After 500: All About the Money?

June will mark ten years since we played in our first live poker tournament. We won for the first time in our 13th game, four months later - and took either first place or a "divided first" in four of our first 22.

In the wake of Sunday's 500th live tournament, we took a count of our winnings today. We keep accurate records for tax purposes, and found we've won $3,138 in money and gift certificates from live events. We're not counting money from cash games, which is quite small. And we're not counting the small pieces of candy thrown our way at Yvie's Bar and Grill.

Before we moved to Kansas, we played primarily in bars where the prizes were small - no more than $50 for first place. Thanks to two strong nights at a Florida poker room, the total winnings in the South were $906. But since coming to Kansas and regular poker room trips four years ago, the winnings have jumped to more than $2,200.

But to be honest, we've probably lost money overall in ten years at poker tables. While bar nights in Georgia might cost you no more than a two-dollar can of soda, big-time poker rooms have buy-ins of $30 or higher. We'll figure that actual cost when time permits.

So if making money is our ultimate goal, we've probably failed. But we remember what the Bible says about such things....

Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless. - Ecclesiastes 5:10

These words were written by arguably the wealthiest person in the world at his time. King Solomon of Israel had ridiculous luxuries; read I Kings 10 for a list of his possessions. But he came to realize something:

As goods increase, so do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owner except to feast his eyes on them?.... Naked a man comes from his mother's womb, and as he comes, so he departs. He takes nothing from his labor that he can carry in his hand. - Ecclesiastes 5:11, 15

An old stage play and movie put it correctly: You can't take it with you. What should you do instead?

But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. - Matthew 6:20

It's better to prepare for eternity with God. We'll talk more about doing that as this commemorative series of posts continues.

The Winner Takes It All

In a recent post, we presented a choice - a choice that can seem very difficult:

Does not wisdom call out?.... "Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold." - Proverbs 8:1, 10

These Bible verses might give the impression that you should never enter big-money poker tournaments. Simply open the Bible and put your nose in it all day - right?

Well, no. That's going to a religious extreme. But then again, maybe spending every waking hour playing online poker and touring the world for the next high-stakes cash game is an extreme as well. We think the key is in finding a balance....

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven....  - Ecclesiastes 3:1

We think wisdom is not really wisdom unless you apply it in daily situations. Otherwise it's simply knowledge.

...But wisdom is proved right by her actions. - Matthew 11:19b

You can know how to play pocket Aces. But doing it properly at the table takes wisdom - and you could be rewarded handsomely for that. That's why we said in the previous post that if you seek wisdom, you could get nice extras.

So God said to him, "Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart.... Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for - both riches and honor - so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings." - I Kings  3:11-13

King Solomon asked God for wisdom and discernment (verse 9). God granted him so much that Solomon is credited with writing Ecclesiastes and much of Proverbs. And he had a lot of wealth to boot (I Kings 10:14-29).

So it seems to us the choice is clear. Seek God's wisdom first, as opposed to poker riches. Search for it in the Bible. Pray for God to provide it. And you might actually become wise enough to stump the table and get the riches, too.

Gimme Some Kind of Sign

If poker was like a TV game show (and some TV game shows have been poker-based), the atmosphere would be much different. The players would look to the audience for advice. The crowd would shout "CALL!" or "FOLD!" And peppy band music would play when someone takes a big pot - or maybe buzzers sounding when someone acts out of turn.

But most poker rooms don't work that way. In fact, we can't think of any. Not even online. So players are on their own to make big decisions - and many look for every tiny bit of help they can find.

As we suggested in a recent post, let's consider how to get "messages from above" - in poker or elsewhere. At the table, veteran players try to "read" their opponent. They might ask questions, while looking for gestures from the face or body to give away what they're facing.

A former boss advised us when it came to making decisions on the job, our "gut" would tell us the right thing to do. We admittedly disagreed with that approach:

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

Yet we also must admit we heard from that same boss many times about wrong decisions we made - even when we prayed for God's wisdom to guide us in the course of a work day. How could that happen? Perhaps the answer is in another part of the Bible:

As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. - Isaiah 55:9

The boss usually was thinking on an "earthy" level. God wants us to think higher - and look to Him.

