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?

Clever or Deceptive?

Sometimes the poker game starts well and gets better. But many times, the cards run dry and you're tempted to get creative to win pots. How far would you go to do that?

We've been analyzing an article on something many poker players would appreciate: deceit. It can be as subtle as making a big bet on the turn with three clubs showing - or as outlandish as going all in before the flop with 8-3 offsuit.

Trouble is, this article calls deceit a sin. That's because the history of that concept is not very good....

Then the Lord God asked the woman, "What have you done?" "The serpent deceived me," she replied. "That's why I ate it." - Genesis 3:13 (NLT)

This Bible verse comes from the garden of Eden, where the devil appeared as a serpent and persuaded Eve (the woman) to eat from a tree that God declared off-limits (verses 1-6). That brought sin to Earth, and it's spread from there.

Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God.... Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. - Romans 1:28-29 (NLT)

Deception (a similar word to deceit) follows from not acknowledging God. We each have to ask ourselves: is it "part of the game" in poker and "good fun" - or is it a sign of something deeper and more sinister in our lives?

The good news is that God sent Someone to overcome Satan's deceits....

Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people. - Hebrews 2:17 (NLT)

Jesus Christ not only offered the sacrifice. He was the sacrifice - dying so that His blood would cover and remove our sins. He even gave His bruised and abused body that we might be healed (Luke 22:19-20).

Many believers will symbolically take Jesus's "blood" and "body" this week, at a ceremony which has several names. The Bible calls it Passover, the Lord's Supper or "communion." Whatever name you use, it shows a commitment to what Jesus has done. If you're not familiar with it, this article explains it. Will you accept what Jesus has done for you - and live a deception-free life?

A True "Main Event"

Our entry in last weekend's "seven-game mix" at the Heartland Poker Tour may have left you wondering. Why didn't we enter something we know - something potentially huge, like the "Main Event" of the series?

A satellite tournament win could have put us in their Main Event for only $80. But there was a good chance that our first tournament day would have been on either Friday night or Saturday afternoon. Those are times of the week when we do not play poker. We don't get to it at all. Why?

Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work.... - Exodus 20:8-10

We actually received a high-five from a gym employee Friday afternoon when we mentioned the "seventh-day Sabbath." That seventh day is not Sunday. Historically, it's Saturday - based on what God passed down to ancient Israel. And it doesn't really begin at 12:00 midnight Saturday....

God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." And there was evening, and there was morning - the first day. - Genesis 1:5

In God's timing, the "first day" began with evening. That means it commences with the setting of the sun. God reinforced this later with His instructions on keeping "Yom Kippur," the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 23:32).

But hold on, you may be saying - this isn't "work." It's a poker tournament!

Well, tell that to the "professional" players who make a living earning money from the tournaments. It's their livelihood. Thus, it's their "work." And most winners will tell you: making the money at a big Main Event can be at least a mental workout. Besides, the money is subject to federal and state income taxes.

We realize poker tournament officials aren't going to make accommodations for Sabbath-keeping players. They'd probably be stunned to see someone professing faith at a tournament in the first place. So we stay away from weekend-long tournaments, and the fame they could bring us. For believers, worshiping on the Sabbath is their "main event" of the week.

Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.... - Psalm 95:6-7

Who - or what - are you really worshiping this weekend?

Fortunate One?

You could win a fortune in the biggest poker tournaments. But some say you need fortunate breaks along the way to do it.

Did you know a famous book includes a reference to good fortune? We were reminded of that this weekend....

Leah's servant Zilpah bore Jacob a son. Then Leah said, "What good fortune!" So she named him Gad. - Genesis 30:10-11

We quote from the New International Version here - but other Bible translations explain this very differently. The King James Version has Leah saying, "A troop is coming!" Perhaps that's because the birth of this child was not really "fortune" or luck at all....

When the Lord saw that Leah was not loved, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren. - Genesis 29:31

God seemed to play games with the loves of Jacob's life, and even their servants (see 30:17, 19, 22). It was all God's plan, building a family with 12 famous tribes. Gad was one of them. But that does not mean you should claim membership in Gad to have success in poker.

But as for you who forsake the Lord and forget my holy mountain, who spread a table for Fortune and fill bowls of mixed wine for Destiny, I will destine you for the sword, and you will all bend down for the slaughter.... - Isaiah 65:11-12

"Fortune" is the same Hebrew word as in Genesis 30.

Put simply: trust God, not Gad. The true God blesses. False gods don't - and only get you in trouble with the true One.

Where Was the Love?

Our last post mentioned there was no "ministry moment" during the Thursday night cash back. No mention of God at all. In fact, our "card protector" was a makeshift straw wrapper we found at our seat.

So what changed? The day of the year. Thursday was Valentine's Day - and the church group we've attended for years is against keeping it. It's considered a man-made "pagan day," not Biblical. Ministers would point to Bible verses like this:

...Inquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? Even so will I do likewise, You shall not do so to the Lord your God: for every abomination to the Lord, which he hates, have they done to their gods... - Deuteronomy 12:30-31 (KJV)

We started doing the "day without love" on February 14 five years ago, after reading a church magazine article with this explanation:

What about showing love on Valentine's Day if I'm not doing it for pagan reasons? Isn't that okay? No, because the expression of that kind of 'love' is still rooted in a former pagan holiday. True Christians must not adopt pagan festivals as holidays....
Showing love as God instructs is not wrong - romantic love included.... But don't do it under the trappings of a pagan holiday like Valentine's Day!...

