Poker Day 415: One Card Too Many?

Even though the name has changed, the first Sunday of every month remains the "Big Sunday" at River City Poker Room -- with a $50 buy-in, and a shot at a $1,000 top prize.  Still stinging over our big casino loss, we wondered if this might be a "third chance" to refill our envelope.  Tests would come early, even though blinds were lengthy and small at first:

BLINDS: 100/200

IN THE POCKET: Q-5 of clubs (suit may not be precise)

The tables are full, but the action at ours has been relatively tight so far.  We've tried to be active and play sensible hands, but our starting start of 20,000 has dropped by about 3,000.  Our notes don't show the suit of these cards -- but we assume they were suited, because we'd like to get in for the minimum in the Dealer position.  Except a woman in the Big Blind raises to 700.

"You realize it's only 200," we jokingly suggest.

"She wants your 200," the man in the Small Blind answers in her behalf.  Clearly.  So we call, and about half the table is in.

"Now she wants your 700," Mr. Small Blind notes.

ON THE FLOP: Q-5-3

She may want it, but this flop could make it hard to get it.  We have top two pair.  The table checks, but we don't.

"All right, then, we say - and bet 1,000.  The woman folds -- but then comes a surprise from a man across the table.  He raises all the way to 5,000.  This gives us a pause.  But we conclude he only has one pair - certainly not something like 3-3.  We call.  Everyone else steps aside.

ON THE TURN: 4

There's no flush threat showing.  But our opponent now fires again, betting 5,000 more.  Now we're concluding he has pocket Aces.  But if he does, we're still ahead.  It's a "lump in your throat" moment, but we call this big bet again.

ON THE RIVER: 2

This is absolutely the last thing we want to see.  If our opponent has an Ace, he just hit a straight -- and if he bets big again, we might face an early all-in moment of truth.

He thinks for a moment, then does something which happily surprises us.  He checks.  We check as well.

"Two pair," he says -- showing 2-4.  He made running pairs, but misses the open-ended straight draw.  We show our Q-5, and are thankful!  The lack of an Ace wins us a huge pot -- and we're well above the starting line, at 28,100 chips.

Our day went up and down that way -- a few good pot wins, a few losses.  The wins outnumbered the losses to the point that we reached a high of 52,000 chips.  But rising blinds and shrinking tables eventually did us in.  After a couple of all-in escapes, we tried again with A-10 -- but ran into Q-Q.  The board didn't save us, and we finished close to the semifinal table in 18th place.

MINISTRY MOMENT: A-K in the Big Blind brought us a "double-up" late in the tournament, which kept us around a few extra minutes.

"PTL!  I'd write if I was online right now," we said to the table.

"What does PTL mean?" the dealer asked.  We're glad she asked.

"Praise the Lord," we said.

Look through the Psalms of the Bible, and you'll find all sorts of reasons to praise God.  For instance:

I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. - Psalm 16:7

Uh-oh -- we have to treat this verse with care.  God can provide counsel, if we study His Word and listen carefully to people who preach and teach it.  But what about David's heart in this case?

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? - Jeremiah 17:9 (KJV)

We think Jeremiah is speaking in general terms here about the human condition.  So should David have followed the instruction of his heart?  Not always -- because at times he committed serious sinful mistakes, such as lusting after another man's wife and having that man killed to claim her as his own (II Samuel 11).

So how do you know when your heart is talking, as opposed to the counsel of God?  This can matter at poker tables, as well as other places.  Offer a comment if you'd like; we'll look at this more deeply in an upcoming post.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 145 final tables in 415 games (34.9%) - 24 cashes.

The Bigger They Are....

With all the attention being paid on the "November Nine" and the upcoming Main Event final table, you may have missed the fascinating story of a man who fell short.

Germany's Anton Morganstern was in the chip lead with 24 players remaining.  Yet he lost it all in a hurry and finished 20th -- as another man doubled up through him, not once but twice.

We don't know if Morganstern was overconfident about his chance; that would require mind-reading on our part.  But it's not the first time that a big leader has been humbled and brought down.  It happens in poker on a regular basis -- and it happened in the Bible:

Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel.... "This day I defy the ranks of Israel!  Give me a man and let us fight each other." - I Samuel 17:8, 10

The story of David and Goliath is so classic and simple, you probably heard about it from childhood.  But you may have forgotten some key points of the story.  For instance, David says....

Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. - I Samuel 17:36 (see also verse 26)

David didn't take on the giant to promote himself.  He did it because Goliath was insulting God's armies.  In a way, David stood up for God:

This day the Lord will have you over to me, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head.  Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. - I Samuel 17:46

God could have intervened to shut up Goliath; He did that with other blowhards in the Bible.  But in this case, God waited to see with the people of Israel would do -- and David did something.

All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord's, and he will give all of you into our hands. - I Samuel 17:47

David only fought after someone threw down a challenge.  He didn't fight with much.  But God took David's "little" and knocked out someone big.  That can happen in poker, too.  We know, because we've been on both sides of the fight.

Read the entire 17th chapter of I Samuel, and ask where you fit.  Are you riding high, and acting too overconfident to have great success -- in poker or otherwise?  Are you a "short stack" ready to be used by God for a big purpose?  Keep in mind the man who chopped down Anton Morgenstern's big stack will sit at the Main Event final table in November -- while Morgenstern will not.

Looking Like a Winner

If someone walked up to you and said, "Poker Player" - what sort of picture would come to mind?

Would you see someone wearing dark sunglasses, like Phil Hellmuth?  Or someone wearing goofy glasses, like Greg Raymer?

Would he wear a hoodie, a la Phil Laak?  Or a cowboy hat, a la Doyle Brunson?  (Or for that matter, would the "he" be a she?)

Despite the development of crazy-looking "character" players in the television age, there's no real stereotype of how a poker player should look.  He can have any skin color, gender, nationality or age.

We were reminded of that last week when a man in a wheelchair who barely seemed able to speak beat us in a hand.  He didn't wear glasses.  He didn't wear a hat.  He didn't even look like someone who would qualify for a "genius grant."  Yet he won a big pot -- in fact, several.

Players like that remind us of the words of Jesus Christ:

Judge not according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment. - John 7:24 (KJV)

The Bible mentions a few strong men.  But Goliath was knocked cold by a stone flung by a young man named David (I Samuel 17).  And Samson succumbed to a persuasive woman, who talked him into revealing his secret of strength (Judges 16).  Instead, the true greatest hero of the Bible is Someone who...

....had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. - Isaiah 53:2

This chapter is a prophetic description of Jesus Christ.  And our Savior, every bit as much as that poker player in a wheelchair, is a reminder of the classic phrase, "Looks can be deceiving."  Come to think of it, they can be every bit as deceiving as someone slow-playing pocket Aces.

But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.... so that no one may boast before him.... - I Corinthians 1:27, 29

Poker Night 371: Lost in the Darkness

"This is Big Dog Poker.  It's not Puppy Girl Poker."  So said the Tournament Director at the one-hour break tonight at Lil Kim's Cove.  A few of us took that as a slap at some female players.  But he may have made a different kind of point.  Sometimes it takes a bit of boldness to win pots - but how much is enough?

BLINDS: 25/50

IN THE POCKET: Q-Q

It's early in the game, and a can of soda combined with an "on-time bonus" gave us 13,000 chips at the start.  We see a high pocket pair and decide to get right to work.  We raise 300 when our turn comes.

"That means he has something," the Director sitting across the table says.  "He's Richard 'Big Dog' Burkard."

That seems a bit of a stretch -- and a player to the Director's right doesn't seem to buy it, either.  He raises 300 more.  We respond with a "four bet," adding 600 on top.  A man to our immediate left calls, as does the raiser.

ON THE FLOP: Qs-6s-5s

There are three spades showing.  But we have three of a kind, and see no reason to slow down.  Acting first, we try to "throw a block" by betting 1,500.  The man to our left isn't scared, and calls.  The man across the table folds.

ON THE TURN: 10s

Aw, c'mon -- a fourth spade?!  Now we have to slow down.  We check, as does our opponent.  If the board will kindly pair for us....

ON THE RIVER: 8s

Of course not.  Instead of a full house, there's a spade flush on the table!  We check again.  The man to our left does as well.