So how do we do that in poker? Our years at the table have shown we don't always get reads right. (Then again, does anybody?) But in key moments, we've tried to listen for a prompting - one that no one may be able to hear.

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it." - Isaiah 30:21

Some say this verse really applies to the coming Kingdom of God which Jesus Christ will bring to Earth. But sometimes we think God has prompted us to make certain moves which have turned out for our good. And yes, we have Scripture to back up such an idea:

After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. - I Kings 19:12

This chapter is about how God encouraged Elijah when he was fearful and on the run. God spoke with "a still small voice," as one Bible translation puts it. That's what we try to hear when we're playing poker.

Sometimes that voice comes through. Sometimes it doesn't. And if we hear it wrong, we do not blame God. We know better than that. We simply ask Him for wisdom to better understand the message next time.

So we end by asking: Are you listening for God's voice in your life - at all? He might have something important to tell you.

The Wild Life

So what has Martin Jacobson done since winning the World Series of Poker Main Event?  What - you don't know?  To be honest, we're not sure, either.

But another "poker pro" has made a lot of headlines - for the wrong reasons.  Dan Bilzerian was arrested this past week on charges of having materials to make a bomb.  That follows a case where he reportedly threw a naked actress into a swimming pool.

We don't follow the social media of poker players very much, but a news article on Bilzerian's arrest said this:

Bilzerian's popular Instagram account is consistently filled with photos of a playboy lifestyle: private jets, scantily clad women, piles of cash, guns, and Bilzerian shooting those guns in the desert.

And oh yes -- he does movie roles, too.

He sounds like every poker player stereotype come to life.  Yet check his poker record, and Bilzerian shows only one time when he placed in the money at a World Series of Poker event.

We don't know if Bilzerian is guilty of the bomb-making charge or not. But we think he's guilty of one thing -- a lifestyle that emphasizes material possessions.  And yes, we think that's something worth the title "guilty."

Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. - Ecclesiastes 1:2 (KJV)

This "Preacher" was King Solomon of Israel.  He had more possessions and money than even modern-day millionaires (see I Kings 10 for a partial list).  Yet at the end of his life, he realized how vain it all was.

I have seen a grievous evil under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owner.... - Ecclesiastes 5:13

Solomon admits being able to enjoy wealth and possessions is a "gift of God" (verse 19).  But how many people realize that, and give God thanks for it?  Even Solomon eventually caved in to sinful actions (I Kings 11).  That's why he concluded:

Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. - Ecclesiastes 12:13

 May we all learn to do that "whole duty" better.  Better to fear God than be a playboy fearing arrest by the long arm of the law.

All Means All

"I'm halfway in."

When was the last time you heard someone say that during a poker tournament?  Maybe you have, but we haven't.  The very sound of it seems wishy-washy and indecisive   And as they sometimes say in poker rooms, it's not good television.

No, the common phrase is to be all in.  In fact, we recently played in a tournament where the poker dealer pulled out an "all in" button to note the first player to push during a hand.  Every chip you have is at stake -- along with your future in the game.

Are you that way when it comes to other things in your life?  Do you live with an "all in" mentality?  Or are you like some players in other casino games -- and think it's more fun to straddle?

In one famous Biblical showdown, it was the God-fearing man who challenged people not to straddle:

So Ahab sent word throughout all Israel and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel.  Elijah went before the people and said, "How long will you waver between two opinions?  If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him." But the people said nothing. - I Kings 18:20-21

These were people from all over Israel (verse 19) -- and to borrow from cricket, they watched quite a one-day "test."  Read the entire chapter and you'll find the prophets of Baal tried to summon their god, but nothing happened.  Then Elijah called on his God, and fire dramatically came down from heaven.

When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, "The Lord - he is God!  The Lord - he is God!" - I Kings 18:39

There's nothing like a momentous miracle to turn people into believers.  But we need to keep faith toward God all the time -- even on ordinary or bad days.  That's when you're really "all in" with Him.

