The Old Numbers Game

A recent post presented one winning poker player's opinion about why children should be taught the game. But there's one positive aspect she didn't mention - that poker can teach young people math skills.

We found a column explaining why mathematics matters in a poker room. For grade-schoolers, there's the obvious truth that a 10 is (worth) more than a 6 and that three of a kind is better than two.

But the math gets more complicated from there. For instance, did you know (based on our link) that a pocket pair turns into "trips" on the flop about 11.5 percent of the time?

This column reminded us that some people aren't always logical with their math skills. One example occurred only a couple of weeks ago. Consider the words of Jesus....

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

Jesus was answered demands from some people for a "miraculous sign" (verses 38-39). He took them back to a classic Old Testament tale....

But the Lord provided a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights. - Jonah 1:17

(The Bible never calls the fish a "whale," but that's not our point here.)

By comparison, Jesus was talking about His death. After three days and three nights, He would be resurrected (16:21) - and the Bible records that actually happened (Luke 24:21 and other verses).

The really big problem (to borrow from a math-centered show on public TV) is that many people think Jesus died on "Good Friday" and came back to life on "Easter Sunday." Even with common core, that's bad math. That timeline only allows for one full day and two full nights.

Some Bible scholars try to explain this by saying part of a day counts as a day. Yet they never seem to apply that principle to another moment in the Bible....

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. After fasting 40 days and 40 nights, he was hungry. - Matthew 4:1-2

We've never found a Christian preacher who claims this fast was shorter than that - say, 28 days and 27 nights. So why do they condense it when it comes to Jesus's death and resurrection?

The short answer is: tradition - and much like not all math figuring is good, so not all traditions are good. We think the right answer is to start a new tradition. One that's biblically sound and mathematically accurate.

If you have fuzzy math when it comes to this, here's a chart that may help.sort things out. Search the Scriptures carefully with it. As some ministries like to say, "Good science supports the Bible" - and we think good mathematics and traditions will as well.

You Be the Judge

The flop was nice: a pair plus a straight draw. Our opponent bet about 500, and we called.

The turn was better - a 6, giving us a straight! But our opponent bet an even larger 3,000. And oh yes - three spades were showing.

This moment required some thought. The "better" hand in this case was not the best possible hand - and what if he had it?

"I'm going to assume you've got it," we told him. And we folded.

"I'll show you one of my cards," the talkative man responded. He turned over a 9d - and with two 9's showing, that gave him at least three of a kind. But certainly not a flush.

Did we throw away the winning hand? At that moment, we thought so. Minutes later, he seemed to confirm it, commenting: "My three 9's topped you."

"Welllllll," we answered, "your three 9's won the pot."

The dealer sitting next to us picked up on that, even if our opponent didn't. "He bought you off the pot," he said.

 "You have rightly judged," we told him. And in that hand, we apparently did not.

Our quote to the dealer came directly from the words of Jesus, at the end of a short parable:

"There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed 500 pence, and the other 50. And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?" Simon answered and said, "I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most." And he said to him, "Thou hast rightly judged." - Luke 7:41-43 (KJV)

Poker is a game that combines skill and luck. But it's also a game of judgment. Is your hand really better than someone else's at any given moment? If someone makes a bet to convince you otherwise, is your opponent betting from strength or flat-out bluffing?

In the parable, Jesus asked Simon to make a conclusive judgment based on a short story. That alone might surprise some people, who are quick to quote another short phrase of Jesus:

Judge not, that you be not judged. - Matthew 7:1 (KJV)

Hold on - is Jesus talking out of both sides of His mouth here? Why would He command not judging, then call for a judgment by other people?

Perhaps the answer lies in reading beyond that one verse in Matthew....

For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. - Matthew 7:2

This verse indicates Jesus expected people to make judgments. If we're honest with ourselves, we all do it frequently. In another place, He said so directly....

Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment. - John 7:24

In other words, "judge not" by what you simply see. Go deeper and do some careful thinking before making your decisions. This concept extends far beyond a poker room - to the friends you make, the place where you live and much more.

