Cashing Out

Remember the boxes we collected a couple of posts ago? Now we can explain them - and as we do, we're announcing some bittersweet news about this blog.

Boxes are stacked around us as we write this post, because we're again on the move to a new location. We're taking a new full-time job in an area that seems to be poker-dry. An online search shows the closest poker nights are in bars 40 miles away. A casino is also about 40 miles away, but it doesn't seem to have regular tournaments.

Because of all this, we've decided to end On the Flop - a blog that we spun off from a different blog in 2008, after we started playing live poker 12 years ago. We've had two goals over the years: see how well we can do against other players, and share our faith in God and Jesus Christ.

Let's take them in order. First, summing up our 18 months playing poker in the Cincinnati area....

JACK Casino: 12 final tables in 20 games, 5 cashes
Hollywood-Indiana: 19 final tables in 25 games, 3 cashes
Dayton/Toledo: 2 final tables in 2 games, no cashes

The final count is rather remarkable - 33 final tables in 47 tries! That's around 70 percent! And eight cashes in 47 tries computes to success 17 percent of the time.

Admittedly, a lot of that occurred in small tournaments - no more than two tables. But we still had to earn a place, and we're thankful to God for success in that. We're also thankful that God provided this blog for (we hope) making a connection between poker hands and the Master's hands.

Into your hands I commit my spirit.... My times are in your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me. - Psalm 31:5, 15

We didn't always obtain "deliverance" in all-in moments. But we had safe passage during all our trips, whether into bars or casinos.

Will we keep playing poker? Probably, as time permits (after we unpack all those boxes). The free online option is always on our computer. But live games apparently will become rare, because of the distance involved and the lack of an inviting reward. Bar and grill gift cards are OK - but after you've won hundreds of dollars at casinos, it's simply not the same.

In the meantime, we plan to keep this blog online instead of taking it down. After all, it's a record of our poker history - as well as recent poker news. And we think the "good news" here is timeless....

After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. "The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news." - Mark 1:14-15

That's our closing advice to you. Think about things bigger than poker tournaments. Consider that a Kingdom of God is coming - something far better than this world offers. Repent of your sins, and go after it as Jesus advised....

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. - Matthew 6:33

As we say when we're eliminated from the table.... go with God!

Back to the Fifties

When the World Series of Poker began in June, we noted it was the 50th such event. But we noted that some people (and perhaps even the WSOP) called it the "50th anniversary" - which isn't mathematically right, because it's 49 years since the first one.

It reminded us of how some church groups sadly fight over how to count things. Take this one, which Jesus mentioned:

For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. - Matthew 12:40

Sounds simple, doesn't it? Jesus was buried for "three days and three nights" after His crucifixion.

Trouble is, many Christian denominations say Jesus was killed on Friday and was resurrected on Sunday morning. They parse at words and hours, trying to explain how "three days and three nights" somehow fit into about 48 hours. (Here's an article on that issue, if you'd like to look into it.)

We noted earlier this year that some church groups disagree on the number 50 as well, in computing when to keep the Christian festival of Pentecost. We promised to do our own study into it. After several weeks of complicated digging, it's ready. It's quite a mix of numerology, history and linguistics. Have your thinking cap and "good books" ready as you read it.

In poker tournaments, accurate chip counts matter. Shouldn't the counting of days and years matter as well - especially when it comes to events which shape all eternity?

Poker Night 582: Escape Acts

The evening seemed to start perfectly. The drive to Lawrenceburg, Indiana had almost no slowdowns - a change from last Wednesday, when a wreck made the trip 70 minutes long. We found lots of big boxes to collect outside a drug store. And thanks to a birthday special, Hollywood Casino let us eat the Epic Buffet dinner for free (well, OK, we tipped the server).

The only thing missing was a night of triumph in the poker room. Could it happen....?

BLINDS: 1,500/3,000 (as best we remember)

IN THE POCKET: K-K

It's the third hour of play, and we've had another night of drama. After early losses, A-10 brought a 10 on the flop which won a big pot. We reached the first break at 13,775 chips (starting from 12,000). Big bets with pocket Aces and A-8 in Hour 2 led us to 20,400. But misses then set us back to 11,700 - enough to reach the final table at Break 2.

Now six players remain. Since 20 entered, only two will win money. The blinds are steep. We have a big pocket pair, early in the betting order. So we go for broke - going all-in with 18,400 chips left. Who will dare to take us on?

We watch players to our right fold. Then we notice a woman to our left. She called.... and she has pocket Aces! This classic clash happens only 2.4 percent of the time.

"I probably won't win this," she says. Oh really? She's an 81-percent favorite to knock us out.

ON THE FLOP: 2-3-5

No third King, and even more trouble. Now Ms. Aces has a straight draw.

ON THE TURN: 4

Oh well. "There's the straight," we say. "and that's the ball...."

ON THE RIVER: 6

"Wait!" other players say. Amazingly, there's a straight on the table! We stay alive, and gain about 1,000 chips on the split because of the blinds.

We offer our opponent a long-distance fist bump. "I'm not sure her fist would have been friendly," a player to our right jokes.

"More like a Five-Finger Death Punch," we joke in agreement.

We had other big moments like that, including A-Q which matched another player and resulted in a chop. The field dwindled to five players, then four. We reached Break 3 with 15,000 chips. Then a miscalculation by a player left us in the top three!

We hinted at the "C-word" (chop) and "BB-words" (bubble boy), but our opponents ignored it. Finally with the Big Blind at 6,000, we were forced to push with a lowly 4-10. This time the board didn't bail us out, and a woman to our right hit it big with her own pocket Kings. A long night with some close calls ended with no money, but a thrilling third place.

MINISTRY MOMENT: A man who started the tournament to our immediate left said he was feeling good.

"I try to be good," we told him - and he seemed to understand. Then we paraphrased a Bible passage about that effort....

I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do.... no, the evil I do not want to do - this I keep on doing. - Romans 7:15, 19

The apostle Paul explains in this complex-sounding section that he's not inherently good (verse 18). In fact, we all have a sinful nature - so deep down, none of us are good. We continued the paraphrase:

What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God - through Jesus Christ our Lord! - Romans 7:24-25

A distraction then happened, which prevented us from asking the man what he thought of this. So we'll ask you. Have you come to realize you do a lot of evil things - sometimes because you have no choice? Those evil things leave you doomed to death. But like that poker hand, there's an escape hatch here as well:

For the wages of sin is death., but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. - Romans 6:23

Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice - taking the penalty for sin that we're supposed to face, so that we might gain eternal life in God's Kingdom. Be thankful for that sacrifice, and ask God in prayer to have it applied to you.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 224 final tables in 582 games (38.5%) - 48 cashes. Oh, about those boxes.... we'll explain why we collected them very soon.

Seeking Security

This is one of those weekends when we don't really want to blog about poker at all. The news of deadly shooting sprees in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio (a place where we played poker last September) has been stunning and saddening.

The sad truth is that something like that could happen at a poker room near you. Gun-pointing and barroom brawls are the stuff of Western movies, after all - and those were set more than 100 years ago.

We decided to open our Bible today to two sections with stark contrasts. One pictures the worst of times....

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be.... abusive.... without love.... without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash.... - II Timothy 3:1-4

Several other "end-time" sins are mentioned there, but we're focusing on the ones which seem especially timely. And sad to say....

