The Big Harry Deal, Part 2

We're still reflecting on the news about Georgia poker player Harry Brooks -- and finding about his death 11 months after it happened.  What other lessons can we learn from this?

2. Don't get too busy for your friends.  That's the surest way to lose them - as relationships fade away.

Sites such as Facebook are supposed to prevent that from happening, but we noted in our last post how unfriendly that site's timeline really can be.  The Bible has one good example of friends staying close:

After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself.... And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. - I Samuel 18:1, 3

In 2015, some groups have taken this "love" relationship to mean something very different than what  we think the Bible describes.  Keep reading for the real story....

Jonathan said to David, "Go in peace, for we have sworn friendship with each other in the name of the Lord...." - I Samuel 20:42

Their friendship became separated by family drama, but we think David and Jonathan stayed together as long as they safely could. And David honored Jonathan after his death; see II Samuel 9 for how King David did it.

3. Talk with your friends about the greatest friend of all.  Who could this be?

A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. - Proverbs 18:24

We're convinced that "friend" can be none other than Jesus Christ....

Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command.... I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. - John 15:13-15

In a way, we're trying to make friends at poker tables - while introducing people to Jesus, who gave His life for friends.  If Jesus is your friend, stay close to Him.  And also to the people around you, whom you consider friends in this life.

Quick In, Quick Out?

The first hand of the day brought us 7-7.  By the river, two more 7's had shown up - giving us quads!

It could have been a big jackpot hand -- and in a way, it was.  We were playing a computer in heads-up poker, on our last trip to a Kansas City casino.  We inserted $40 to start, and that first hand brought our total to $88.

We were trying to win back money we lost in a casino tournament, and pay for our trip across the state.  We could have cashed out immediately, taking only a small loss.  But we decided to play another hand.  And lost.  Then another.  And lost.  And then....

Well, we had a small winning streak recovering to about $50.  But we pressed our luck too much against a computer programmed to be wily -- and in a few minutes, our $88 was down to zero.

"Why don't we ever get out?" we recall a man asking with a bit of a sigh during a poker room discussion months ago.  That's a great question not only in cash games, but other aspects of our lives.

But each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.  Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death  - James 1:14-15

A small first step which looks successful can lead down a slippery-slope into big trouble.  That's why it's important in poker to sense the tide is turning -- and have the wisdom to get out when it does.  Even famous characters in the Bible had to learn that lesson the hard way:

One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace.  From the roof he saw a woman bathing.  The woman was very beautiful, and David sent someone to find out about her.... Then David sent messengers to get her.  She came to him, and he slept with her. - II Samuel 11:2-4

The look alone was not enough.  Being told the woman was married (verse 3) was not enough.  King David had to "go all the way" with Bathsheba.  Read the rest of the chapter and you'll discover that lustful and covetous act led to an unexpected pregnancy, and a plot to have Bathsheba's husband killed.

But the thing David had done displeased the Lord. - II Samuel 11:27

We've heard ministers on Christian radio put it this way: Sin will take you farther than you want to go, and make you pay more than you wanted to pay. 

We think the same is true in poker.  Don't simply play with emotions or "gut" feelings.  Play with your brain active and functioning.  It might save you money, and even some heartbreak.  Believe us - because we've been there.

Poker Day 415: One Card Too Many?

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

BLINDS: 100/200

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

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

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

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

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

ON THE FLOP: Q-5-3

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

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

ON THE TURN: 4

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

ON THE RIVER: 2

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Praise the Lord," we said.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Poker Night 371: Lost in the Darkness

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

BLINDS: 25/50

IN THE POCKET: Q-Q

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

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

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

ON THE FLOP: Qs-6s-5s

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

ON THE TURN: 10s

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

ON THE RIVER: 8s

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Poker Night 316: Jacks or Better?

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

BLINDS: 50/100

IN THE POCKET: J-J

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

ON THE FLOP: 6-6-8

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

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

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

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

ON THE TURN: 9

That seems to change nothing; everyone checks.

ON THE RIVER: K

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"What happened, if I might ask?"

"I lost my wife."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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