But just between you, us and the internet, we see a problem with this line of reasoning. Do you see it? The problem is in how the Bible defines God....

And we have known and believe the love that God has to us. God is love; and he that dwells in love dwells in God, and God in him. - I John 4:16 (KJV)

If love was wrong on Thursday, we would ask: did God take Thursday off? Did He stop loving everyone for a day, because some Catholics or pagans had a special "love" or "romance" day? Did the world stop turning? Did the warm sun or helpful rain go away? Of course not.

Our point is simply this: God is defined as "love." And God existed before any pagans or humans did:

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. - Genesis 1:1 (KJV)

Humans might do ungodly things on February 14. In fact, two "St. Valentine's Day massacres" have occurred on that day in the last 100 years - one with U.S. organized crime, another at a Florida high school. If anything shows what happens when you go without love for a day, those events should.

We should indeed, as that article states, "show love as God instructs." But saying you shouldn't do it on Valentine's Day is illogical and extreme. God's love is non-stop. Ours should be as well.

So we did what we did in an attempt to follow church teaching strictly - but also to teach a lesson to anyone who might see it. (And it cost us money, as we had a losing night in the casino.) Love should not be governed by the calendar. It should follow the instructions of the Bible, which nowhere states love takes a day off on February 14. If you see it there, please let us know where you found it.

Poker and Stars

Some people think poker is all about luck - catching the right cards at the right time. In fact, some casinos make that idea a marketing tool.

During our years playing poker at a Kansas casino, this was our "membership card." Kansas Star Casino has a "Lucky Star" system, where players can gain points for food discounts or enter giveaways. But really now - how lucky are stars, anyway?

You may have heard about people thanking "their lucky stars" for success at poker or other things. One online dictionary indicates the phrase has been in common English use for at least 100 years. Its origins may be in astrology of the middle ages, or from ancient China or Japan.

But the Bible encourages looking beyond the stars - to the One who made them:

God made two great lights - the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. - Genesis 1:16

There's one "star" in particular which covets our attention. But it's not really a star anymore....

How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! - Isaiah 14:12

The Latin version of the Old Testament translates "morning star" as "Lucifer." As in the devil. Many church groups consider Lucifer a fallen archangel, who tried to take over the throne of God and failed (verses 13-15). Yet Lucifer/Satan still desires our worship today - even tempting Jesus about it:

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. "All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me." - Matthew 4:8-9

Jesus refused to give in to that temptation, replying that God alone should be worshiped and served (verse 10).

In contrast to all of that, the Bible speaks of a better "star" which deserves attention - and even our praise. And no, it's not a "PokerStar". We'll explain that one in an upcoming post.

Poker Deep After Dark

The flop was a dream come true for us - 9-Q-9. That's because we held pocket Queens.

So to borrow the lead of what other people around the table had done, we got out of our seat, stomped around a bit in celebration - then went all-in.

The "cards" were unusual, too. They were really torn-up slips, as someone apparently wrote all 52 cards in a deck on sheets of paper.

And then, before other players replied.... we woke up. That's because the dream hand was in fact a dream. It happened as we slept, at around 3:45 this morning.

Have you ever had a dream involving poker? They're rare during sleep time for us. But if you have one, how should you react to it? Is it a message from God? From the devil? Or, as some ministers have put it.... did you simply eat the wrong things at dinner last night?

There are times when God has spoken to people through dreams. They happened at dramatic Biblical moments, such as Joseph warning Egypt's Pharaoh about an upcoming famine (Genesis 41:25-27) or Daniel explaining a vision to save many lives....

Daniel replied, "No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries...." - Daniel 2:27-28

The same thing is supposed to happen in our "New Testament" age.... but not necessarily to everyone:

"In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams." - Acts 2:17

In some church groups, testifying about dreams is a big deal. In others, it's downplayed as something which only happened in the early years of the church. We take Acts 2 to mean God will give significant dreams and visions to people who have His Holy Spirit - and you can receive that Spirit today.

Peter replied, "Repent, and be baptized, every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." - Acts 2:38

We should note Joseph and Daniel were able to interpret what they had dreamed, with God's help - and the interpretation turned out to be accurate. If you have poker-related dreams, a trusted friend (preferably someone wise in spiritual matters) can help you interpret it properly.

There's a second aspect to having a "poker dream." An upcoming post will get into that. But in the meantime, we welcome your comments. Have you had sleep-time dreams about poker? What's the most unusual one you've ever had? (Keep them clean, please.)

Can We Tempt You?

No, our title does not come from a poker tournament or cash game. It comes from Pizza Hut, which asks that question every time we place an online order.

But it easily could come from poker. A column this weekend by a long-time poker writer in Texas notes temptation at a casino can come in many forms. You could be anxious to win a hand, after being dealt poor starting cards for hours. You could be at a table with new players betting wildly, and think you can join in with a "puncher's chance" of hitting it big.

"Temptation" is the stuff of old game shows and steamy reality television. But its origin goes back much farther than that....

