all.
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