I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot.  I wish you were either one or the other!  So, because you are lukewarm - neither hot nor cold - I am about to spit you out of my mouth. - Revelation 3:15-16

The Bible shows Jesus said these words to a church, after His resurrection (verse 14).  You'd think church members would be all in for God.  But admittedly, sometimes lethargy can develop -- even with ministers:

Wherefore I put you in remembrance that you stir up the gift of God, which is in you by the putting on of my hands. - II Timothy 1:6 (KJV)

You can ponder this idea some more by watching or reading an "all in" devotional.  It has part 1 and part 2.  And it might even get you thinking about how to use chip stacks, the next time you're tempted to push.

The Purse and the Posse

We had forgotten about 2011 World Series of Poker Main Event champion Jonathan Duhamel -- until we came across an update on what happened after he won the title.

You may recall Duhamel's home in Quebec was robbed as he slept, and the thieves took his Main Event bracelet along with cash.  But you may not have heard his former girlfriend has pleaded guilty to the crime.  The girlfriend apparently conspired with at least one other man to do it; two other suspects await trial.

This case is a sad reminder that success in anything -- whether it be poker, athletic sports or business -- can come with a risk.  King Solomon apparently knew that well, because he wrote....

The poor are shunned even by their neighbors, but the rich have many friends. - Proverbs 14:20

Wealth brings many friends, but a poor man's friend deserts him. - Proverbs 19:4

King Solomon had it all, at least for the time when he lived.  His stash of gold alone might have rivaled Fort Knox (I Kings 10:14-29).  But in addition....

He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray.... So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the Lord; he did not follow the Lord completely, as David his father had done. - I Kings 11:3, 6

How many of those 1,000 ladies were faithful to God?  We don't really know -- but it appears too many of them were not, and King Solomon paid spiritually for it.

Some people cling to the wealthy like mosquitoes to your skin -- sticking around only for what they can draw away.  If you're successful in poker, consider that carefully.  Times of trial reveal who your real friends are -- but the time to evaluate those friends probably should come much sooner.

Poker Night 355: Slow and Unsteady

From time to time, fellow poker players like to think they have us "figured out."  If we're deep into a hand, they think they know why -- and with what.  But part of the art of poker success comes in throwing your opponents off-guard.  Look at what happened tonight at Lil Kim's Cove....

BLINDS: 500/1,000

IN THE POCKET: 6-6

On an evening when the play never has moved beyond two tables, we're doing all right.  We've won a few pots, received a little help from a player who divided his chips because he had to leave, and even was given 1,000 chips by the longtime Tournament Director simply because "he never buys food here."  (We do, but not often.)

We reached the one-hour break with 13,500 chips, and want to keep playing sound poker.  So we call with this pocket pair, and a tight-playing table means no one raises; as best we recall, three total players are in.

ON THE FLOP: Ac-6s-2s (based on best memory)

Good news for us, as we have a well-hidden three of a kind.  It's so well hidden that since we're playing first, we check.  But no one jumps in at the sight of that Ace; the opponents check as well.

ON THE TURN: 5 (don't recall the suit)

Since no one budged before, we conclude the time is right.  Now we bet 4,000.  That's too much for one man across the table, who folds.  The other quietly calls.

ON THE RIVER: 3

Uh-oh -- now the chances for a straight have improved.  But we don't think our opponent still would be in this hand with a 4.  So we bet 5,000.  The other man ponders for a moment, then calls.

"I've got a beast," we say to borrow a popular phrase by that Tournament Director.  "The beast of Revelation - triple 6."

Our opponent is frustrated.  He shows A-7, giving us a pot of much more than 10,000.  Then he mutters a bit about our actions to the men at his side.

"I don't understand why he didn't bet the flop, since two spades were out there."

The men answer with something we don't hear -- perhaps explaining our "slow play" approach.  Instead, we turn to a man at our left and say in faux sorrow, "We disappointed him."  Then we tell our opponent, "Sorry."

(He actually has a good point; players with the lead in hands often "throw a block" by betting big to run away straight and flush chasers.  But our approach maximized our gains.)

We won enough timely pots to stay comfortably in the running, and reached the final table with more than 30,000 chips.  We held 35,000 at the two-hour break -- but then after losing a pot, we went all-in for 25,000 with A-Q of hearts in the Big Blind.  The chip leader called with a 10, and was rewarded when a flop of Q-10-10 gave him three of a kind.  He wound up with a winning full house.