When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and are in. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked.... - Genesis 3:6-7

Many people consider this the first temptation in history - Eve being lured by a serpent (compared by many to the devil), to eat from a tree that God said was off-limits (verses 1-5). God cursed the first family for breaking His command. As a result of this, many people have prayed....

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.... - Matthew 6:13

That's a proper way to pray, as Jesus suggested it (verse 9). But did you know Jesus at one point walked head-on into a temptation minefield?

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. - Matthew 4:1

Read the first half of this chapter, and you'll see Satan tempted Jesus three times. Yet the Lord resisted three times and prevailed, despite a 40-day fast! How did He do it? And if He can do it in a desert, can you do it as well in a poker room?

As they might say on reality TV, stay tuned....

Hope and Faith

At our last poker tournament, we brought up our hope at one point of making a big hand. That hope fell short. But we have a hope of receiving something much bigger, and more important....

For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from the bondage of decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. - Romans 8:20-21

There are some big concepts here, so let's simplify things a bit. We're all God's creation, if you're humble enough to accept it (Genesis 1). But we face the frustration of eventual death....

By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return. - Genesis 3:19

Yet the good news and the hope of believers is that we can be liberated from death's bondage! That takes something beyond mere hope, though. It takes faith in Someone bigger than us, who can make it happen.

Having faith in God making a flush or full house for you is asking for something relatively insignificant. God wants you to have faith for something much bigger....

Now if we are children, then we are heirs - heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. - Romans 8:17

You can become a child of God by putting your faith in Him (the Father) and His Son, Jesus Christ.

....So that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power. - I Corinthians 2:5

If you need help in developing this faith, please leave a comment. We might be able to help. In the meantime, express your faith in God by walking in a godly way (James 2:26) Sometimes the best message you can send is the example you set.

Luck, or Something Like it?

It's Friday, which will mean another poker tournament at the casino south of our town. We wonder if the crowd will be larger than usual, because of what day of the year it is.

Long before there was a band named "Green Day," there was St. Patrick's Day - when people (if you believe the stereotypes) are expected to wear green, drink green beer, eat corned beef and dance jigs. Some people have even associated the day with "good luck."

We found an article online five years ago that challenged that thinking - and went farther, to challenge the whole idea of "luck." We revisited that article this week at the suggestion of the author. That author now happens to be our church Pastor. Based on his reasoning....

Even giving credit to luck casually in our speech is a slight to God, who is the true source of all blessings.

This is why when others say, "Good luck, all in" during a poker tournament, we don't. And the reasoning about blessings goes back a long way....

The Lord had said to Abram.... "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing." - Genesis 12:1-2

God was (and is) the original blesser. But there's a problem here, because our Pastor's article also says:

When blessings come upon an individual, they typically are linked to physical and/or spiritual obedience and good works. God plainly tells us that blessings are a result of our actions.

We can say Abram (eventually renamed Abraham) was blessed for doing what God told him to do (Genesis 12:1, 4). But what did Abram do to be selected by God in the first place? Even that was a blessing from God - but the Bible doesn't provide any explanation.

Perhaps that moment was a-typical. But there's also this reminder:

....He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteousness. - Matthew 5:45

Whether you want a sunny day or need rain to end a drought, God sometimes blesses everybody - whether you're a believer or not. So if an atheist hits the poker jackpot, Christians really don't need to scratch their heads and wonder why. It could be that God has a bigger lesson to teach them.

We'll get back to this in a future post. But for now, we plan to skip the Friday casino tournament this week - not because of what the world calls the day, but because we're too busy to play right now. We hope you're not too busy to go over that article from 2012, and offer comments with your thoughts about it.

Poker Day 497: A Boat for Fishing

He was not the "elephant in the room" during Friday's poker tournament at Kansas Star Casino. In fact, we were a bit surprised that Brandon Steven's name did not come up at all. We thought about mentioning him - but instead tried to stick to the game and win some money:

BLINDS: 25/50

IN THE POCKET: Q-J offsuit

We were third on the waiting list to enter this six-table tournament. We split one pot with an A-2 straight after sitting down, and now have these cards sitting one off the button. We call, and no one raises. About four players are in.

ON THE FLOP: Js-8s-8c

Two pair and a strong kicker look good to us. The play checks to us, and we bet 200 to take the pulse of the table. Only a man at the opposite end of the table calls. We doubt he has a third 8 - maybe a Jack of his own.

ON THE TURN: Jc

Ahhhhh - now this looks very good! We have a superior full house. But how much can we gain from it? Our opponent checks, and we smooth-check in response (if there is such as thing).

ON THE RIVER: As

Now three spades are showing. No big deal for us - but maybe for him. Our opponent makes a modest bet of 100. Nope, not enough. (In fact, the tournament rules say we have to raise with best hand at this point.) So we bump it up to 400.

"I have to call," the man says - and flips over K-Q of spades. Sure enough, he went fishing and caught the nut flush. Trouble is....

"I have a full house," we declare. That wins us a nice pot, and a "nice hand" compliment from the man we beat. Of course, that leaves open the question: could we have bet more and kept him in?

We had ups and downs in the first period, reaching a high of 4,050 but reaching the break at only 2,325. Then a comeback came for us in period two - as pocket Kings came twice, and we won healthy pots with both of them. Our stack hit a high of 5,400.