But evil men and seducers will wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. - II Timothy 3:13 (KJV)

The old phrase says things will get worse before they get better. Right now, it takes faith to believe things will get better at all. But that's where the second section of Scripture comes in:

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away.... I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.... He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. - Revelation 21:1-4

A new heaven and earth are coming! Death will someday end! The crying over lost loved ones (from shooting sprees or something else) will stop!

This indeed takes faith to believe. And it comes only through faith God's plan to bring Jesus Christ back to Earth to set up His Kingdom.

The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: "The kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ., and he shall reign for ever and ever." - Revelation 11:15

It seems no place is safe in the U.S., after the events of this weekend. The best security you can have comes by giving your life to God and Jesus Christ - by turning away from the ways of "evil men" and putting your hope in the better world which the Bible promises is coming. May "Thy kingdom comes".... quickly.

Poker Night 581: Ducks or Swans?

A pocket pair in a poker tournament puts you at an advantage. A high pocket pair is even better. So what happens when it's not so high? Sometimes it leads to drama, such as what happened with us Wednesday night at Hollywood Casino Indiana....

BLINDS: 500/1000

IN THE POCKET: 2-2

We're at the final table, on a night when only 14 people entered. A first hour with only a couple of pots left us at 9,300 chips from a starting 12,000. But we regained some strength in Hour 2 when we went all-in with 10-10 and beat A-Q with a third 10 on the flop.

Now we're in the Small Blind, starting with 10,200 chips and eight players left. No one ahead of us raises. This "ugly duckling" of pocket pairs has us thinking about folding - but we choose to call. Four players are in.

ON THE FLOP: A-A-2

Hip, hip, hoo-A-A! We hit the full house jackpot, and see no reason to wait. We go all-in for 9,200 - since someone else may have a third Ace and be gunning for his own superior full house.

The Big Blind and another man fold, but a young man that some people think looks like Dale Earnhardt Jr. calls. Does he have that Ace? He turns over.... K-J! We're in excellent shape.

ON THE TURN: 3

"Drawing dead," says the man sitting as Big Blind. Indeed....

ON THE RIVER: 9

The Small Blind risk has a huge payoff. We put our opponent out of the tournament in eighth place, and jump to an evening-high 24,300!

We faced another big opportunity minutes later with Q-Q. But while others around us were pushing to get home for the night, we tried to finesse things with a raise to 8,000. A monster stack called, and an Ace on the flop followed by a King on the turn led to a bet we simply couldn't call in confidence.

We hung around after that, reaching the second break at 12,400. But our hopes ran out when we pushed in Hour 3 with A-7. A caller with K-Q (we think) hit a full house, and left us drawing dead on the river. We finished in sixth place; only the top two made money.

MINISTRY MOMENT: When we pushed in that big hand, we said we had 8,200 chips. We were off by 1,000.

"Can't even get it right, and he's the Small Blind," the Big Blind said with his tongue in his cheek. "Who can you trust anymore?"

We knew the answer to that one. "I trust in God," we told him.

In fact, the license plate on our car says that. We live in one of several states that offer "In God we trust" tags. Supporters of such things argue it's the national motto. That's true - but we think we can see through their agenda. They're trying to spread a Christian message by any means necessary. In this case, it's a good one....

In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me? - Psalm 56:4

Back to the Big Blind's question. Where do you put your trust? In government? The Bible warns:

Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save. - Psalm 146:3

Oops - that also rules out everyone on Earth, alive or dead. That's because we're all doomed to die (verse 4). The only place where you can put any trust at all beyond this life is in God. As Jesus put it....

Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.... And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you may also be where I am. - John 14:1, 3

By trusting in God, we can join with Jesus in the establishment of God's perfect kingdom on Earth when He returns. Then all can declare....

O Lord Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you. - Psalm 84:12

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 223 final tables in 581 games (38.4%) - 48 cashes. We also came close to a final table in a Poker Stars online tournament Monday night. We finished ninth out of 436 entries, in a six-per-table event.

Good Reception

The National League of Poker gives, and then it takes away. Only days after we won two dollars in a cash freeroll, NLOP dropped the nightly freerolls again. Perhaps it was a limited-time offer.

So for the last few days, we've been trying out free PokerStars.Net tournaments for the first time in years. We're not in a U.S. state where we can win money, but the challenge is good and the "entry chips" are structured generously.

It was at a Poker Stars table that we met a player named "ReceiveJesus." We tried to strike up a  chat....

flopblogger: Good to see that name, "Receive Jesus"
flopblogger: Methinks everyone should

There was no response from that player. But the concept is a good one. It comes from Jesus Himself:

He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me. - Matthew 10:40

Jesus was speaking here to His 12 main disciples, before He sent them out to the surrounding area (verse 5). It's humbling to think that disciples represent God the Father and Jesus the Son. But they do - and there's even a payoff for you if you accept them:

Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man's reward. - Matthew 10:41

Someone is "righteous" because of what Jesus Christ has done - not really because of anything you do:

But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.... - Romans 3:21-22

Jesus wants you to receive Him in faith, to gain the reward of the righteous which is eternal life with Him (Hebrews 10:35-38). But Jesus won't force His way upon you. You must willingly receive Him:

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. - Revelation 3:20

If you catch the right card on the river, you can win a pot and survive in a tournament. If you "catch Christ" by receiving Jesus, the reward will be even better. Is it time for you to make the reception?

Poker Day 580: Seven-Ups

"Welcome to the final table," the dealer told our table of ten today. It brought a laugh from a few of us - because it came so early, in only the second round of blinds.

That's what happens when yo play poker on a Tuesday morning at Hollywood Casino in Toledo, Ohio. We were there because we needed to make a return trip to Ontario, where we played poker on Canada Day weekend. This casino is handily located at an exit to Interstate 75. And compared to our home area, the buy-in is cheap at $60.

The daytime tournaments advertise a "guaranteed $1,000" prize pool. But we found out the guarantee only is in effect if 12 players show up by game time. On this day, there were only eight - which eventually increased to ten, but still led to a very early merge of tables. Who would emerge from this?

BLINDS: 200/400/50 ante

IN THE POCKET: 7-7

Everyone receives 8,000 chips to begin. We've won enough modest pots to linger around sea level, but ended the first 80-minute period at 6,850. Now we're down to about 5,800 with rising blinds, and we're looking for good cards.

A woman across the full table goes all-in, with only 475 left. A man to our immediate right calls. With a pocket pair, it's not too expensive to give it a try - so we call as well.

ON THE FLOP: 3-5-7

Yes - there it is! Three sevens could bring a big payoff - but the man to our right bets 1,000. Could he possibly be in this hand with 4-6 for a straight? We're really not sure, but call anyway. Everyone else is out of the hand, except the woman who pushed.

ON THE TURN: 8

The man to the right offers 1,000 more. Now we really wonder if we're being played for a fool, but we can't back away from this. We call again.

ON THE RIVER: Q

"How much do you have left?" our male opponent asks. Uh-oh.... we show about 3,725. "Put you all-in," he then says.

"I have to call," we respond. Now he must show - and he turns over two red Kings!

"Jackpot!" we declare. Three sevens do well at old-fashioned slot machines - and they win here for us. The woman who pushed couldn't beat us (we never saw exactly what she had), and we knock her out while climbing to more than 13,200 chips!