Another man was knocked out with us, but we felt good about finishing tied for fourth.  It was our best finish in live poker (in fact, our first final table) since early September.

MINISTRY MOMENT: A woman who came to the final table knows we bring card protectors with a message.  So she asked about the small rock in front of us.

"That reminds me that Jesus is the rock of my salvation," we were able to say to everyone at the table.

She simply nodded in response.  But did you know the "rock" symbolism for God begins very early in the Bible?

Joseph is a fruitful vine.... his bow remained steady, his strong arms stayed limber, because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob, because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel. - Genesis 49:22, 24

The King James Version actually says "stone of Israel."  But why such a word comparison concerning God? Apparently because large stones in ancient times were very hard to move.  They were used in building a temple for God in I Kings 5-7.  And that may have led to this New Testament reference:

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.  In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. - Ephesians 2:19-21

Jesus should be the key piece in building a Christian church, as well as a holy people who make up the membership.  If your spiritual life isn't "rock solid," we suggest comparing it carefully with how Jesus lived and what He taught.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 124 final tables in 355 nights (34.9%) - 19 cashes.

NATIONAL LEAGUE OF POKER TOTAL: Full tournaments - 269 point wins in 1,177 games (22.9%), 83 final tables, 10 wins and 10 cashes. No-River Hold 'em - 15 final tables in 55 games (27.3%), 12 final tables, 1 cash win.

We actually had two top-five finishes in poker today; the first came in the mid-afternoon No-River Hold 'em tournament - fifth out of 113 players.

POKER STARS.NET TOTAL: Pretend cash games (corrected after review) - $86,783, down $1,343.

First to Act

Let's head back to that pre-game discussion about God from the other night.  A man noted the challenge of attempting to believe in something you can't easily see.

"Besides," he added, "how do we know Buddha wasn't the first god?"

The answer to that can be found in history.  Researchers agree the ancient Buddha was alive and teaching about 2,500 years ago.  The roots of Judeo-Christian faith have been around much longer.  Take this example....

Because they had been unfaithful to the Lord, Shishak king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem in the fifth year of King Rehoboam. - II Chronicles 12:2

When was Shishak on the throne?  Archeologists who research these things (and know much more about it than we do) believe he was in charge around 925 B.C.  Rehoboam was the successor to King Solomon (I Kings 11:41-43) -- a leader who had several personal encounters with God (I Kings 9:1-2).  So this is a God who predates Buddha by hundreds of years.

But beyond the historical record, there's that matter of faith.  Faith that says....

Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. - Psalm 90:2

How could God be around before there was a world?  Many have asked that question through the centuries.  It's a mystery waiting to be revealed after God sends His Son back to Earth.

My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. - Colossians 2:2-3

Isaiah 55:9 adds God's ways are "higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."  Are you prepared to have faith to trust God to reveal Himself -- at the time and schedule He considers best?

February Senior Championship: Thanks, But No Thanks

In January, we almost made the final table at the monthly National League of Poker Senior Championship.  Tuesday night brought another opportunity -- and things looked great for awhile....

:06 IN: After pocket 10's were overshadowed by an Ace on the flop and a Jack on the turn, we have 7-10 of spades.  A player doubles the blind, and we accept.  The flop is 6-A-A, the first two cards spades.  Everyone checks.  The turn is Qs, and we bet 150 with a flush.  One player calls.  The river is 8c.  We check to "defer," but our opponent checks as well.  He has A-Q!  Our flush wins $525.

:15 IN: We have K-K, limp in, then see two players go all-in for more than 800.  We hold our breath and call -- to find we face A-3 and 9-6!  The flop is 10-9-J.  The turn is 7.  The river is 3!  We dodge the stray rocket, eliminate one player and grab a $3,990 jackpot.

:19 IN: We have A-10 in the big blind -- and since no one raises, we go up 200 and attract a couple of callers.  The flop is 2-A-Q.  We make a power bet of 700, the table folds, and we win $880.