But moderate risk-taking with rising blinds proved costly for us. We finally had to go all-in with A-J and 1,100 left. Another player paired the board with a Queen, and sent us out the door in 36th place out of 83 players - up 11 places from last time, but still far from the final table.

MINISTRY MOMENT: "Who wants my ticket in the $5,000 drawing?" we asked during the break to a few people at our table. Our casino card gave us a free entry in that Friday night drawing. But it was a drawing we knew we could not win.

"Just put it in the barrel," a man suggested. But we noted the fine print - that the casino didn't  even roll out the barrel for tossing in your entry until 6:00 p.m. At this moment, it was about 1:25 p.m.

"Besides," we added, "you have to 'be present to win.' And I don't plan to be here at 9:00 p.m."

"Can't you come back at 9:00?" a man asked.  Yes, physically, we could. But...

"I plan to be at home keeping the Sabbath."

"The what?" the dealer asked. We had to spell the word for him: S-A-B-B-A-T-H. He'd never heard of it. But another player had.

"Are you a Seventh-Day Adventist?"

"No."

"Jewish?"

"No."

"The Sabbath starts on Friday night at sunset, right?"

"Yes."

"And it ends on Saturday? At sunset?"

That's correct. The Sabbath goes back a long way....

Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the Sabbath day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God... - Exodus 20:8, 9

The concept of keeping a Sabbath actually has its origin in creation, when God rested from His work on the seventh day (Genesis 2:2-3). We consider it a time for rest, Bible study and worship - not standing in a casino, hoping for a slip of paper to be drawn so we can win money.

"If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as your please on my holy day.... and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you will find your joy in the Lord, and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land...." - Isaiah 58:13-14

If that sounds like a nice change of pace, we attend a small Sabbath-keeping church denomination. In fact, there's a location in the town where the dealer lives. We invite you to find a location near you, and give Sabbath worship a try.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 182 final tables in 497 games (36.6%) - 36 cashes.

The End Is Near?

Our last live poker tournament included an unusual discussion about a Biblical character named Lot and his wife. We noted in a recent post how Mrs. Lot became a "pillar of salt" for violating God's instructions, and looking back toward the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.

We asked if you think God still can wipe out cities today for their sins, the way Genesis 19 describes. We heard some ministers indicate the answer was yes 11 years ago, when Hurricane Katrina left parts of the "sin city" of New Orleans in ruins. Yet critics might rightly ask: Where is the disaster to destroy Las Vegas - where poker rooms can be considered one of many vices?

Some Bible passages indicate God soon will tear down not only cities, but entire countries or kingdoms:

With a mighty voice he shouted: "Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great! She has become a home for demons and a haunt for every evil spirit.... Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her: death, mourning and famine. She will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her." - Revelation 18:2, 8

That prophecy indicates more fire is coming, along the lines of what Sodom received. But then there are the words of Jesus....

Or those 18 who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them - do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? - Luke 13:4

Jesus's point seems to be that all cities are "sin cities." It may be due to poker and casinos, but it also may be due to other sins. You see, all of us have sinned (Romans 3:23). But there's a remedy for that - and Jesus goes on to explain it:

I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. - Luke 13:5

God offers an escape route for us, as He did long ago for Lot. It starts with repenting of our sins, turning to Jesus as our Savior and following His example every day. That can save us from the prophesied coming destruction:

If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen, he has shortened them. - Mark 13:20

As U.S. Election Day nears, are you one of the "elect"? If you are, you can survive the tough times ahead. To borrow from an old hymn, turn away from focusing on the sinful nature of this world - and "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus."

Poker Day 488: The Measure of a Man

While you may be analyzing the moves of the players at the World Series of Poker final table, some of us have been busy trying to figure out people much closer to us. Down the table, in fact. Here's some of what happened to us Friday, when we returned to Kansas Star Casino:

BLINDS: 25/50

IN THE POCKET: K-Q offsuit

We were the first alternate for the tournament, but only had to wait six minutes to take a seat. Now we're at a table where one man is in an aggressive mood, with a lot of pre-flop raises. In this case, he goes up to 250. These are nice cards and it's early, so we call. We don't recall anyone else staying in.

ON THE FLOP: A-Q-3

That's.... well.... kinda nice. We have a high pair and a big kicker, but that Ace is a bigger problem. On top of that, our opponent makes a continuation bet of 300. Our hunch is that he's trying to test our courage with a bet like that. We're game; we call.

ON THE TURN: 4

Our opponent now shows (we hope) a measure of respect, by checking. Yet we're still cautious; what if he's suddenly switched to trapping? So we check along.

ON THE RIVER: 10

Our opponent checks again. We're baffled by what he has - and when in doubt, we smell a rat. We check with him.

"Pocket 6's," the man announces.

"But I have a Queen," we say as we show. Thankfully, he did not have an Ace. So we gain about 600 chips.

Yet that man's aggressive nature rubbed off on us. We dared to call pre-flop raises with promising cards, only to see them fall flat. A misplay on our part, when we bet with middle pair into a different big raiser, hurt us as well. Finally it was "push or die," and it worked a couple of times. But a do-or-die Big Blind with A-9 lost to another man's straight, and we finished 36th out of 68 players.

MINISTRY MOMENT: "Is that a little packet of salt you have?" a man asked us from across the table.