If you're having difficulty in poker games, maybe you should ask yourself: am I using good judgment? Am I using any judgment at all? Then ask God for His wisdom to help you judge things in a right way.

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?

W and L

We're taking a short pause from live poker right now. There are several reasons for this, including the one very important project - filling out tax returns.

Poker players filling out U.S. federal returns may notice one big change this year. You still have to report "gambling winnings" as income. But it's harder to deduct the losses, because the threshold for itemizing deductions has increased sharply. Unless your deductions top $12,000, it doesn't pay to itemize them at all.

That means the wins stand out more on your tax form - and while that might cost you money, it also might make you feel a bit better. Don't you wish everything worked this way?

But they don't always work this way. In fact, you could be losing and not realizing it....

What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self? - Luke 9:25

You could grind away at cash games for hours, hoping to strike it rich. But in exchange, you could actually lose a lot of money. You might even lose your family or a sense of empathy toward other people, by becoming addicted or detached.

The better approach is a balance between the "work" of poker with its physical gains and something higher - something ultimately better:

For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. - Luke 9:24

The "me" here is Jesus Christ. He said these words. And He wants you to change your focus away from big wins at the table, to a focus on Him. Put another way....

The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. - John 12:25

Few poker players love to lose. For that matter, few of anybody loves to lose. Yet trading your priorities for a relationship with Jesus can win you eternal life in the kingdom He soon will bring. In fact, your "won-lost record" in terms of sin can be changed completely:

All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ.... not counting men's sins against them.... - II Corinthians 5:18-19

Jesus was a big winner, by living a sinless life and overcoming the devil. He wants to help you win the game of life as well.

Poker Day 569: Ace is Enough?

On this Presidents' Day, we hoped to set a personal precedent. We've never made the money in a tournament on this holiday - although we did on a Sunday of the holiday weekend in 2014. With an extra-high buy-in of $90, we drove to Hollywood Casino Indiana and gave it a try....

BLINDS: 75/150

IN THE POCKET: A-6 offsuit

We won a couple of small early pots, and still stand around the starting line of 15,000 chips. No one at the full table raises, so we call. About six players are involved.

ON THE FLOP: 8-A-8

Two pair looks good - and perhaps looks obvious, if we bet. But when the play checks to us, we offer 300. That chases all but one man away; he calls to put us heads-up. We're admittedly a bit concerned about our 6 kicker.

ON THE TURN: Q

Now we're not - because that Queen becomes the kicker. Our opponent checks, and we bet 300 again. He calls again. Hmmm - is he hiding a third 8?

ON THE RIVER: Q.

Now it gets interesting. Two pair are on the board, with the best possible kicker as well. But a full house is very possible. Our opponent checks, and we carefully do the same.

"Three pair," we declare as we show. Our opponent.... discards without showing! We win a healthy pot, and guess he might have had a different pocket pair (maybe 10-10?!).

We hit a high of 15,175 chips with that win. But it all dissolved away in the next 20 minutes. A-K came our way three times, and it never worked for us. The last straw came with a flop of Ks-Jc-9c. Our King was a club, but a 1,200 bet was greeted with a raise to 4,200. A third club on the turn led the raiser to bet 7,000 - nearly everything we had.

After thinking it over, we called with conceivably a lot of outs for a flush. But our opponent turned over A-A - including the Ace of clubs, which topped ours. Our only hope was a King on the river, and it didn't come. We headed home early, out first at our table with a stinging loss.

MINISTRY MOMENT: The table talk turned at one point to Sunday's Daytona 500 stock car race.

"Joe Gibbs Racing finished 1-2-3," a man across the table pointed out.

"And that website on the car probably crashed minutes later," we said humorously. A sticker on the car referred to a tribute to the son of team owner Joe Gibbs, who died in January.

"He obviously was a person of faith, based on the cross on the logo," we added. "And we all should be people of faith."

J.D. Gibbs made a commitment of faith as a teenager, through a ministry called Young Life. If you're a youth or young adult reading this, we recommend giving your "young life" to God.

Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, "I find no pleasure in them." - Ecclesiastes 12:1

You may think matters of faith and religion are simply for old, retired people. But they're not. In fact, Jesus started His ministry as a young adult....

Now Jesus himself was about thirty years of age when he began his ministry.... - Luke 3:23

The Lord died about three years later - crucified before turning 35. Given that Biblical truth, why should you wait for gray hair to appear before committing yourself to a relationship with Him? That day might never come.

But perhaps you're on the opposite side - old and filled with gray hair. It's not too late for you to become a "person of faith."

Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding? - Job 12:12

You may have seen enough of this life to know how ugly and sinful it can be. The wise course is to turn to a better way - a godly way.

Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.... - Acts 3:19

As long as you have life, you can turn to God. Is there really a better place to put your faith?

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 216 final tables in 569 games (38.0%) - 46 cashes.

All Work, No Pay?

You may have wondered how we've been able to play weekday poker tournaments over the last few weeks. Here's the reason - we've been on furlough.

Our current regular employer is the U.S. government. And for five weeks, we were "on the rail" due to a partial shutdown. Our job was not one requiring us to work without a paycheck. We could only empathize with those who do - and in fact, the rules of the shutdown barred us from going in voluntarily and patriotically to help them do the daily work.

But then it hit us - isn't poker a lot like those furloughed workers? You could play for hours, either in a tournament or a cash game, and not get a penny for it. In fact, you could lose a bundle in a cash game. All that "work" - for nothing!

Well, hold on. Maybe it's not all for nothing. Maybe we need a different perspective....

Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. - Colossians 3:23 (NLT)

The apostle Paul admittedly wrote this to first-century "slaves". But they were slaves connected to God's Church, by their belief in God and Jesus Christ. You may feel like you're "slaving" at times, in a poker room or on a regular job. But the apostle advises....

Serve them sincerely because of your reverent fear of the Lord.... Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ. - Colossians 3:22, 24 (NLT)

Furloughed federal workers are going back to work this week, and withheld back pay will be restored. Poker players who fall "off the bubble" don't often have that promise. But a much bigger payday is coming:

For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. - Matthew 16:27 (KJV)

Other parts of the Bible describe that reward in terms of "cities" or responsibilities (Matthew 25:21; Luke 19:19). And with the gift of eternal life....

For my people will live as long as trees, and my chosen ones will have time to enjoy their hard-won gains. They will not work in vain.... For they are people blessed by the Lord, and their children, too, will be blessed. - Isaiah 65:22-23 (NLT)

One famous sermon of the 20th century called it "Payday Someday." May it come very soon - and may you "work" loyally for God until it does, even if that work is in a poker room.

Words of Praise

As we won some make-or-break hands at the final table during our last poker outing, a brief "praise party" broke out.

"Praise the Lord," we said as we gathered in chips.

"Praise the Lord!" a man with a beard across from us said.

"Yes. Hallelujah!" we replied.

We meant what we said. As for the other man - well, Jesus Christ will be His judge. But we have our doubts, considering he'd used that name as a curse moments earlier.

Let's make it clear first: It's good to praise God. And you can do it anytime, at any place....

I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak his praises. - Psalm 34:1 (NLT)

We're admittedly not "Pentecostal" or "holy roller" in our beliefs. We quietly gave God thanks in the early parts of the tournament. But we also think big moments call for bigger praise. Take the time Jesus entered Jerusalem....

Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting, "Praise God! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!" - Mark 11:9 (NLT)

It was a crowd of people (verse 8) - but we're left to wonder how many really meant it. Only five days later, another crowd called for Jesus to be crucified (Mark 15:12-14). Could some people have attended both those moments?

The lesson we conclude from this (and that other man at the final table) is that speaking words of praise is fine - but God wants more than that:

Jesus replied, "You hypocrites!.... 'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.' For you ignore God's law and substitute your own tradition." - Mark 7:6-8 (NLT)

A heart that's close to God should be speaking godly words all the time - not turning the switch on and off as the moment seems right.

A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart.... What you say flows from what is in your heart. - Luke 6:45 (NLT)

So before you start popping off at a poker table, check your heart first. Is it right before God? Is it close to God? If so, your praise will be more authentic  - and the life you live will be as well.