We miss a few flops after that, doing a little chasing -- but reach the half-hour break at a comfortable $2,705.  We sit in 58th place, with 342 players still competing.

:45 IN: We have Q-10.  The flop is 2-4-J, and offer a bluffer's bet of 200.  A couple of players call.  The turn is 3, and another player makes a big bet.  We fold -- and when the river is J, a man to our left shows J-J for quads.

:48 IN: We have 5-8 of diamonds in the big blind.  The flop is 7x-6d-Ax, giving us a two-way straight draw.  Everyone checks.  The turn is K.  An opponent bets 200, and we dare to call.  But the river is 3, and we bail out with a loss. (The winner has A-9.)

:49 IN: We have 7s-7c in the small blind  The flop is 6-8-5 -- all hearts!  An opponent bets about 200, and we dare to call.  The turn is 7h, and our three of a kind never looked more grim.  A player bets 200, and we fold.  Good thing - because amazingly, the man who hit quads four minutes before shows 4h, to make a straight flush!  Do any math experts know the odds against that?

:58 IN: We have J-8 of diamonds in the big blind.  The flop is 5d-Qx-Jx. An opponent goes all-in for 755.  What would you do with middle pair?  We take a chance and call -- and we're rewarded when the big bettor shows a mere 4-7!  The turn is 3, the river is 4, and we capture $2,470.

1:00 IN: The next hand brings us 6-6 in the small blind, and accept a doubling of the blind to 600.  The flop is 8-3-3.  An opponent bets 900, and we fold -- only to see 6 on the turn.  Our "triple six" would have beaten is winning "triple three."

We have $1,735 at the second break -- and that's when the trouble starts.  Our computer is noisy enough for us to hear a McAfee update approaching.  We'd moved our weekly McAfee scan time to Tuesday morning, to avoid any interruptions in the evening.  We paused the scan at the start of the game -- but we can't interrupt McAfee at update time.

The McAfee entry suffocates our browser, even before announcing its presence.  Google Chrome freezes, and NLOP tells us our log-in has been lost after eight minutes of lost playing time.  But the computer doesn't let us log in again for five more minutes -- and under NLOP rules, ten minutes of inactivity gets us eliminated!

McAfee didn't even announce on the screen its update was ready until 25 minutes after entry.  (The update itself took 64 minutes to complete, in part because we restarted the weekly scan along side it.)  So with all that waiting time, we had plenty to think about -- and we admittedly spent plenty of time stewing.  We had prayed before the tournament for God's blessing upon our actions and comments.  So why here?  Why now??

But the more we thought about it, the more we concluded we were to blame.  That pre-game prayer was in the car, before going inside a restaurant for dinner.  It was relatively short -- and we determined that was the problem.  Why?

Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar.  He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne. - Revelation 8:3

"Beat your prayers fine," we've heard ministers preach over the years.  They've claimed incense burns better when it's ground into tinier particles -- so therefore, God wants detailed prayers instead of broad generalizations.  Based on that reasoning: we did not specifically ask God to block McAfee interruptions; thus, God used that loophole to eliminate us from the tournament and teach us a lesson.

But here's the strange twist -- only as we wrote this post did we discover the claim about incense-burning may not be entirely accurate.  And we can think of a few short prayers in the Bible which wound up having a big impact.  Here's one; perhaps you can think of more....

At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: "O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command.  Answer me, O Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again."  Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench. - I Kings 18:36-37

Even at a slow pace, we read that prayer of Elijah aloud in 25 seconds.  Yet God heard it, answered it and gave the prophet victory in a dramatic showdown with Baal worshipers at Mount Carmel (people who pleaded conceivably for hours for Baal to show himself -- pleading in vain).

So did we beat ourselves up too much, for not "beating our prayers" enough?  We'll leave that open for your comments.  In the meantime, our finish at the poker tournament still wasn't that bad: 103rd out of 950 players.  But who knows what might have been?!?!


..

Meetings of the Minds

It's Labor Day in the U.S. and Canada -- and plenty of workers do their jobs in unions, shifts or teams. But as we've noted before, poker seldom works that way; it's a very individualistic game.