"Yes. Yes, it is," we admitted as some people laughed at our card protector. But then we explained, "I bring this to remind me that Jesus wants me to be the salt of the earth" (Matthew 5:13).

Much later as our chip stack dwindled, a man dared to bring it up again. "You're starting to look like Lot's wife over there."

We had to agree - admitting our tournament life was on the verge of being dead. But what was that other man talking about?

But Lot's wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt. - Genesis 19:26

If we take this part of the Bible literally, God turned this woman into salt. Why would He do that? Read the entire chapter to understand....

With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying, "Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away when the city is punished".... One of them said, "Flee for your lives! Don't look back, and don't stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!" - Genesis 19:15, 17

Lot and his family were told to get out of Sodom, because God was destroying it due to sin (verses 13-14).

Then the Lord rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah - from the Lord out of the heavens. - Genesis 19:24

Lot's wife disobeyed the instruction, by looking back. As a result, God took her life as well.

This may sound like a fascinating fantasy story - but believers in the Bible say it shows how serious God is about obedience. He destroyed not only people, but entire cities who rebelled against His rule and government. Do you think God still works that way today? Leave a comment with your thoughts, and we'll return to this in a future post.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 180 final tables in 488 games (36.9%) - 35 cashes.

Poker Day 487: Royals, Baseball

We should explain that title right away. The Kansas City Royals' baseball season is over. They missed the playoffs. But playoff baseball was on TV at the Kansas Star Casino poker room Friday. And the royals? Well, keep reading....

BLINDS: 50/100

IN THE POCKET: A-Q offsuit

We split an early pot with a full house, but haven't done much else so far. Yet these are cards that could spark a comeback. We start the hand with about 3,000 chips from a starting 3,500. When a player across the full table raises to 250, we call. Four players are in.

ON THE FLOP: Kd-8h-Qd

We have a piece of the flop, but not the best piece. That man across the table makes a continuation bet of 250. We sense this is a "feeler" bet and he doesn't have a lot. Considering our kicker, we want to stay in - so we call. It's still a four-horse race.

ON THE TURN: 8s (suit may not be precise)

Now we have two pair - and if that bettor is using the King as a "kicker" card, we have him topped. He offers 250 again.  Of course, he could have a King - but he's not betting big like he does. So we call in hope. It's still a four-horse race.

ON THE RIVER: 10d

A third diamond potentially complicates matters. That bettor tosses out another 250. We've committed this far, so we're prepared to go all the....

But wait a minute. A man wearing red ahead of us goes all-in - for 1,250. That extra 1,000 is too steep for us.

"We were doing fine, until you did that," we joke as we fold. The other three players fight on.... only to see the man in red turn over Ad-Jd!!! It's not merely a flush. He made a royal flush!

He wins big, of course - but because it's a tournament, he doesn't win a "high hand" or "bad beat" jackpot. He tells us later that was the first royal flush he's ever had.

That loss hurt, but we mounted a comeback near the first break. An all-in bet for 925 with two pair helped. Going all-in again with A-K and winning a race with J-10 thanks to three Aces helped even more. We reached the break back at the starting line of 3,500. But a third all-in try with J-7 and a Jack high on the flop lost to A-J. We wound up betting our last 300 on the Big Blind and failed, finishing about 37th on a day with 75 players.

MINISTRY MOMENT: "Are we having a séance?" the first dealer asked when he saw our card protector. We brought an old, well-worn candle - but of course, the occult had nothing to do with it.

"I brought it to remind me," we explained, "that I need to be a light for Jesus Christ."

"Sounds like a plan," the dealer said.

"It's a very good plan," we assured him. We should have clarified that remark. Our candle may not have been a good plan - but God's plan involving being a light is.

For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. - II Corinthians 4:6

This verse speaks of a plan that goes all the way back to creation. The world was a dark place then....

Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep.... - Genesis 1:2

There's one school of thought based on the original Hebrew that the earth became that way, because Satan rebelled against God.

And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness." - Genesis 1:3-4

Much later, Jesus Christ came to Earth to be "the light of the world" (John 8:12). And until Jesus comes back, believers are to be "lights" in their own right. That means having "knowledge" of God's glory through Christ. And we think it means sharing that light with other people.

For you were once darkness, but now are you light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth)... - Ephesians  5:8-9

Feel free to read on in that section of Ephesians; we plan to come back to it in future posts. But that little candle opened a way for us to share the light of God with others in a poker room on Friday. What can you do when you play poker, to be a positive light to others?

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 180 final tables in 487 games (37.0%) - 35 cashes. Our next live tournament probably won't be for several weeks; we'll explain why in an upcoming post.

Button of Irony

While we waited for a spot to open at our most recent Texas Hold 'em poker tournament, we wandered around the casino and came to a different kind of poker: Pai Gow.

If we understand it correctly (please correct us if we're wrong), players are dealt seven cards. Then they put forward their two best in an attempt to beat the dealer - while the five remaining have their own showdown with the dealer.

But what struck us most about Pai Gow was the "ENVY" button. Players can win a bonus if someone else at the top makes quads or better.

"From what I've read, envy is a bad thing," we said to the dealer. It was a quasi-joke. because....

A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones. - Proverbs 14:30

No matter what kind of poker you play, envy can creep in. If someone gets on a hot streak and wins several pots in a row, you can envy his or her success and want to get your own big stack of chips. But that can be a dangerous thing. Consider....