That put us on the highest ground of the day. But minutes later, the man to our right went all-in again.... and we had pocket Aces! We called for 8,425, and he only has pocket Queens. But wouldn't you know it - he hit a Queen on the flop for three of a kind! Our Aces lost for the second time in five days.

We never recovered from that big loss, and finally pushed with A-6 of clubs. A man with K-Q made a Queen on the flop, and that was good enough. On a day with 11 total players (one was "in reserve" after the first break). we get a final table - but a disappointing finish in ninth.

MINISTRY MOMENT: "God!" the player to our right said when he faced a big early decision.

"He's good," we said quietly to him. "All the time. And all the time, God is good."

"Please refrain from talking during hands," the dealer scolded us.

We understood, but the player to our immediate left spoke up. "He wasn't talking about the hand. He was stating his belief in a higher power."

We thanked that man after the hand for speaking up in our behalf. We had no clue what the man to our right had. We simply responded to his exclamation, with words of faith - albeit a "church cliché."

For the Lord is good, and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. - Psalm  100:5

The problem with that verse is that sometimes God doesn't seem to be good to us. It certainly didn't feel good to have pocket Aces cracked for the second time in five days. At those moments, we (and perhaps you) need to remember....

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. - Romans 8:28

There may be more to God's planning and timing than you can see right away. As hard as it can be at times, we need to trust His plans - especially in the long-term:

"For I know the plans I have for you," declared the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." - Jeremiah 29:11

This message was for a people living in exile (verse 4). But deep-down, we're all "strangers and pilgrims" on this Earth (I Peter 2:11, KJV). The believer's hope is the Jesus Christ will return, sparking a resurrection to a future eternal life. That indeed will be good - for all time.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 222 final tables in 580 games (38.3%) - 48 cashes.

Ensan Asylum

The biggest names in poker usually don't make the final table at the biggest game of all. The World Series of Poker Main Event has turned unknowns into stars for many years.

Courtesy WSOP.com

In 2019, that star is Hossein Ensan. He won it all this past week in Las Vegas, in only his second major final table. Only true poker junkies might know Ensan won three major tournaments in Europe in recent years, including a WSOP "international circuit" main event in the Czech Republic.

Ensan was born in Iran, but moved to Germany in 1990. We don't know why he moved, but he says he was "a simple painter" at the time. Living in Europe certainly allowed him the freedom to take up poker in the early 2000s, and develop winning skills from there.

But Ensan told WSOP.com during the tournament that he still considers himself a poker amateur. There's a lesson in that statement for all poker players - even if you consider yourself a big-time pro:

When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. - Proverbs 11:2

The mere sight of pocket Aces might fill you with pride. Perhaps that's what did us in the other day (check our last post). But humility brings wisdom, because humble people are in more of a mood to learn. They know better than to assume they know it all.

...We know that we all possess knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. - I Corinthians 8:1

A person once walked the Earth whom you'd think would have been the most puffed-up man ever. He came from heaven. He was the Son of God. But He didn't come to stump panels and win big awards.

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.... being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross. - Philippians 2:4, 8

Why did Jesus do this? To display God's love for all of us - even for you:

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. - John 3:16

Jesus came in humility to lovingly pay the penalty for your sin. Will you humbly accept that sacrifice and make Jesus the Lord of your life? You may not develop the wisdom to win WSOP bracelets, but God will help you gain spiritual wisdom that can last for eternity.

Poker Day 579: Rocket Test

They say any two cards can win a poker hand. But let's be honest: some cards are better than others, and are more likely to win. That thinking was tested today, when we joined a Friday morning deep-stack tournament at Jack Casino in Cincinnati....

BLINDS: 200/400

IN THE POCKET: Ace of spades-Ace of clubs

Starter cards don't come much better than this! And we're in the starting position for this hand, sitting to the immediate left of the Big Blind. So we apply an old strategy: limp early, bet late. We call. A man across the table to our left raises to 1,200. A young man across and to our right calls. Other players to our right fold.

What would you do in our situation? This looks like a perfect moment to three-bet. We raise to 3,400. Others who tried to limp in now fold. The man who raised thinks it over, then calls. So does the man to our right. So three players are in.

ON THE FLOP: Q-5-6

Harmless looking to us! Still in lead position, it's time for the stereotypical continuation bet.

"I'll be consistent," we say - and bet 3,400 again. The man to our left gets the hint, and folds. But the young man to our right dares to take us on - and raise to 10,000.

What could this be about? We don't think he has pocket Queens, because he probably would have three-bet pre-flop before we did. We conclude he's overconfident with A-Q, so we go for it.

"I'm all-in," we say. A few early wins gave us a top score of 29,900 chips from a starting 25,000. We do this from a hand-starting total of about 26,000.

"I'll call," he answers - as we expected, given his raise. "Two pair."

Whaaaaattt? He turns over 5-6! Phil Hellmuth might call him a "donkey" on the spot. We don't. That's not our way. Instead, we hope for cards to bail us out. Preferably a Queen, for a better two pair. Another 5 or 6 will give our opponent a full house.

ON THE TURN: 2

No help there. One card to go, and we count five outs.

ON THE RIVER: 3

It's a painful, stunning loss. Our opponent's big gamble gets a big payoff, and we leave the table after only an hour of play - eighth out of nine players at our starting table.

MINISTRY MOMENT: A man to our right wondered if he could promote an upcoming local church festival with a poster in the poker room.

"They won't let you," the dealer quickly responded. This is a casino, not the corner store.

But that didn't stop us from promoting our upcoming festival, by word of mouth. "The church group I attend is planning a big festival in October," we said. It's so big that a hotel in Cincinnati has been reserved for it.

The other man was intrigued, so we explained. "It's called the Feast of Tabernacles, based on the Old Testament - and it runs for eight days."

Have you heard or read about this event? It's mentioned several times in the Bible. Even Jesus attended it....

But when the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles was near.... after his brothers had left for the Feast, he went also, not publicly, but in secret. - John 7:2, 10

Don't be fooled by that "Jewish" label. For one thing, Jesus Christ was Jewish:

For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. - Hebrews 7:14

For another thing, the Biblical command to keep the Feast of Tabernacles (which has several names in Scripture) was given to all the tribes of Israel - all the way back at Mount Sinai:

...Celebrate the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather in your crops from the field. - Exodus 23:16

Several churches in our area have weekend "festivals" during the summer. This festival is commanded by God and lasts an entire week - with an eighth-day holy day to wrap it up (Leviticus 23:36, 39).

If you'd like to know more about this "fall Feast," it's not too late to join in - and there are places to celebrate it around the world. Many groups will start it off with a Sunday night worship service on October 13. This independent site explains what the Feast of Tabernacles is, and how to find a location near you. (We've even played poker during it, and sometimes done very well.)

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 222 final tables in 579 games (38.3%) - 48 cashes.

For a Few Dollars More

Making the final table at the World Series of Poker Main Event is hard. Only nine players did it this week, out of 8,569 who entered. Other tournaments can feel as hard, even with fewer entries.

That's why we felt very satisfied Monday night to make a final table in the nightly freeroll at National League of Poker. We haven't played there much recently, because the money isn't great. But we have time to do it right now - and it took about three hours to reach the final six, out of 420 entries.

As you may have guessed from our picture, the players at the final table earn money in the freeroll. Only those six do. But as we said, the money isn't great. The "50-dollar cash freeroll" has a total prize pool of $50. The winner received $15. We only lasted one hand at the final table, and collected two bucks for sixth place. In a WSOP event with several hundred players, we would have earned about 12 times our buy-in.