Yet we tried to be a good listener on one recent night, when several players at the table talked openly about their approach to hands. They seemed to agree a "chase" to the turn might be acceptable, but a dream of hitting a big river card for a flush or straight seldom is. The discussion reminded us of a passage in Proverbs:

Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety. - Proverbs 11:14, KJV

It's good to seek advice -- especially when you face a difficult decision. Of course, that's not really allowed in the middle of a poker hand. But outside the game, it can be helpful -- especially when you're in a slump.

We'd offer some "counseling" of our own here, though. Not all counsel is good counsel....

And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the old men's counsel that they gave him; And spake to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke: my father [also] chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. -- I Kings 12:13-14, KJV

Read this entire chapter and you'll find King Rehoboam had a choice between two groups of people, with two different lines of reasoning. His choice led to personal sin, national division and a near-war. So as they might say in a court of law, we recommend your "counsel approach the bench."

Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. - James 5:13

Hopefully step one here will lead to step two! Take the big decisions you face to God in prayer; seek His ultimate help in guiding you through the challenges of life.

Poker Night 198: No Royalty

What a difference a week makes. Hookahmeup was crowded with five tables of poker players last Thursday night. Today, it barely had three -- as several players apparently are upset with the owner changing the rules for paying the winners. We'll have more on the irony of that protest in another post. But at the tournament....

BLINDS: 100/200

IN THE POCKET: K-Q offsuit

A "bounty tournament" has been declared, because there aren't many players -- and we claimed a 5,000-chip bonus minutes earlier, by knocking out an opponent with a J-7 straight. But we decide not to be too aggressive with this, and simply call. Several players join in.

ON THE FLOP: K-2-7

We have top pair -- but a man to our right may have the same thing. He leads off with a bet of 400. We call, as does a man across the table.

ON THE TURN: Q

Now it's top two pair -- and the man in lead position checks. Thanks very much; we'll confidently bet 1,200. One man out of the hand sounds impressed.

"Raise," says the man across the table. "Four thousand on top."

The man to our right folds. We're puzzled by what the other man has. "I'm probably going to regret this," we say -- but we call, concluding our opponent is bluffing with only one pair.

ON THE RIVER: 8

Our opponent checks. We have to respect his raise on the turn, so we also check and announce our two pair. Trouble is, the man across from us says nothing -- simply throwing down a pair of 2's. Ouch. He had three of a kind on the flop, and actually led us from start to finish.

That big loss lowered our chip stack to 2,750, and we couldn't recover from there. Careful play allowed us to hang around for tenth place -- but we were eliminated short of the final table, when our push with A-8 lost to that same big winner with a full house.

MINISTRY MOMENT: "Nineties rock music -- where has that gone?" Our conquerer asked that question as the Hookahmeup speakers played the Guns N Roses version of "Knocking on Heaven's Door." We don't know where the music went, but we knew the song gave us an opportunity.

"I knock on heaven's door every day," we said to a man on our left. "It's called prayer." The man liked that comment -- so we pushed the issue a little. "Are you a praying person?"

The man said he was, and we think that's a good thing. The Bible certainly recommends it:

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. -- James 5:16

You could pray for victory before a poker tournament, but we make no guarantees God will oblige you. We choose instead to follow the example of King Solomon long ago....

Please make me wise and teach me the difference between right and wrong. Then I will know how to rule your people.... -- I Kings 3:9, CEV

Read on in I Kings 3 and 4, and you'll find God honored Solomon's prayer and blessed him with wisdom. In fact, Solomon gained enough wisdom from God to write most of the book of Proverbs. Wise handling of your cards at a poker table is a relatively small matter, compared to that -- but certainly worth praying about.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 83 final tables in 198 nights (41.9%) - 15 cashes.

NATIONAL LEAGUE OF POKER TOTAL: Full tournaments - 79 point wins in 434 games (18.2%), 33 final tables, 2.5 cashes. (We're calling the Wednesday night outcome "half-a-cash" under our appeal is resolved.)

POKER STARS.NET TOTAL: Full tournaments - one "top one percent" finish in 9 games (11.1%). Pretend cash games - $20,294, up $3,995. (That's where our hot streak has been lately, with gains of $800 or more on four occasions.)