The Day We Couldn't Play

On December 24-25, 2015, we did poker "back-to-back." After winning money Thursday night at a Wichita bar, we went to Kansas Star casino for a Friday noon tournament. That didn't turn out well for us, but 42 players showed up to make things competitive.

This year on December 24-25, we tried it again. This time both tournaments were at Jack Casino Cincinnati. But after a money win Monday night, this time.... the daytime tournament was canceled.

Only two other players plunked down the $80 buy-in. In fact, the poker room barely had one full table of cash game players. The managers huddled at the 11:15 a.m. starting time, then canceled the tournament. We regained our buy-in, and proceeded to add some money to that at a blackjack table.

Talk about a difference - 42 "Christmas poker" players in rural Kansas, versus only three in urban southwest Ohio. Is Texas Hold 'em simply a bigger thing in the Plains States? Or are there other factors?

Perhaps Cincinnati offers more things to do with your spare time. Or perhaps the area is more "religious" than we realized, with more people marking Christmas in some way or other. It's quite a Roman Catholic area - with at least two Catholic colleges, and Lenten fish fries which become big news items.

Long-time blog readers know we went to casinos because we do not keep Christmas. Despite what some advocates might indicate, there's no command in the Bible to keep it. And it's very likely Jesus Christ was not born in December at all....

She gave birth to her first child, a son.... That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. - Luke 2:7-8 (NLT)

When Mary gave birth to Jesus, shepherds were on the job outside. That would be chilly work in the Bethlehem in late-December. The Internet allows us to know weather conditions in that part of the Middle East, and nighttime lows right now are in the mid-40's F. It seems safe to assume conditions were the same 2,000 years ago.

But history shows shepherds were not out working in such chilly conditions. Sheep were kept in shelters, since there was little grass for grazing in winter. As Jesus would say after growing up....

So he explained it to them: "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep.... Those who go in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures." - John 10:7, 9 (NLT)

Sheep need good pastureland to thrive. Would a caring shepherd settle for less? The winter shelters help explain how shepherds could do what they did after they had a supernatural vision....

When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, "Let's go to Bethlehem! Let's see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. - Luke 2:15-16 (NLT)

Lots of sheep were "left behind" - but the shepherds later returned to them (verse 20). Jesus would expect a different reaction as an adult, but that's a topic for another post.

We didn't talk about Christmas or Christ at Monday night's tournament at all. That's because the church association we attend has indicated any action toward God on Christmas is the same as keeping the day, and we're not instructed to keep man-made "pagan" days.

A lot of "customs of the season" get debated at this time of year. We invite you to study how we responded to one book about it years ago. Have a Bible ready. Have an open mind. And have a willingness to react obediently to what God shows you - as those shepherds did.

Never Let 'em See You Sweat

Dealers in poker tournaments sometimes "wash" the cards as they shuffle. They're all scattered face-down across the table, and mixed up with the dealers' hands.

But there are times when we wish someone in a casino would wash the poker chips as well. Maybe even with bleach. We've been able to scrape, well, something off them - likely dirt, or even sweat, that's built up over a lot of play.

We're reminded of that by a question posted at a poker chat room overnight....

Is poker a game as stressful as it seems?.... If the bet is very high, stress increases?.... only with experience decrease?

We think the answer to this depends on the situation and your perspective.

If you're playing simply for free food at a sports bar, that's low-stress. The emphasis is on having fun and camaraderie. If you're at the WSOP Main Event playing for millions of dollars and a world title, the stress level probably would be higher - especially if you want to regain your $10,000 buy-in, which most people do not do.

A big bet or all-in moment certainly makes a hand more exciting. If you've faced these moments before, the experience can make them easier to handle. But we think it also helps to have something with you to stay calm. And no, we don't think that has to be a glass of wine or bottle of beer....

The Lord will give strength to his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace. - Psalm 29:11 (KJV)

True peace and calm (the opposite of stress) come from God. How does He provide that?