"I had Queens," we admit as we show.  But our opponent has his own surprise -- turning over a 9 of spades.  That gives him a better flush, and a big early pot.

As best we recall, the pot winner's other card was a Jack of hearts.  A couple of players talk with amazement about how he stayed in the hand with relatively nothing.  The lesson for us may be that "boldness"  may need to be expressed a little tougher -- especially when you have thousands of extra chips at your disposal.

That hand set the tone for our night, as the only hand we won came with a pair of Kings at the one-hour break.  We hung around as long as we could, but finally felt compelled to go all-in with Q-10 in the Big Blind.  The board didn't come through for us, and a woman with a 3 made a winning pair.  One day late for 12/12/12, we walked home in 12th place.

MINISTRY MOMENT: The bottle of Liquid Paper came out from a long absence for our card protector.  "Are you going to whitewash the cards?" a woman to our right joked.

"I brought this to remind me," we answered, "Jesus can wash my sins whiter than snow."

The woman was a bit skeptical about this.  "I believe Jesus can wash away my sins, but I don't think He can make them whiter than snow.  For one thing, snow isn't really that white."

That condition may depend on where you live.  But even if that's true, it makes what God can do even more amazing....

Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight.... Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. - Psalm 51:4, 7

These words were written by King David after a pair of very sinful acts.  He committed adultery with a military commander's wife (II Samuel 11:1-4).  Then he ordered the commander sent into the heat of a battle  to die, to disguise making wife Bathsheba pregnant (verses 14-15).  If God can cleanse sins of this nature from a king, he can do the same for you if you pray in repentance:

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. - Psalm 51:1

A man overhearing our conversation about snow then asked: "Is it more important that Jesus washes away your sins -- or that you believe Jesus washes away your sins?"

Very good question.  How would you answer it?  Leave a comment, and we'll compare notes in a future post.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 129 final tables in 371 nights (34.8%) - 20 cashes.

NATIONAL LEAGUE OF POKER TOTAL: Full tournaments - 274 point wins in 1,270 games (21.6%), 86 final tables, 10 wins, 10 cashes.  No-River Hold 'em - 21 point wins in 75 games (28.0%), 16 final tables, 1 cash win.

We technically made two NLOP final tables today.  In a game which began at 12:00 midnight ET, we finished 6th out of 300.  And an afternoon No-River Hold 'em tournament found us finishing tenth out of 95 players.

POKER STARS.NET TOTAL: Pretend cash games - $89,758, up $2,361.

Poker Night 341: Early to Raise

"The tradition continues" is what we traditionally write when someone goes all-in during the first hand of an online tournament.  At least one player pushes right away, more often than not. At live tournaments, that doesn't tend to happen -- but some people aren't afraid to turn up the heat early in the evening.  Take this case from The Red Barn tonight....

BLINDS: 25/50

IN THE POCKET: 9 of hearts - 9 of diamonds

This isn't the opening hand, but it's one of the first.  An early missed flop has left us with about 6,750 chips.  We're content to limp in with a mid-range pocket pair -- but another man raises the stakes to 550.  Since we do have a pocket pair, we don't plan to back down pre-flop.  So we call, and about four players are in the hand.

ON THE FLOP: 8h-8d-10h

So there's a pair lower than ours on the board, and we also have 60 percent of a straight flush.  But we choose to lay low and check -- and sure enough, the bet from across the table is 500.  Hoping more for a 9 (to make a full house) than a medium-high heart, we call.  We don't recall anyone folding.

ON THE TURN: 6s

This blows up the dreamiest hand.  And a player across the table now raises the stakes to 1,500.  But consider our options now -- as any 7 would give us a straight, and any 8 or 9 would still provide a full house.  Even a 10 would provide us a sneakily higher two pair.  After weighing all this, we call.  Three players remain for the river.

ON THE RIVER: 2h

Yuck -- we missed it all.  Thankfully, the other players check so we don't have to fold.  But not so thankfully, one of them turns over an 8.  He had three of a kind from the flop, and takes a sizable pot.  We take a sizable loss, down to about 4,175 chips.