Heads-Up Week 3: The Long Hard Climb

"Nothing comes easy, baby." So said Scotty Nguyen today, as he kept doubling up Phil Ivey at the Heads-Up Poker Championship feature table. Nguyen was as low as 2,400 chips, yet kept hitting big hands and roared back from behind to win the match.

We can tell a similar tale, from only a few days ago. We took a big hit to a big hand early in an online tournament, dropping to only 150 chips. But then we waited for the right moment to come -- and several big blinds fell in our favor. We rebuilt above 1,000, then grew from there. To 3,507. Then 23,440. And all the way to 104,822 at the final table!

Trouble was, then we became Phil Ivey. We had a 2.5-1 chip lead over a woman in heads-up play for first place -- and she rallied to win. Ten dollars for her, none for us. But we thanked God all the way, for the thrill of the comeback. It wasn't quite the "chip and a chair," but it was on that order.

God can use little things in a big way, too. I Kings 17 has the story of a widow whose possessions apparently consisted of a son, "a handful of meal.... and a little oil...." (verse 12) But after committing a little of those items to God's servant Elijah, the remainder was extended by God. "She, and he, and her house, did eat many days," says verse 15 (KJV).

Jesus had only 12 named disciples, and one of them betrayed Him at a critical hour. Yet Acts 2 shows those disciples were used by God to learn 3,000 people to baptism on a day of Pentecost. And while you might feel repulsed by modern-day preachers with million-dollar planes and ministry buildings, remember -- they undoubtedly started small as well.

Jesus referred to it as "faith as the grain of a mustard seed" in Luke 17:6. So commit your "little" to God, whether in life or a poker match.

Scotty Nguyen is right -- growth probably won't come easily. And there's no guarantee you'll roar all the way back from the brink to victory. But amazing things could happen. We've seen it. Twice.

P.S. While we were preparing this, we missed an apparent Heads-Up "classic moment" -- with Phil Hellmuth talking himself into a disastrous all-in bet. We hope to check the video online and talk about that later.

By Any Other Name

We told you earlier this week about the young woman at our poker table who brought the ancient Greek god of wine, Dionysus. And we quoted a warning from the true God to Moses in Exodus 23:13. "Do not invoke the names of other gods; do not let them be heard on your lips."

Does this mean the woman sinned by saying.... uh.... the D-word? This is where we sometimes might not want to take the Bible 100-percent literally.

Do a concordance check for the word "Baal" and you'll find it appears in the King James Bible more than 60 times. If a minister or worship leader simply read the Bible aloud, would he violate the warning of Exodus 23?

If so, then Elijah broke that warning when he challenged a crowd: "If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him." (I Kng. 18:21) Yet God answered Elijah's prayer later in the chapter with a victorious and certain confirmation (verse 38) -- not punishment for saying the wrong name.

If all scripture is "given by inspiration of God" (II Tim. 3:16, KJV), we're led to conclude the warning of Exodus 23 is not an absolute for us today. After all, the Bible says the Lord is supposed to be a stumbling stone (Isa. 8:13-14) -- not the names of embedded false gods, which also appear in scripture under God's inspiration.

So you don't have to scold another poker player who might bring up Baal, Zeus, Dionysus or some other false god. But that moment might open a door for you to explain the One real God -- as we tried to do.

By the way: did you know the name Dionysius appears in the Bible? We found it in Acts 17:34 -- for a man who converted to Christianity at the preaching of Paul, and may have become a bishop in the first-century church at Athens. There's nothing in the New Testament to indicate he changed his name.

NBC Sports Championship #7: Deep Into the Night

NBC Sports had some kind of glitch early in the week, which resulted in our receiving an invitation to the Sunday night "Weekly Championship" on Tuesday afternoon. We registered early, and took advantage of the open door....

:04 IN: We have K-10, and go heads up against a player named "Jezebelle." In the Bible, Elijah ran away from a woman with that name making threats (I Kings 19:1-3). We don't, and wind up with K's and Q's for a $415 pot.

:27 IN: We have K-9 of hearts, and go against our tendency by playing it. Two Kings come on the flop! We take a $1,935 pot.