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace.... - Galatians 5:22 (KJV)

....as in the Holy Spirit of God. A lot of people talk at this time of year about "peace on earth" (Luke 2:14) - but they may not realize Jesus's birth in part was designed to bring a different sort of peace agent:

And I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever; even the Spirit of truth.... - John 14:16-17 (KJV)

God's Holy Spirit can lower the stress level in all kinds of situations at a poker tournament. And even in far more dire moments....

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for you are with me; you rod and your staff they comfort me. - Psalm 23:4 (KJV)

If you feel stressed out during or after a poker night, pray to God for His Spirit of peace. But be sure you repent of your sins as you do (Acts 2:38). Then, to borrow a U.S. Southern phrase about hairstyles - the higher the stakes, the closer to God.

Poker Night 556: Mercy-Me

What do poker players do when their local football team has a big game on TV? We've been in places where they showed up to play, and tracked the game between hands. In Cincinnati, they don't. The poker room at Jack Casino cleared out tonight, as kickoff approached for the Bengals and Kansas City.

That means our poker trip was well-timed. We put on a Chiefs hat (since we're from that area), entered the evening tournament - and found ourselves in a game with a grand total of 10 players. Our job was to make the money, and avoid being harassed by Bengal supporters....

BLINDS: 150/300

IN THE POCKET: 9-10 of clubs

Good cards have been scarce for us so far, and we've scarcely seen any flops. But because we've played patiently, two starting tables already have been combined into one "final" one at the third level

We're one of seven players right now, with about 12,000 chips out of a starting 15,000. This is a Big Blind hand, and no one raises. So we're happy to get in cheap with suited connectors. About four players take part.

ON THE FLOP: J-8-4 (not sure of suits, but one is a club)

We have an open-ended straight draw, so the clubs aren't really an issue. We check. So does everyone else.

ON THE TURN: Q

Bingo! The straight is ours. The Small Blind checks. We think about betting - but then notice four different suits are on the board. So we slow-play again by checking. A man across the table rewards that, by betting 700. Of course we call; other players fold.

ON THE RIVER: 2

A meaningless card. So should we bet now? We decide against it, checking to the aggressor. He responds by tossing out 1,000. Now it's time.

"I'll raise - 3,000," we say.

Then our opponent surprises us. "I'm all-in." For a lot more. This is a simple call for us.

"Did you hit the straight?" we ask.

"Two pair," he says as he turns the cards over. We never saw what the cards were. They didn't matter.

"I did hit the straight," we reveal. The opponent is surprised - and out of the running. A huge win puts us above 20,000 chips.

We kicked out a second player when we called an all-in bet with A-10. Those cards won a race over K-J, and we reached a high of 25,075 chips. The grind was on from there - reaching the two-hour break at 23,000, with only three players scheduled to earn prize money.

With four players left, we won an all-in bet with 6-6 over a skeptical man who had 6-7. Then we saw 8-8 and pushed again - but a man called us with two pair. He won that race, and we finished one slot away from....

Well, hold on. Then we made a parting humorous comment to the dealer, as we shook the other players' hands. "You'll notice no one offered to pay 'bubble boy' money" (for the player one out of the official money).

"I can do that!" said a man to our right. The other remaining players agreed with him! They reached into their wallets and gave us $20 bills! So from an $80 buy-in, we received an unofficial consolation prize of $60. Our second "bubble boy" finish at Jack Casino this year is as good as a cash win to us. So thanks to God, for three "moneys" in a row!

MINISTRY MOMENT: The man to our immediate right said at the end of one hand, "Lord, have mercy!"

Of course, that called for a reply from us. "I think God has more mercy on us than we know."

And you know.... that's what we received at the end of tonight's tournament. The three remaining players had mercy on us for hanging in there more than three hours. And it's something God is famous for giving....