So dreams don't always come true in poker.  But one did for us later in the hour, as K-9 brought two pair at the river for a "Rodney" bonus hand of 5,000.

Then in the second hour, K-9 came our way again.  A flop containing K-J led to us calling a big bet of 3,000.  Then at the turn, a woman to our left bet 15,000 -- while we had only 1,000 remaining.  We called in hope again, but she had K-J.  Her two pair put us in an unwinnable position, and she knocked us out in 20th place.

MINISTRY MOMENT: Rodney the Tournament Director at The Red Barn professes faith in Christ, and he was in a mood to share that faith tonight.

"This is a man of God," he told a man at the one-hour break -- referring to us.

That's a title we seldom hear mentioned in our direction.  In fact, we almost wanted to quiet Rodney down when he said it!  It's quite humbling to us, and we don't really feel deserving of it -- especially considering the Biblical characters who received that title:

Then they took up their regular positions as prescribed in the Law of Moses the man of God.... - II Chronicles 30:16

And the leaders of the Levites were.... prescribed by David the man of God. - Nehemiah 12:24

I brought them into the house of the Lord, into the room of the sons of Hanan son of Igdaliah the man of God.... - Jeremiah 35:4

Wait a minute -- Ig-who?  We admittedly never thought of that person as a "man of God" until we wrote this post.  In fact, he's only mentioned in the Bible in that one verse.

Igdaliah is an embedded example of how someone can be a man (or woman) of God, without gaining a lot of prestige or publicity.  You may be living a Christian life, not thinking anyone notices or cares.  But Rodney reminded us tonight some people with careful eyes do notice.  And most importantly, God cares -- and He'll ultimately reward the faithful.

But you, man of God, flee from all this.... Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. - I Timothy 6:11-12

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 121 final tables in 341 nights (35.5%) - 19 cashes.

The Ultimate Comeback

At the cash game we visited in north Florida last week, we asked a man next to us if he believed in Jesus.  The man told us he did.  But the discussion stemming from the Lord's physical appearance didn't stop there.

"I'll just have to wait till I get to heaven to find out," one man declared.

"I'm personally hoping for Jesus to come back, so I can meet Him in the air," we responded.

Many people (even many Christians) think they're going to heaven when they die. But there's a problem with that reasoning - and it's Biblical:

"Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day.... God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact.... For David did not ascend to heaven...." - Acts 2:29, 32, 34

Jesus was resurrected, and Acts 1:9 shows He ascended to heaven.  But David, who's called a man after God's own heart in Acts 13:22, has NOT ascended to heaven.  His body apparently awaits a moment many believers hope to see:

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. - I Thessalonians 4:14

We admittedly did a double-take when we reviewed this verse.  How can God in heaven "bring" someone who's asleep in the ground and buried?

The answer may be hidden in the Greek word for "bring."  That word is translated "led" elsewhere in the New Testament (such as John 18:28 and Acts 8:32).  We've concluded Jesus will lead dead believers out of their "final resting places."

After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.  And so we will be with the Lord forever. - I Thessalonians 4:17

Several people at our cash game expressed opinions that the way world events are going, Jesus needs to come back quickly -- and even should.  We mentioned in our last post no one knows the exact return time.  But are you ready, whenever it happens?

Poker Night 316: Jacks or Better?

One poker book recommends new Texas Hold 'em players only play 15 hands: pocket pairs, A-K and A-Q.  But veteran players will tell you not all pocket pairs are created equal.  In fact, there are some they'd rather avoid.  We faced a moment along those lines Monday night at The Red Barn....

BLINDS: 50/100

IN THE POCKET: J-J

We've been waiting patiently for this sort of hand to come along.  Early efforts with lesser cards have reduced our starting stack of 7,000 chips down to the 5,500 range.  A player ahead of us doubles the bet to 200, and we're willing to sneak behind that lead by calling.  Most of the table of six gets in.

ON THE FLOP: 6-6-8

We have an "overpair," and doubt anyone jumped into a raised pot with a 6.  The man who doubled ahead of us offers a meager-looking minimal bet of 100, which emboldens us.  "Raise to 400," we say.

"Re-raise," a man two seats to our left then says.  "Five thousand."