:40 IN: We have A-4. Three hearts come on the flop (we have none), but one of them is a 4. We dare to bet $500 on bottom pair, and the table folds.

:43 IN: We have J-9. On the flop: J-Q-Q. We stay in through a 9-8, and top a King high for a $1,600 pot.

:47 IN: We have A-2 of diamonds. On the flop: A-8-5, with the 8 a diamond. We call a $420 bet. The turn is 7d, but the river is another 7. Another player dares to push all-in. We call -- and he has Q-Q. Our chip stack jumps to $7,570!

:49 IN: We have 6-6 -- and when K-K comes on the flop, two pair are good enough to win for us again. We jump above $13,000, to #11 in the standings out of 857 players!

1:12 IN: We have A-Q of clubs. On the flop: A-6-2 (no clubs). With the blinds at 200/400, a player check-raises to 1,000. We call -- and eventually top the opponent's A-10! The chip stack tops $12,000. With 150 players to go, we reach #9 on the leaderboard!

1:37 IN: We have Q-10. On the flop: 6-K-Q. We stay in through some betting, and a 4-K. Our two pair top an opponent's A-J for an $8,900 pot! The chip stack approaches $15,000.

At the two-hour break, only 40 players remain. We're still alive at #32, with 8,350 chips. Our breathing during hands is getting a bit heavy.

2:00 IN: Right off the bat out of the break, we have A-Q. With the blinds in the 1,200 range, an opponent doubles the bet. We call, and a weak 4-3-7 flop comes. But the turn is a 3, the river is a Q -- and our two pair tops the opponent's A-J! That leads to this MINISTRY MOMENT....

Dealer: flopblog wins Main Pot ($20000) with Two pair, queens and threes
Me: (whew) PTL
FIGJAM: whats that pitty the loser
FIGJAM: Whats PTL
Me: Praise the Lord.
BobbyT1210: p*** the loot
FIGJAM: Ah
FIGJAM: Guess I should have went to church today
Me: I went Saturday pm - to give the devil his don't.

We mentioned our new abbreviation of praise in another post. Figjam was the first person to ask about it. (But sadly, critics of The PTL Club's excesses indeed gave that shorthand other words.)

We actually do keep a seventh-day Saturday Sabbath. That's kept us away from some tempting tournaments, but we're dealing with it. And oh yes, we don't keep Halloween -- so while others may have "given the devil his due" on Saturday, we did the opposite. :-)

2:07 IN: We have K-J offsuit. On the flop: 10h-4h-3 not a heart. Players check. On the turn: Jh. We bet $1,600 with no heart in our hand -- and top pair is enough to scare the crowd away. That's a $7,300 pot!

The Championship now has 32 players left -- and we're #19.

2:14 IN: We have 7-5 of hearts in the big blind. On the flop: 8-3-5 (no hearts). Players check. On the turn: 2. On the river: 7. Emboldened with two pair, we bet about $3,000 -- and get burned by an opponent hiding with three 3's.

2:17 IN: We're dealt K-Q, with $7,900 left. Blinds now are so high that it's time to push this all-in. A player calls -- and the flop brings 2-3-Q! Running 2's follow, and our full house tops an opponent with 9-9! We survive and jump to $21,200.

2:18 IN: We have A-9 of hearts in the very next hand. We limp with them, to avoid being overconfident. On the flop: 7-10-8, all spades. We call a $3,000 bet with an open-ended straight draw. On the turn: 9c. On the river: 4d. We dare to bet $3,000 on the theory another player missed a draw -- but no. He has K-J, and takes the pot with a straight. We admit in the chat that was a bad decision on our part.

2:25 IN: We have K-J, and $8,099 in chips left. We're first to act, and push all-in. A player calls us -- but with K-Q. The flop is K-Q-2. While a Jack comes on the river, we're outgunned.

FINAL: 23rd place out of 857! Not a win, but certainly thrilling -- and it's our best finish ever in the Sunday night big game.

Compared with the prize pool at the World Series of Poker Main Event, we would have been well in the money -- about 175th place, earning 3.6 times our buy-in. Sadly, NBC Sports only pays the top three finishers.