But this was our first NLOP cash win since February 2015. And we had a few moments when we were able to write "PTL" after winning big pots. You know what that means.... right?

Praise the Lord. Praise, O servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord. - Psalm 113:1

We're praising God with thanks, even for small financial blessings. Two dollars can make for a nice fast-food lunch.

Dennis the Menace?

Our current home area of Cincinnati is starved for sports winners. The baseball Reds haven't won a World Series in almost 30 years. The football Bengals have never won a Super Bowl. University of Cincinnati men's basketball hasn't won a single NCAA tournament game in years.

Courtesy WPT/Poker News

So you'd think a million-dollar poker win by a Cincinnati native would get big local publicity. It didn't, until this weekend. Dennis Blieden wore Bengals garb when he won the Los Angeles Poker Classic last year. The next orange he wears might be a prison jumpsuit - because he's now under indictment on embezzlement charges.

We learned from WCPO-TV about a 14-count federal indictment in California, accusing Blieden of funneling away $22 million while working as a Vice President at his regular job. He reportedly used some of that money for poker tournament buy-ins, and may have tried to hide what he did by using crypto-currency along the lines of Bitcoins.

Blieden was terminated from his day job in February. Perhaps the employer suspected something wrong was going on. We don't know if he's guilty or not. But it raises a question many poker players might have to address....

...You, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal?.... You who brag about the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? - Romans 2:21-23

"Stealing a pot" with a bluff bet in a poker room is one thing. That's part of the strategy of the game. Stealing money from your job to fund a gambling habit is wrong. In fact, Blieden could face 200 years in federal prison if he's convicted on every count.

But there are levels of stealing, you know. Do you steal time at work, by playing poker apps on your computer or smart-phone? In the eyes of God, that breaks the stealing "law" (as in commandment)  every bit as much - and despite what Jesus did for us, that law remains.

He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need. - Ephesians 4:28

Did you notice that last part? Turning from a "stealing mind" to a "working mind" should turn your thinking away from you, and toward sharing with other people.

Believe it or not, in Old Testament days people were not put in prison for stealing. Instead....

...When he thus sins and becomes guilty, he must return what he has stolen or taken by extortion.... He must make restitution in full, add a fifth of the value to it and give it all to the owner on the day he presents his guilt offering. - Leviticus 6:4-5

Stealing was against God's law then. Isn't still against the law now - both God's law and the state's. Don't let a stolen win in a tournament expand into something you'll regret.

Ryan's Hope

The final able draws near at the World Series of Poker Main Event. As we write this on Thursday evening (U.S. time), Australian champion Daniel Hachem has bowed out in 79th place. Iranian native Antonio "the Magician" Esfandiari left in 82nd.

But of course, we want to focus on the man who finished 738th. Ryan Von Bevern is married to one of our nieces, after all - and on his third try at the Main Event, he made the money. The scoreboard (which has misled us at times) shows he won a bit more than $20,200.

This is how Ryan knows where he finished. He was given a card with his ranking. The WSOP staff has to keep things organized, with so many tables going at once and the prize money increasing with every few eliminations.

ESPN even mentioned Ryan's sorta-kinda presidential campaign on its livestream of the tournament. A $20,000 payday won't buy him a big media blitz to promote his candidacy. But he achieved one thing he hoped to accomplish - and in doing that, he experienced this:

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. - Proverbs 13:12

Are you hoping for a big poker payday? Perhaps your own WSOP bracelet? It might take a lot of games and a lot of patience. It took us 13 tries before we won our first tournament at a Georgia bar. But we kept the hope going. And even better, we did this....

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. - I Timothy 6:17

We took our hope of success to God, praying for His will to be done. Success in poker has come in small ways over the years. But our main reason for entering poker rooms is to share a better hope....

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. - Romans 15:13

Galatians 5 shows joy and peace are two "fruit" of God's Holy Spirit. And beyond that....

...A faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time. - Titus 1:2

It's the only real hope we have beyond this life, you know. And we suspect the blessing of eternal life in the Kingdom of God will be far better than any trip to a cashier's window.

Poker Day 578: Hit and Miss

A change in our work situation allows to play in daytime poker tournaments for the time being. That led us today to Hollywood Casino Indiana, where we had a tough act to follow - since the husband of one of our nieces made the money at the World Series of Poker Main Event the night before. Could we match or top that?

BLINDS: 50/100

IN THE POCKET: 9-3 offsuit

So far today, we haven't matched anything.An aggressive play with A-Q suited lost to a man with a 10 who made a pair on the flop. We've dropped from a starting 12,000 chips to about 9,200. This normally would be folding time for us - but we're in the Small Blind and no one's raised at a full table of nine. We dare to call, since it only costs 50 more.

ON THE FLOP: 5-6-7

An interesting "island" flop for us. We can connect to a straight with a 4 or an 8. We check, and a man to our left offers 300. We call, and we recall four players still remaining.

ON THE TURN: 4

There it is - we hit the straight! We're first in order, and slow-check. But the man who bet before now throws out 800. Other players are calling, and now this becomes a cliché: Be careful what you wish for, because you might really get it.

We're pretty sure the bettor has an 8, for the better straight. Why else would be bet? Our "under-straight" now has us underwhelmed. "I'd better not," we say.... and fold.

ON THE RIVER: 8

Wow! We would have hit the straight both ways. And we could have topped the straight on the board, with our 9! No one bets now.

"I'm playing the board," the man who bet first says. No one had a 9, so we could have claimed a big pot. So the final score: two hits - but a big miss. And it all seemed so logical.

We finally won a good pot to reach the first break at 9,925. Hour Two brought a huge round in the blinds, as A-5 won with two pair and 8-J turned into a full house. We reached a high for the day of 18,100, and reached the final table at 15,400.

Our second-break total was 14,100, as we missed eliminating a man at the end thanks to a 7 on the river. Then came a couple of good hands which lost - and with blinds mounting, we finally went for it all with K-J. A man who was hitting big cards and amassing a monster stack of chips called.... with K-Q of spades. Of course, he hit a flush. That left us out in seventh place, out of 19 entries. Only the top two earned money.

MINISTRY MOMENT: A man to our right at our starter table claimed at one point that he's gained the nickname "a**hole." We told him that didn't sound very nice.

"At least he's publicity," he said. "Any publicity beats no publicity, right?"

"Satan the devil's had a lot of publicity," we answered. "And I don't think it's going to turn our well for him in the end."

That seemed to go over the heads of everyone - but do you grasp what we're saying? A lot of people talk about the devil. In fact, they may be under the devil's sway without realizing it.....

..But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short. - Revelation 12:12

Satan (which we believe is really an "it," not a male "him) has spiritual control of this world right now:

The great dragon was hurled down - that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray.... - Revelation 12:9

But God sent someone to Earth to turn us away from Satan, and back to Him....

He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning . The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work. - I John 3:8

Jesus came as the Son of God, and overcame the devil by living a sinless life. But the work of Satan won't truly be destroyed until Jesus comes again with His angels....

And I saw an angel coming down from heaven.... He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended.... - Revelation 20:1-3

As many preachers have said about the Bible, if you read to the back of the book, believers win. God will win. Jesus will win. The devil's P.R. machine will go bust, like our K-J did today. Is that what you're seeking - even in this life?