Huh?!?!?  This seems at first to us like a "go away" bet to run us off.  At this table, people have been sticking around pots with unlikely hands.  But then two other players call the 5,000 bet, before our turn comes around again.  This leaves us with a moment of decision, as calling the re-raise wouldn't leave us with many chips.

"I tend to get in trouble when I play this," we say after a moment, "so I'll fold."  But the hand continues with three remaining players....

ON THE TURN: 9

That seems to change nothing; everyone checks.

ON THE RIVER: K

This card could have topped our overpair.  But the three players check again.

"I've got a boat," the re-raiser announces.  He shows 6-8!  No wonder he bet big -- he made a full house on the flop.  No one else comes close, and our decision to fold a high pocket pair turns out to be wise.

We won a pot minutes later, to restore our stack a bit.  But with 4,000 chips left after the one-hour break, we needed a big comeback -- and thankfully, it came several times.  First A-K turned into a double-up flush .  We went all-in minutes later with King-Jack of diamonds, and made two pair to top a man's Q-Q.  After that came a push with A-Q, which prevailed when an Ace hit the board!

We took 10,000 chips (barely enough for a rising small blind) to the final table.  Forced to push in the Big Blind, we saw A-K -- and a pair of Aces kept us alive for about one more lap around the table, while other players pushed and fell short.  With six players left, we pushed again with Q-J of diamonds.  A player called with a trailing 10-9 -- but he caught a 10 while we didn't pair.  We drove home pleased with a sixth-place finish, and our third final table in the last five nights.

MINISTRY MOMENT: "I wake up thankful every morning," a player to our right told us during the one-hour break.

"How has God's Spirit been working in your life lately?" we asked him.

The man's answer was stunning.  "God gave me plenty of misery last year."

"What happened, if I might ask?"

"I lost my wife."

This left us speechless for a moment -- but thankfully, the man also was carrying on a conversation about poker with someone else.  Finally we were ready to respond.

"I didn't know your wife died, so I'm sorry about that.  But it's good to see you're still thankful, through it all."

How can someone be thankful through such a loss?  We're reminded of a king who lost his baby boy -- taken by God because of the king's sin:

Then David got up from the ground.  After he had washed, put on lotions and changed his clothes, he went into the house of the Lord and worshiped.  Then he went to his own house, and at his request they served him food, and he ate. - II Samuel 12:20

King David did this after a week of fasting, while his son had a deadly illness (verses 15-17).  The king's servants feared he might "do something desperate" (verse 18) - but instead, David worshiped God.

He answered, "While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept.  I thought, 'Who knows?  The Lord may be gracious to me and let the child live.'  But now that he is dead, why should I fast?  Can I bring him back again?  I will go to him, but he will not return to me." - II Samuel 12:22-23

Was the king referring to a reunion in heaven?  We don't think so, based on Peter's statement in Acts 2:34 -- along with some of David's other words:

Is not my house right with God?  Has he not made with me an everlasting covenant, arranged and secured in every part?  Will he not bring to fruition my salvation and grant me my every desire? - II Samuel 23:5

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. - Psalm 23:6 (KJV)

God's throne indeed is in heaven now -- but in the future, that location will change.

I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.... And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them.  They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God." - Revelation 21:2-3

We're led to conclude King David and his young son will reunite in a resurrection, eventually dwelling in what verse 1 calls "a new earth."  The poker player who lost his wife can have that opportunity as well.  May he remain thankful to God, and show that thankfulness in a godly daily walk.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 112 final tables in 316 nights (35.4%) - 17 cashes.

Poker Night 246: Cincos de Mayo

We noted this is the National Day of Prayer. But at Lil Kim's Cove tonight, the talk was more about Cinco de Mayo -- even though the music from the jukebox was country and rap. Our evening was doing a slow "sink-o," until this happened....

BLINDS: 200/400

IN THE POCKET: 5-6 of diamonds

It's the last hand before the one-hour break, and things don't look too good for us. Despite a "go-slow" approach in hopes of breaking our long final table slump, we begin the hand at 2,850 -- and we're in the big blind, so take 400 away from that. We're comforted when the table simply calls, so we can check.