The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. - Genesis 4:4-5

Cain brought a "fruits of the soil" offering, which he probably presumed God would like. But God didn't. We think Cain's anger grew out of envy - and it led to a warning from God:

"If you do what it right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it." - Genesis 4:7

Sadly, these were prophetic words - because verse 8 shows Cain eventually killed his brother in history's first recorded murder case.

So what is the right answer for fighting envy? It may sound incredibly simple - but it's the Bible's advice:

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. - I Corinthians 13:4

To borrow from the U.S. political season, we should let love trump envy - and "overcome evil with good" (Romans 12:21). I Corinthians 13 deserves a close look, when it comes to what true love is all about. May godly love show from you in whatever game you play - and leave the "envy" for somebody else's wager.

Three's Good Company?

Unless you're a newcomer, you probably know there are many ways to play poker. There's traditional Texas Hold 'em. There's Pot-Limit Omaha. But have you tried the version where you don't even need five cards to take a pot?

We've been trying Three-Card Poker online lately for free. It's a downright simple game. You're dealt three cards, then decide whether to bet or fold them. The dealer turns over his/her three cards - and the high hand wins.

We increased our bankroll pretty well online, so we went to a casino to see what would happen.... and of course, we lost money. Thankfully, we only bet $5 at a time compared with $25 on the web.

It hurt us that one aspect of the online game was missing at the casino - the "6-card bonus" bet. If your hand and the dealer's combine to form a big five-card hand like a full house, you can win big pretend dollars.

But some people might argue the three-card approach is more, well, Biblical. Here's why....

Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth. - Genesis 6:10

Those original "My Three Sons" (you're showing your age if you remember that TV reference) repopulated the world after the flood. And while it's controversial, some say those three original the main races of humankind.

Three times a year you are to offer a festival to me. - Exodus 23:14

No, not Easter, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas. God went on in that chapter to explain these "times" are festival seasons, while many Jews and some Christians still keep today.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. - I Corinthians 13:13

New Testament writers practiced what some have come to call the "rule of threes." It's evident in founding documents of the U.S., such as the phrase, "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. - II Corinthians 13:14

Some believers use this verse and others to promote a "trinity" view of God, as three-in-one.

You can debate the validity of some of those beliefs if you wish - but here's our main point: God seems to enjoy doing things in groups of three. They're scattered all over the Bible. Can you find some we haven't mentioned? And is there a "three" that ranks #1 on your favorite list?

Poker Day 477: Passive? Aggressive?

The British vote on leaving the European Union came up during our Friday poker tournament at Kansas Star Casino. But of course, no one was there to make a "Brexit" - they wanted to stay and win:

BLINDS: 200/400

IN THE POCKET: A-10

We've made it well past the first break, as a few good pots ballooned us from a starting 3,500 chips to a high of 6,125. We start this hand with 4,900, and a player at our table of eight raises to 1,500. With some people already showing they're making desperation shoves, we sense it happening again. These cards are high enough that we call; two players are with us.

ON THE FLOP: A-Q-J

This is a flop that can produce fireworks well before Independence Day. We have top pair and a nice kicker - and we're first to act. What would you do? We decide to move toward winning the pot right now, matching the 1,500 bet an opponent made pre-flop.

"I'm all-in," the man sitting to our left says.  He's been one of the pushers since the break, so that's not really a surprise. But then a young man with a strange-looking hairdo calls, and that concerns us. Did someone hit a two-pair jackpot - or better? Or are they both dreaming with big draws?

We don't think about this long, primarily because we started all this. "I've committed this much," we say, "so I'll call." Our last 1,900 goes into the middle, and it's time for the explosion.

The man to our left shows - K-10! He hit the jackpot, all right - a straight on the flop.

The weird-hair guy doesn't like seeing that. He has J-J - three of a kind on the flop! We moved forward with the weakest hand of all. We need a King to escape with a straight and a split.

ON THE TURN: A

A is for Arrrgh - anything but that! The three-Jack man now gets a winning full house.

ON THE RIVER: 3 (for the record)

So the bulk of the chips go to Mr. Full House. "Do I get some back?" we ask the dealer.

"No, they go to him" - as in the man who pushed first. His straight gets a consolation prize - and we simply get a walk to the door, in about 35th place.

Looking back at it, we realize some poker experts don't consider A-10 strong enough to push at a time like that. We probably should have held our fire on the flop, and checked to see what others would do. But we thought we were in a strong position - much to our sad surprise.

MINISTRY MOMENT: "What time does the game end? Around 4:00-4:30?" asked a man to the dealer's left during a break. He admittedly preferred cash games, and had entered only his second tournament.

The dealer indicated that timing was correct. It was great timing for us. "I can stick around till about 8:55. For those of us keeping a seventh-day Sabbath, it's a great time of year."

Longer days mean longer "preparation days" for people who keep the Sabbath. But the dealer seemed a bit stunned by our comment - and perhaps you are as well.

Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God... - Exodus 20:9-10

The Sabbath is one of God's ten commandments - and it's considered so important that the word is capitalized in many Bible translations (curiously not in the King James). Sabbath matters so much to God that it was part of His creation:

By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done. - Genesis 2:2-3

The Sabbath is a holy time - and it's supposed to be a rest time, to take a break from your work. That's why you'll never see us playing in a tournament on Friday nights or Saturday mornings. If we're trying to make money, we consider that work. Besides....