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 222 final tables in 578 games (38.4%) - 48 cashes.

Daring to Dream

JULY 9 UPDATE: Ryan has made the money at the Main Event! An update on that is coming soon.

UPDATE: We looked at the wrong day's chip count. Ryan is in 846th place, heading to "Day 2C." Why he wasn't shown on the "Day 2AB" scoreboard despite not playing is a mystery to us.

As we write this, about 1,070 players remain in the 2019 World Series of Poker Main Event. This year's big tournament had 8,225 entries - including one (hold on to your chair) who's a candidate for President of the United States!

No, we're not kidding. Ryan Von Bevern filed the paperwork with the Federal Election Commission to run for President. He has a billboard or two up in the Kansas City area. Of course, he has a campaign website. But by his own admission, he hasn't raised a lot of money - and he lost his buy-in at the Main Event, by not placing among the top 2,500 players [SEE UPDATE ABOVE]. (He won a discounted buy-in by playing in a local league.)

We've mentioned Ryan's WSOP exploits before, because he's married to one of our nieces. He obviously has big dreams - even though we think his Presidential bid is tongue-in-cheek.

Our poker dreams are a bit smaller these days. (For one thing, a $10,000 Main Event buy-in is massive.) But we have a big dream, too - and believe it or not, it ranks above being President of a country:

And they sang a new song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth." - Revelation 5:9-10

Can you grasp what the apostle John saw in this vision? Creatures in heaven are singing this to "a Lamb" (verse 6) - and it clearly refers to Jesus Christ....

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world." - John 1:29

Jesus, who was with God the Father from the beginning (1:1), came to Earth to redeem us from our sins by His pure sacrifice. But it means more than that. We're made "to be a kingdom and priests" - or as the King James Version puts it, "made.... unto our God kings and priests...."

Pocket Kings in poker can be good. Becoming a real king is even better. And to be a king serving under God on this Earth? That's a huge dream, that the Bible indicates someday will come true. As Jesus put it....

To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. - Revelation 3:21

Uh-oh - did you see the "catch" there? We have to overcome, before we can sit with Jesus. That's the daily battle of life, resisting sin and walking in a godly way.

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. - Romans 12:21

That's obviously not easy to do. But it's what God requires to obtain that big dream - and with His help, you can do it.

...Everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. - I John 5:4

How are you doing, in achieving your dreams? Do you have the biggest dream of all? And have you put your faith in God, so you can gain it?

Dependence Day

Happy Fourth of July to you. And do you know what they call the Fourth of July in Australia?

The answer should be obvious.... the "fourth of July." It's that day, everywhere on Earth!

But in the U.S., of course, the day is different and special. It's Independence Day, marking the declaration away from British rule in 1776.

As we suggested in a recent post, few things show personal independence as much as a poker game. As far as we know, only the World Series of Poker has come up with a "tag-team" tournament format. The rest of the time, you succeed or fail on your own.

But have you ever asked if it's right or wrong to be "independent"? Can anyone really be - in this life or beyond? A well-known book mentions the word only in one place....

In the Lord, however, woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God. - I Corinthians 11:11-12 (NIV)

We can understand these words on many levels. God created the first woman from the side of a man (Genesis 2:20-23). Both a man and a woman (traditionally) are required to develop a family.

But note the last part - that "everything comes from God." Despite what evolutionists might claim, you wouldn't be here without Him creating humans a long time ago:

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. - Genesis 1:27

Yet God created humans with brains and "free will." To that extent, we're independent - free to play poker, free to fold or raise pocket Jacks, and so forth. But God expects us to ultimately admit our lives depend on Him:

For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die in the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. - Romans 14:7-8

This idea goes quite against the flow of this holiday, and even the "American spirit" itself. But will you be humble enough to admit to God you need Him - not only now, but in order to live eternally in His Kingdom?

Poker Night 577: Over the River and To the Whoa

"Are the rules for tournament poker different in Canada?" we asked jokingly as we sat down for a Sunday evening game. "Like, maybe, an extra card on the river?" - a reference to Canadian football having three downs, compared to the U.S. four.

"Since you're American, you get only one hole card," a man to our left replied.

We traveled about 300 miles north of our home to Caesars Windsor Casino, across the river from Detroit. Our main goal was to see firsthand how people mark Canada Day on Monday. if poker winnings can help us pay for the trip, all the better.

With a strong exchange rate, a 65-Canadian dollar buy-in ($5 more for 500 bonus early bird chips) is less expensive than our home casinos. And no, the Texas Hold 'em rules aren't really different. The only quirk was that after a few levels, the player with the button had to ante the Big Blind amount. If only we could make it that far, on the Sunday night of a holiday weekend.... 

BLINDS: 25/50

IN THE POCKET: Ace-4 of spades

An early try failed, so we start this hand with about 6,750 chips. These are suited. At least one card is high. So why not call? About four other players at the table of nine join in.

ON THE FLOP: Ad-Qh-6h (third card not precise)

There's our Ace. No one is betting. So we offer 175 at the pot. That chases most people away, except for a woman to our right who calls.

ON THE TURN: Ah

We may be in Canada, but now we're a "triple A" member. But there's one problem. Three hearts are showing. Our opponent checks to us. We raise the bet to 250. She calls. Uh-oh.

ON THE RIVER: 4h

Big-time uh-oh. It's a fourth heart! Our opponent checks again, and we have to hit the brakes and check with care to avoid a trap. She turns over Kd-Jh.

"You hit the flush," we say with a bit of disappointment. So the pot goes to....

"You've got a full house," the joking man to our left points out. Why, yes - yes we do! We never noticed it until he said it!

"You have a case of early-game jitters?" a man across the table asks. We didn't think so. We simply were looking for one thing (in this case something bad) - but the river brought an unexpected nice surprise.

That win improved our chip stack to a high of 8,800. But it was our best showing of the evening. Not many good cards came, but clever betting "stole" us a couple of pots with modest hands. We reached the first break after 90 minutes with 6,075.

Things didn't get better from there, as A-7 and A-8 were drowned by pre-flop raises. Finally with 2,300 chips left, we went all-in with A-J. That won us a split pot to stay alive. But minutes later, we were all-in for a 300 ante with pocket 2's. While we had a diamond to make a flush, another player had higher diamonds to top us. Final result: about 40th place, on a night with about 105 players.

MINISTRY MOMENT: Late in the tournament, we tried limping in for 600 with something like J-10 suited. That had unexpected consequences, as a man on our left folded a better hand.

"I had Ace-9," he explained later. "And I know you're supposed to push with that. But he [us] limped in, so I couldn't do it."

We didn't explain what we had, but we responded generally. "Thank you for having mercy on me," we said with a smile. "A famous book says mercy rejoices over justice."

We added a question to the players about what that book might be. We think a man to our immediate right knew. Regular readers of this blog ought to know - and we admittedly didn't word it quite correctly:

For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment. - James 2:13 (NASB)

It's easy to point fingers and mock new poker players who make "rookie mistakes." It's another thing to take a moment to counsel that player about what they did wrong, or how they could play better. Remember that judgment will come someday for how you handled both big moments and small ones:

And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment.... - Hebrews 9:27 (NASB)

Whose judgment? The judgment of God's Son:

But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you set at nought your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. - Romans 14:10 (KJV)

Yet here's the amazing thing: you can turn that judgment seat into a "mercy seat". It starts by repenting of your sins, seeking God's forgiveness and help in walking in a holy way.