ON THE FLOP: 5-5-9

"Cinco de Mayo!" the dealer points out. For one night only, a winning hand with 5-5 would earn a 5,000-chip bonus. We don't have that, but we have an obvious move to make. The small blind folded pre-flop, so we push.

"I'm all in -- 2,450."

A couple of players fold, but a young man across the table calls. So does "The Sheriff," as we call him from the badges on his hat. We're not sure what to make of these calls, since the table has been betting big most of the night.

ON THE TURN: 10

The board is practically a rainbow, so we're not really concerned about this. The two players who still can bet build a sidepot.

ON THE RIVER: As

Even with this big card, we're feeling pretty good -- unless one of these men has a 5. The young man makes us wonder, by spending a long time in the tank before making the first action. He finally bets about 3,000. The Sheriff calls.

"I've got two pair," the Sheriff says -- showing 9-7.

"I've got a five," we declare.

The young man says nothing, but turns over A-9.

"You win it all," the Sheriff concludes. Huh?

"How can he win it all, if I have a 5?" we ask. That man spent so much time thinking that the Sheriff forgot we were still in the hand. Indeed, we do take the main pot - and take a Mexican jump (without any beans) to 9,550, increased to 10,000 by the "color-up" of chips which follows.

That big win allowed us to play for awhile after the break -- but then big bets came around us as we held A-K. We went all-in, as did two other players. But the board didn't pair for us, and a man holding 10-10 eliminated two people. We finished tied for 20th -- but not completely unhappy about the day. (Keep reading to learn why.)

MINISTRY MOMENT: A young man wearing an old-school uniform of basketball legend Dominique Wilkins sat to our left, and couldn't believe some of the play he saw.

"Oh my freaking God," he exclaimed at one point.

"He's my hope for salvation," we quietly responded. And we're not the only ones....

Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me.... Say to my soul, "I am your salvation." -- Psalm 35:1, 3

King David apparently wrote this during a time when he was under some sort of attack. The salvation we seek today is different -- and eternal, which God promises believers ultimately will receive when Jesus comes back.

By the way, the faux "Human Highlight Reel" didn't respond to our one-line answer. What would your answer be?

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 94 final tables in 246 nights (38.2%) - 15 cashes. The slump reaches 15!

NATIONAL LEAGUE OF POKER TOTAL: Full tournaments - 135 point wins in 645 games (20.9%), 49 final tables, five cashes. UFC Knockout: 1 win in three games (33.3%).

Our latest money win came earlier in the day -- as we finished third in a tournament with 579 players, and at one point led the field by more than 80,000 chips! Third place earns us $10, while first and second would have gained us $50 and $20.

POKER STARS.NET: Pretend cash games - $44,916, up $119.

Going By the Book

During a recent poker night we brought up the "book of life" mentioned in the Bible. And a man told us everyone's name is in that book -- with the only changes occurring if God removes your name due to some terrible sin.

To be honest, this was a point of view we hadn't considered before. So we went back to the first apparent Biblical reference to God's book of life....

So Moses went back to the Lord and said.... "Please forgive their sin -- but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written." The Lord replied to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against me I will blot out of my book." - Exodus 32:32-33

Moses knew about this book, and God said he would blot sinners out of it. (The Hebrew word for "blot" also can meant "wipe out" or "destroy.") So indeed, it seems fair to say God puts everyone's name in that book -- perhaps at birth, perhaps even before (a topic for another time). King David also knew about the book of life....

You know how I am scorned, disgraced and shamed; all my enemies are before you.... May they be blotted out of the book of life and not be listed with the righteous. - Psalm 69:19, 28

So the book of life should be a roll call of righteous people. But there's a perilous problem with the Lord's answer to Moses:

There is no one righteous, not even one.... For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.... - Romans 3:10, 23

Since all (save for Jesus) have sinned, how can anyone have their name in the book of life? We think the answer lies in getting your name restored by God, through a life of repentance and obedience to Him.

He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels. - Revelation 3:5

Verse 3 mentions those two keys to overcoming - "obey.... and repent." We think the best order is to repent first. Then to borrow from a gospel song, one angel may say to another: "Give me the pen" - to be in God's book for good.