...On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. - Exodus 20:10

We admit we played "fast and loose" with this part of the command for years - going out to dinner on Friday night after sunset, or filling the gas tank on the way home from a Saturday worship service. We don't do that anymore, because we don't want other people working on Sabbath, either. That includes the staff at a poker room or casino.

Of course, we realize the dealer was probably stunned by our comment for another reason.  Can you figure out what that reason is? We'll explain it in a future post.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 177 final tables in 477 games (37.1%) - 33 cashes.

Poker Day 466: Cut Through the Heart

Regular readers might have noticed we hadn't played in a poker tournament in a month. A lack of close poker rooms and a busy spring cleaning season will do that. But we were also focused on a big event which happened to fall during our vacation time: a Heartland Poker Tour tournament in Kansas City.

We traveled today to Ameristar Casino and Hotel - a complex that reminds you of a "grand hotel" and rail station of the 1930s. The HPT is holding a series of events there over 11 days. We did not enter the Main Event tournament, since it started on Saturday; it has more than 300 players, including (reportedly) WSOP Main Event champ Greg Raymer.

Instead, we settled for the final Sunday tournament - which had our steepest buy-in fee ever: $150. With that much on the line, we wanted to play well.... so did we?

BLINDS: 50/100

IN THE POCKET: Q-Q

We're thrilled to say we won an HPT hand!  It was before this one, as a bet on the flop with King high chased other players away.  Now we find a big pocket pair in the Big Blind, and the second player in line at this table of nine already has raised to 250.

"I want to raise," we say on sight.  Up we go to 750.  Two players call, including the man who raised first.

ON THE FLOP: 3-4-8 (offsuits)

This seems harmless, so we lead off with a continuation bet of 500. Perhaps that was too cautious, as the original raiser goes up to 1,200. The third man steps aside, and we call - wondering as we do. Is he bluffing to test our courage?

ON THE TURN: 10

We still have an overpair, but now we check to see what our opponent is thinking.  He sets out 2,500.  Everyone started with 12,500 chips, so this would be a substantial call.

We go "into the tank" as deeply as we ever have - trying to figure out what he's doing. Is he slow-rolling Aces?  That's our top suspicion, if he has something at all.  We still conclude he's bluffing, so we finally call.

ON THE RIVER: J

We still have the overpair, but we're still not comfortable. If our opponent is playing 10-10 or J-J, he's topped us. So we check again, and now his bet is 3,000.

"What's that old song?" we ask aloud. "We've come this far by faith.... leaning on the Lord?"

A couple of players out of the hand get a chuckle out of this. But we decide if we've committed this far, we might as go all the way with it. We call again.

Our opponent quickly turns over.... 4-4! He hit three of a kind on the flop, and led us all the way from there.

"Queens or Kings?" a man out of the hand asks us.  Unless he finds this blog, he'll never know - as we muck the cards without showing them.

That well-played win by the man two seats away was a crippling blow to us. We lost a couple of other hands with good cards as well, then rallied a bit with pocket Jacks to get back above 3,000.

Finally we smelled a comeback with 7-7, when the flop had a 7. We pushed with our last 1,800 or so, as anyone would have done. That brought two callers. But then the turn and river were running hearts, and a man made a flush to top us.

At least we were not the first player out at our table; we were second. But on a day with 84 players, a prize pool in the range of $10,000 and a lot of money invested, it was a disappointing session.

MINISTRY MOMENT: Do you recognize the song we mentioned at the river card?  It's an old gospel tune - and walking a long way by faith is something several people in the Bible did.

By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. - Hebrews 11:8

God made several promises to Abraham - some of them enormous:

I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you. I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. - Genesis 12:2

I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore.... - Genesis 22:17

Abraham died in Genesis 25:8 - and while his family grew, it wasn't quite in the millions or billions. Does that mean God lied to him? Was Abraham's faith in vain?

All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance.... Instead, they were longing for a better country - a heavenly one. - Hebrews 11:13, 16

Abraham and others had enough faith in God that they were willing to wait for a payoff beyond the grave. Their hope was for God to fulfill His promises when they are resurrected.  That might seem to take a lot of faith. But that was the sort of faith Jesus showed when he endured a violent death on our behalf.

Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer.... Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life. - Revelation 2:10

How much faith do you have? Not in yourself or your poker-playing skills, but in God?  If you're lacking, don't be afraid to ask God for more. After all, Jesus's disciples did (Luke 17:5) - and the Lord was more than willing to help them.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 175 final tables in 466 games (37.6%) - 33 cashes.

Poker Night 462: Nilla Folders

"So what's the difference between this game and 'Cards for the Cure'?" we asked at one point during Saturday night's poker tournament.

"They haven't shut this one down yet," a woman down the table answered. Perhaps sarcastically - but perhaps with a grain of truth.

"You'd better show us your ID," another woman said jokingly.

But then she gave us a break, as we had admitted it was our first time at Nilla's Poker Room. It's close to a main highway in our city, but a bit hard to find - hidden behind a rather notorious nightclub.  We found a nicely set-up place, with a full bar and a few food items.  Room for cash games were secluded behind walls in corners, while the main tournament was out in the open.