God blesses those who are merciful, for they shall be shown mercy. - Matthew 5:9 (NLT)

What are you showing in your life - and what kind of seat do you prefer?

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 221 final tables in 577 games (38.3%) - 48 cashes.

Flop Friday Funny

Ever hit the jackpot this way?

Team Work

He lasted for awhile - but not long enough to make the money. "Jeopardy James" Holzhauer finished 451st in a World Series of Poker tournament this week. There were more than 1,800 entries, so that's not bad. But he needed to place 281st or better to get paid.

Holzhauer also apparently fell short in a second WSOP event, one that's unlike any we've seen before. He partnered with Mike Sexton in a "Tag-Team No-Limit Hold 'em" tournament. The rules state teams of two to four players can tag in or out when they're out of a hand. The tournament is still underway as we post this, but the tag-team event made a little money for one-time baseball star Jose Canseco.

What do you think of this format? It's different from some "poker leagues", where teams compete all day as individuals and then add up their scores like a bowling team. One player represents the team, and we suppose could swap notes on the opposition with teammates while they're out. There's something to be said for that....

Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. - Ecclesiastes 4:12

In most cases, poker is an individual event. Unless someone sponsors your buy-in at an event like the WSOP, you're on your own from start to finish. If your life is like that, it doesn't have to be - and we don't think it should be.

God sets the lonely in families.... - Psalm 68:6

How does God do that? For almost 2,000 years, He's invited people to be part of His family, or His "body"....

And God placed all things under his [Jesus's] feet and appointed him to be the head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way. - Ephesians 1:22-23

A well-functioning church has many members working together to do God's work on Earth....

But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.... so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. - I Corinthians 12:18, 25

Read this entire chapter, and you'll see this is not really "tag-team" action. Various members of the team have different roles, as the human body does - all functioning at the same time.

The concept of a church can be scary to some people. But we encourage you to find one that's true to the Word of God, and offer to join in their mission. If you need help with finding one, leave a comment; we'll be happy to help you get on the team.

More Daily Doubles?

He made bets over and over. Time and time again. Minute by minute. Day after day. And practically all of them succeeded, making him a lot of money. Yet somehow, he's a bit reluctant to play poker.

Courtesy Las Vegas Review-Journal

We're talking about James Holzhauer, whose wins on the TV quiz show Jeopardy! this year have gained far more attention than any poker tournament. He heads to the World Series of Poker Monday, to compete in a (deep breath) No-Limit Hold 'em Super Turbo Bounty tournament.

"Jeopardy James" won more than $2.45 million on TV in recent weeks. Yet Holzhauer told a Las Vegas newspaper he's entering two WSOP events only because World Poker Tour host Mike Sexton offered to sponsor his buy-ins - and they total only $2,500. The former online player explained, "I'm sure I wouldn't be good enough at it to justify forgoing other opportunities". For him, that means betting on sports.

Holzhauer didn't help poker's reputation when he added, "My main goal is to get lucky." Poker advocates have faced an uphill fight convincing courts and governments that the game includes some skill.

Hand it to Holzhauer for having humility here. Even though he won more than 30 consecutive games on TV, he's not expecting to whip the world at the WSOP. We think plenty of players could learn from that example. A classic book puts it this way....

Good and upright is the Lord.... He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way. - Psalm 25:8-9

Sometimes a humble walk before God can have fringe benefits, even at a poker table:

When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. - Proverbs 11:2

"But wait," you may be saying. "Didn't we leave out the part of that psalm that applies to James Holzhauer? After all, he's a sports gambler!" Oh - yes, we did. Let's address that....

...Therefore he instructs sinners in his ways. - Psalm 25:8b

Indeed, many consider sports gambling a sin. (For some reason, we've never heard anyone call the risks of winnings on Jeopardy! a sin.) But we'd ask in return: are you sinning in some other way? Perhaps in a way you don't even see?

...For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. - Romans 3:23

Deep down, we're all not good enough for God. His standard is perfect (Psalm 18:30), and human beings are not. We need to be humble enough to ask for His help. Thankfully, He provided some.

...And are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. - Romans 3:24

You can be redeemed from sin through the sacrifice of the sinless Savior. Jesus Christ came from the throne of God in heaven to do that. But you need to humbly repent of your sin and accept Jesus as your Lord.

In a poker tournament, "daily doubles" can be hidden in any hand - opportunities to go all-in and double your chip count (or even triple it). Perhaps "Jeopardy James" will hit a few of those at the WSOP. We don't know if he believes in God for such things. If you do, maybe it's time you did - before the "final jeopardy" of death comes.
 

Steven Breaks Even

When we left Kansas last year, an FBI investigation was underway into possibly illegal action involving house poker games. The biggest name in that case was thought to be a Wichita business owner who's won money in serious tournaments such as the World Series.

The long investigation apparently ended this week, with Brandon Steven making a deal with federal prosecutors. He pleaded guilty to hiding records of illegal poker games, and could have gone to prison for it. Instead, Steven received three years of probation, a lot of community service time - and he must give more than a million dollars, either in poker winnings or hush money.

The four-year FBI investigation may have led to police shutting down open poker rooms across Wichita. We played at several of them during this decade. These days, we only play in legal tournaments at casinos or charities. We try to live by a simple Bible verse:

Avoid every kind of evil. - I Thessalonians 5:22

Sounds simple, doesn't it? Except the King James Version puts it this way: "Abstain from all appearance of evil." A lot of things may appear evil to others, but they're really above-board. The list of items fitting that description can change almost daily, based on the news cycle and social media posts. We have to be careful in all the decisions we make about what we do.

As for Steven, you'd think he would have known better. Secrets come out, sooner or later. If they're not exposed by the FBI, they will at an even higher level of justice....

You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence. - Psalm 90:8

The time is coming when Jesus will judge all humans, on behalf of God the Father.

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

We don't see much evidence in the Bible that "plea bargains" will be allowed then....

...Those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned. - John 5:29

Defense lawyers say Brandon Steven is a solid citizen, who supports youth sports among other things. But this case revealed he has a "dark side." If we're honest with ourselves, we all do. Will you learn from Steven's example, and come "out of darkness" into God's "wonderful light" (I Peter 2:9)?

Poker Day 576: Power Outage?

It's a stormy weekend in the Cincinnati area - and even though the rain had stopped, we lost electricity at home during our morning prayer. But we'd already planned a Sunday morning trip to Jack Casino, hoping to repeat our last success there. Would timing the trip for Father's Day work to our advantage?

BLINDS: 100/200

IN THE POCKET: Queen-10 of hearts

A slow-arriving crowd allowed us to claim a few small pots in the first period. Now we're in the Big Blind with six at our table, and about 24,000 chips. A man sitting on our immediate left leads off with a raise to 1,000. Everyone between us folds.

"OK, OK," we say. We'll defend and call.

ON THE FLOP: 3c-8h-9h

This is a flop with lots of promise - all the way to a straight flush. But our opponent makes a continuation bet of 3,000. We sense he has a strong pocket pair, like Q-Q. But with hope, we call.

ON THE TURN: 4d

That's not the right answer for us. And we could pay for it, as our opponent throws out 6,000. Now we know he's trying to run us off, and we're still not convinced he's hit the board. It's a big risk, but with potentially big reward. So we call. Any heart or a Jack....