We went to Nilla's this weekend, even though Nikki's Poker Room is open again.  Nilla's cost $30 to play, so we theorized the prize pool would be better than the Nikki's "totally free" approach. And as a side issue, we might learn more about the current poker crackdown by Wichita police.

One woman at our table put the two recent shutdowns together, declaring Nikki's led to the end of Cards for the Cure. "They applied to renew their liquor license, and said up-front: We are a poker room."

"They didn't have to be so honest," another woman said - and that's a topic for another day. Now let's get to the action....

BLINDS: 25/50

IN THE POCKET: King of hearts-King of diamonds

Nilla's is easily the busiest poker room we've visited in Wichita - with four full tables playing in the tournament on a regular Saturday night. We haven't won a pot yet, despite a couple of feelers.

Now we have "the donuts" (K-K) in lead position, holding about 9,900 chips (starting with 10,500, including a newcomer's bonus) - so we limp in. A man across from us raises to 500, and we call. As best we recall, about four players are in.

ON THE FLOP: 10d-7d-6d

The jewelry store is open, but we're thinking more about our overpair. We bet 700 on it. That chases a couple of people away, but not the man who raised pre-flop. He calls.

ON THE TURN: Qc (may not be precise)

Not a diamond - but not a rib-sticking Ace, either. We increase the bet to 1,000, and get called again.

ON THE RIVER: Jd

We hit the diamond flush - but one card beats us. Does our opponent have it? We bet 1,000 again to find out. We're not really sure if he calls or not - but he flips over pocket Aces! Thankfully, they're both black Aces! The flush is a winner, and we gain more than 3,000 chips.

Another pot win brought us close to 14,000.  But then the third period of blinds brought disaster - as our A-K brought an Ace on the flop.  But 2-3 showed up, and a man with 4-5 hit a straight which severely hurt our stack.

We staggered to the one-hour break at 5,500 chips, and couldn't recover from there. We went all-in with A-Q of spades (as best we remember) - but the board brought only two spades. It also brought three clubs, which a woman used to make a winning flush.

While two players were "eliminated" at the table ahead of us, they took a re-buy option. We did not, walking to the bar to finish our soda in roughly 30th place - and wondering if we should keep going to a place which seems on the edge of breaking city law.

MINISTRY MOMENT: A couple of women at our table were quite talkative. One of them mentioned how "God gave me such good looks...."  We think she was making fun of herself, but we responded to it.

"You should be thankful to God for your good looks," we said. "We should be thankful to God for every blessing."

The woman didn't respond to that. But perhaps we made her stop and think for a moment.  The Bible describes several beautiful women, even in ancient history....

..The sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose. - Genesis 6:2

But there's a different kind of beauty that God ultimately is seeking:

Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. - I Peter 3:3-4

Outward beauty is "fleeting" (Proverbs 31:30) - but godly character from a proper spirit never goes out of style. If you're a woman who plays poker, what sort of beauty are you trying to develop?

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 174 final tables in 462 games (37.7%) - 32 cashes.

Funeral for a Poker Friend, Part 2

We return to the funeral we attended this past week for fellow poker player "Bobby."  He died in a car crash 13 November.

The short message by a church deacon (we think Bobby's grandson) included these words to the grieving family: "Robert knows a lot more about giving and taking -- and hoarding! - now than he did last Friday morning."

Was this a reference to Bobby's poker habit?  We didn't ask afterward, so we don't know. But let's face it - the object of the game in poker is to hoard. The tournament is won by the player who takes everyone else's chips. But there are other games that work that way; Monopoly and checkers come to mind.

Hopefully Bobby was able to detach that poker objective from the rest of his life. It's something we all should do:

People curse the man who hoards grain, but blessing crowns him who is willing to sell. - Proverbs 11:26

If you're rounding up items for a time of trouble that you know is coming, that seems wise. But will you be willing to share those items when the trouble comes? That shows what kind of a loving heart you have - as Joseph showed when he knew seven years of plenty would be followed by a famine (Genesis 41).

But wait a minute - the deacon claimed Robert knows a lot more about these things now.  We realize this may step on some religious toes, but that's not what the Bible says.

For the living know that they shall died, but the dead know nothing.... for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom. - Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10

These words were written by King Solomon, one of the wisest men of his time. These are words of the Bible, the "word of truth" (John 17:17).  He said dead people "know nothing."

But the deacon also claimed we're on a transition "from life to life" - where death perhaps is only instantaneous, and we pass into the next life immediately.  That's also not what the Bible says.

For David himself never ascended into heaven, yet he said, "The Lord said to my Lord: 'Sit in the place of honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies, making them a footstool under your feet.'" - Acts 2:34-35 (NLT)

King David talked of Jesus's resurrection (verse 32) - not his own. That's coming someday, but hasn't happened yet.

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, and the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. - I Thessalonians 4:16

David will go up when Jesus Christ comes down - and not until. If Bobby was judged to be among "the dead in Christ," he'll go up then as well.

In the meantime, we all should walk in a way so that we'll be considered "the dead in Christ." Learn Jesus's ways now, and practice them daily. You may indeed understand them a lot more after you die - but that will be the start of living with Jesus in God's Kingdom forever.