ON THE RIVER: 6d

Aargh! We struck out. Now our opponent goes all-in, and there's no way we can call it.

"I swung, but I missed," we say as we fold.

"So did I," he answers - and shows K-7 of diamonds! He was bluffing all along. But he still would have topped us, if we had called.

That loss was a crippler for us. We never won another hand, and went all-in with 2,700 left when we saw J-J. But a man who called with K-7 caught a King on the flop. Father's Day was not our day, as we're the second player out at our table.

MINISTRY MOMENT: "Are you an electrician?" a woman near us when she saw our card protector. We get that question a lot, when we bring out our electric adapter.

On this day, it was inspired by the power outage at home. But we added our usual explanation: "This reminds me that I receive power from the Holy Spirit of God."

The woman seemed to understand what we meant. She said she's attended a "Power and Purpose" conference the previous weekend at a Catholic university in eastern Ohio. She considered it very helpful.

"Our church congregation marked Pentecost last weekend," we noted. That's a celebration of the Holy Spirit that actually has Biblical roots, as we mentioned here recently:

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.... All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. - Acts 2:1-2, 4

What sort of "power" does the Holy Spirit provide? Among other things, it gives us the courage to speak about God in a poker room....

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. - Acts 1:8

In the days of the early church, that power was evident in more than flames of fire (Acts 2:3)….

...By the power of signs and miracles, through the power of the Spirit. - Romans 15:19

That woman had spoken before the game about escaping damage from recent tornadoes in southwest Ohio. We can't say for sure, but perhaps it was a case of God miraculously intervening.

When in doubt, we recognize God as our powerful King who can do powerful things through His Spirit. It certainly beats trying to claim credit yourself - right?

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 221 final tables in 576 games (38.4%) - 48 cashes.
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Eli's Coming

It's not easy winning a bracelet at the World Series of Poker. But this week, a man won a bracelet for the fourth time.

Courtesy Cardplayer.com

Eli Elezra won a seven-card stud tournament, defeating nearly 300 opponents to claim nearly $94,000. Four bracelets in 13 years could put him in the hall of fame, as fewer than 50 people have won four WSOP bracelets.

Elezra is a native of Israel - and his first name Eli has a history dating back to ancient Israel:

...Now Eli the priest was sitting on a chair by the doorpost of the Lord's temple. - I Samuel 1:9

Eli Elezra no doubt is good at reading his opponents. But Eli the priest made a mis-read, when he saw a young woman appealing to God....

Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk and said to her, "How long will you keep on getting drunk? Get rid of your wine." - I Samuel 1:13-14

He wasn't the first male to misunderstand what a woman was doing. Hannah explained, and Eli calmed down to bless her (verses 15-17). But chapter 2 shows Eli was flawed in other ways that were even worse. That led to this statement from God, to one of Hannah's children....

And the Lord said to Samuel.... "For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons made themselves contemptible, and he failed to restrain them." - I Samuel 3:11, 13

You can sit at a final table and look sharp. You can even sit outside the house of God and look sharp. But if you don't keep your family in order, God reserves the right to judge you for it. That's why a famous proverb advises:

Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. - Proverbs 22:6

Eli Elezra calls himself on Twitter a "family man" - and his autobiography is called in Hebrew Poker Legend. May you put those titles in the proper order, and not do what made another Eli legendary in a Biblical way.

Conscious or Con?

Our last post introduced you to young man at a final table with some unusual theories about life. When we brought up our belief in the second coming of Jesus Christ, he said he believed in a "Christ consciousness."

Is this how you look at God and Jesus? Is the Godhead (as some call it) simply a good way of thinking? Or is there more than that?

A good moral conscience might influence how you play poker. For instance, you might tell other players that they're exposing their cards to you. But other players can work in exactly the opposite direction....

To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted. - Titus 1:15

In other words. a lack of belief can corrupt your conscience. So belief can make your conscience right. But belief in what?

I speak the truth in Christ - I am not lying, my conscience confirms it in the Holy Spirit - I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. - Romans 9:1-2

Our NIV Study Bible has this note about these verses: "Conscience is a reliable guide only when enlightened by the Holy Spirit." How does the Spirit give you a true Christ-conscience?

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. - Hebrews 11:6

It takes faith that God exists. And that includes both the Father and the Son....

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God.... Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. - I John 5:1, 5

Having a "Christ consciousness" is good. Believing that Jesus Christ was a conscious human being who's now in heaven as the Son of God (with "Christ" meaning "Messiah") is even better. Why not take your belief "all the way to the river" - and believe in what Jesus came to Earth to do for you?

Poker Night 575: Power Trip

A recent post here mentioned a poker pro who suggested an aggressive "three-bet" approach to pre-flop success. It sounds good in theory. But does it really work? We tested it Wednesday night at Hollywood Casino Indiana….

BLINDS: 50/100

IN THE POCKET: 10-10

It's the second round of blinds, and we haven't won a pot yet. This fairly big pocket pair is in the Small Blind. A man across the table from us raises to 300. We see these cards, and it's testing time.

"Raise - 675," we say.

Three other men are in the running. The Big Blind folds. The man who made the first raise calls. The third player folds. So there's no guaranteed success - yet.

ON THE FLOP: 7-4-4

A second pair, in our view - and a good-looking one, because it's low. We're first to act, and decide to keep up the pressure with a bet of 700. Our opponent thinks for a moment.... then folds.

OK, it worked! And it really worked later in the evening, when we bet with 404 after a flop of 9-6-3. That won us a big, stay-in-the-game pot. Slow growth in the first hour fell prey to bad betting on our part late. We reached the first break at 9,800 chips out of a starting 12,000.

A straight with 8-7 was part of a second-hour comeback for us. Our stack approached 25,000, but then more setbacks came including a blunder to a man with a 6-high full house. Yet we survived to the second break at 12,100, and built back to make the final table at 16,000.

Once there, we survived one all-in moment as the field dwindled. Then a young man saying some wild things admittedly distracted our focus (more on him below). But as the third break arrived, we had A-2 and an Ace on the flop. When another player bet 10,000, we went for it all with 7,100 left. But he had A-7, and the 7 played when nothing else paired.

So as we told a co-worker earlier in the day, "I'm due to lose."  No money came on this night - but it was a strong fifth-place finish on a night with 19 entries.

MINISTRY MOMENT: Our final table included a young man who sounded like a follower of conspiracy theorists such as Alex Jones. For instance, he made questionable claims that the space agency NASA founded Google, and is not a U.S. government agency. He went on to say some people "want a one-world government, and it's not going to happen."

"I think a one-world government is going to come," we responded. "Only someone bigger than you and me will bring it. Jesus will set it up."

Why do we say that? Because the Bible indicates it....

The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said, "The kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever." - Revelation 11:18

How will this happen? Through the work of some dominating church group converting people? The Bible shows something else - the personal intervention of Jesus Christ. In fact, He predicted it....

When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. - Matthew 25:31-32

The young man said he believes in a "Christ consciousness," but has his doubts that Jesus really lived in the flesh. Yet on a day of Pentecost long ago (we're still working on that counting topic from our last post), Jesus's disciple Peter declared....

"Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know.... God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact." - Acts 2:22, 32

The resurrected Lord was seen by 500 people during one appearance (I Corinthians 15:6). Yet that young man at the final table needs more proof from that. We'll have more of our fascinating discussion with him in upcoming posts. But in the meantime, will you accept the promise that Jesus finally will bring a united government to a divided world?

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 221 final tables in 575 games (38.4%) - 48 cashes.

The Fight Over 50

The 2019 World Series of Poker is underway in Las Vegas. There seems to be a format for practically everyone - including an online tournament and a "Mini Main Event" (as if the Main Event is too big for some people).

This weekend marked the first four flights of a No-Limit Hold 'em tournament called the "Big 50" -  because the WSOP is marking its 50th year. Everyone starts with 50,000 chips, and the blinds go up every 50 minutes.

The top note atop the website calls it the "50th anniversary of WSOP." But hold on - the history page says the first one was in 1970. So isn't this really the 49th anniversary?  If you became married in 1970, that's what you would logically celebrate during 2019.

The timing of all this is fascinating, because an annual Biblical festival is approaching where the number 50 matters - including how you count it.

From the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, count off seven full weeks. Count off 50 days up to the day after the seventh Sabbath, and then present an offering of new grain to the Lord. - Leviticus 23:15-16

Many Jews call this event Shavuot. Many Christians call it Pentecost, based on a Greek word meaning "fiftieth." Something big happened on that day long ago, shortly after Jesus returned to heaven....

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.... All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. - Acts 2:1-4

Jesus promised His disciples that the Holy Spirit would come and enable them to do amazing works (John 14:12, 26). This annual festival day is considered the unofficial launch date of the New Testament Church.

But would you believe church groups have divided over the proper way to count to 50 days? Some people (and countries) keep Pentecost on Monday, calling it an "absolute" vital doctrine. Others say the proper day is Sunday, since a Sunday was "the day after the Sabbath" and should count as Day 1.

If church groups are divided by this, do you see how the WSOP's way of counting and wording can make things confusing? Which way would you figure it - and why?

If you want to make an appeal to WSOP to straighten things out, that's up to you. Instead, we're beginning our own study of which "count of 50" to Pentecost is proper. We're already seeing it can be a matter of detailed wording of ancient tongues.

Compliments of the Day

"A nice word is always welcome," the female dealer said as she swapped into our poker table.

We picked up on that. "OK. You look very nice today," we told her. "You're being a complimentarian."

Being a what? Admittedly, that's a word we'd never heard until the last couple of weeks, much less used. The Southern Baptists have had an in-house debate for about a year about "complementarianism" - the religious idea that males and females have different roles which complement each other.

But did you notice how we changed the spelling in our first quote? We decided to endorse the practice of complimenting (with an I) other people. This is something both males and females can do - even in the middle of a tense poker game.

An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up. - Proverbs 12:25

It can be as simple as complimenting an opponent on a well-played hand. Or you can try what we've done recently - complimenting a player wearing an out-of-the-ordinary hat.

Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. - Proverbs 16:24

But we'd put a small warning on this habit. Don't go over the top from complementarian to flatterer - using words of praise that you really don't mean.

A lying tongue hates those it hurts, and a flattering mouth works ruin. - Proverbs 26:26

To put it another way: look for the good in others, as you look for good cards to play. It could make your next poker game more of a game, and less of a grind.

Poker Day 574: Race Day

Monaco had Formula 1. Indianapolis had IndyCar. Suburban Charlotte had NASCAR. And we had our own version of racing today - at the Jack Casino poker room. In fact, several races were in the cards....

BLINDS: 600/1,200/1,200 ante (Big Blind only)

IN THE POCKET: Q of hearts-Q of clubs

The Sunday brunch poker tournament has a deep stack - 25,000 chips for early birds. We built ours to 28,200 in the early going. But then setbacks knocked us down to 12,200 at the 90-minute first break. Now we have only 7,600 left, and are looking for something to start a rally. With players to our right at this table of eight raising to 3,200, this had better be it.

"I'm all-in," we say; "76 trombones led the big parade."

This reference sparked a discussion of Broadway musicals. We performed in this one in high school. A young man to our right knew right away it was The Music Man, because he'd seen the movie on cable TV.

But oh yes, the hand: two men across from us call. But the man to our immediate right then goes all-in as well - with a lot more chips than we have! This doesn't look good. A man across from us thinks for a long time, then folds. The musical buff to the right ponders, then calls.

Now it's show-and-tell time. The big re-raiser has.... 3-3! The musical fan went for it with 8-10!

"You mean I'm in the lead?!?!" we say with surprise as we show our cards. Suddenly this feels good, but anything could still happen....

ON THE FLOP: As-6s-9c

Thankfully, no one has an Ace. But the Music Man has a straight draw.

ON THE TURN: 4s

 This is more trouble, because the opposing pair includes 3s. Can we dodge all the bullets?

ON THE RIVER: 2c

We do! The "76 trombones" turn into a full, quadrupled-up big band of 35,200 chips!

That started another of those amazing second-hour rallies for us. An all-in gamble with pocket 5's won a race. Q-7 in the Big Blind brought a 6-10 straight on the river. Add a heart flush, and we survived to the final table at 24,300!

Patiently waiting for good cards paid off there. A push with A-7 looked bad against A-K, but a 7 on the board brought a gain to 84,000. A-Q led to two pair on the flop, and he jumped to 208,000. A Big Blind win made our high chip mark 249,500!

With 28 people playing, the top three would earn money. With four players left, we still had 155,500 amid massive blinds and antes. All fours agree to pay a "Bubble Boy" $20 - and the ma who appeared likely to take that title then hit a series of big hands, to eliminate someone else.

After a few more minutes of play, that man suggested a three-way chop of the prize money. The man with a huge stack had been gunning for the win, but after some setbacks was ready to settle. Of course, we accepted as well.

After more than four hours of holiday weekend "work," all three of us took home $560. That's our biggest one-day payoff since 2015, our second cash in a row and our third in 11 tournaments this year. We praise God for the success He's providing!

MINISTRY MOMENT: We were saddened as we drove to the casino, due to news this weekend that a familiar voice from our old home area had died. Rod Bramblett of Auburn University sports was killed with his wife in a Saturday night SUV crash.

"The good news," we told a woman sitting next to us, "is that I believe in a resurrection of the dead."

The woman indicated she believes in that as well. We let it go there - but perhaps we should have probed deeper to see if she believes in Who will bring it.

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies...." - John 11:25

At the time when Jesus Christ walked the earth, many Jews (but not all) believed in a resurrection of the dead:

Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." - John 11:23-24

But Jesus went farther - declaring He was the resurrection. He did it in this section of the Bible with Lazarus (verses 43-44). And He plans to do it on a grander scale when he returns to Earth....

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. - John 14:3

Where will Jesus take the dead? Contrary to what you may have heard, it's not a place in heaven:

Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights in the day of battle. On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem... Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him. - Zechariah 14:3-5

Some believers in God had an understanding of His plan to save humankind, even before Jesus came the first time. The next time, there will be no doubt:

Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him.... - Revelation 1:7

If you're feeling down or depressed as the U.S. marks Memorial Day over the loss of a loved one, consider these Bible promises carefully. Jesus will come again, bringing a resurrection (actually more than one - check Revelation 20 for more about that). The dead will live again. What a wonderful time that will be!

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 220 final tables in 574 games (38.3%) - 48 cashes. Since we passed the 500-tournament mark in April 2017, we've made exactly half of our final tables!