Remember, O Lord, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old. - Psalm 25:6

Poker can seem like a cut-throat game at times. But we've found many players leave that attitude at the table, as they play hands. They can be very giving at other times - in fact, sometimes putting us to shame. Are you like them? We think Jesus wants you to be:

But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back.... Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. - Luke 6:35-36

If God truly gave us what we deserved, Earth would be a barren place. That's because we've all sinned (Romans 3:23), and God punishes sin with death (Romans 6:23). The Lord Jesus who said those words was a walking example of God's mercy, because His life paid the penalty of our sins. That's a Lord worth following, and a God worth worshipping.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 208 final tables in 556 games (37.4%) - 44 cashes. We have no control over how many players show up for a tournament, so a one-table game is still a "final table" to us.

Poker Night 553: Service Error

"Sunday night is folding night," we said several times tonight at Jack Casino. No, not football night. We entered the Sunday evening tournament, partly because of a busy schedule this week - but also partly in hopes that other players would be distracted by pro football games on the TV screens. But when is a fold right, and when is it wrong?

BLINDS: 800/1,600

IN THE POCKET: 10-10

We've won a few pots and slipped a few times. But we start this hand with around 17,000 chips from a starting 15,000. And because very few people have entered the night tournament (as opposed to 96 in the pricey Sunday midday event), we're already at the equivalent of the final table.

It appears seven players are left - but a troublesome man who was knocked out has returned, thanks to a re-buy. So there are eight of us, and no one has raised. It's tempting to raise with this pocket pair in the Dealer's spot, but we decide to cautiously call. About four players are in.

ON THE FLOP: 5-6-7

Straight potential is in plain sight. But no one bets ahead of us. So in last position with an overpair, we bet 2,500. The returnee calls; everyone else folds.

ON THE TURN: 7

Now we have two pair, and the returnee checks to us. His actions during the evening have left some players puzzled, and we wonder if he returned on tilt. So we bet 2,500 again - and he raises to 5,000. Now we're more sure he's on tilt. We quickly call.

ON THE RIVER: 2

If he's on a straight draw, he missed it. But this time, our opponent bets first - putting out 5,000 of his own. This gives us pause.

"This is a big moment," we say as we stare at our cards. "I know your works, to borrow from a book I've read."

"There's a tell," the man sitting to our left says.

Huh?!? We look across the table and see nothing unusual. Our opponent is getting a drink from a server. But we have the sense that our pocket pair isn't good enough - like he has pocket Jacks or something.

"I'm going to let it go," we say.

Our opponent then turns over - 6-6! He had a full house on the turn! Our hunch was right, but a little late. So what about that tell?

"He's paying for a drink when he has 800 chips [really thousands] on the table," the man to our left explains. "He knows he's winning."

What do you think? Is that a real tell? Or could it be a sign that a player is confident, and potentially could be too confident?

We thankfully received a bail-out moments later, when we received pocket Aces. A double-up put us at 19,500 at the two-hour break. Another big hand after the break put us at a high of 30,000.

But much like our last trip to Jack Casino, then came a couple of fatal slips - this time from erring on the side of caution. We folded pocket Queens when a man pushed after a flop with J-10. We feared he'd hit two pair; he only had one, as did a man who took him on.

Then we entered with 6,000 and A-8, saw an Ace on the flop, called an all-in bet - only to see an opponent with A-Q! The board didn't save us, and lousy timing took us out. We finished fifth out of 15 entries - but only the top three earned money, and we left frustrated about another potential cash that got away.

MINISTRY MOMENT: That man to our left hit a big jackpot, when he dared to play 3-6 and the flop was 3-6-A. "Thanks, God," we thought we heard him say.

"If you're thanking God," we told him, "you're thanking in the right direction."

A lot of people curse God and Jesus Christ. You may hear it often, in a poker environment or other places. But instead, we should be thankful to God for any blessings we receive. Consider this case Jesus encountered....

As he entered a village there, ten lepers stood at a distance, crying out, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" He looked at them and said, "Go show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy. - Luke 17:13-14 (NLT)

It was a healing miracle times ten! But keep reading....

One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, "Praise God!" He fell to the ground at Jesus's feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan. - Luke 17:15-16 (NLT)

In this moment of praise and worship, the Lord seemed to pay more attention to the people who were not there....

Jesus asked, "Didn't I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?"....  Luke 17:17-18 (NLT)

If other people around you are thankful over something - even if it's a big comeback by another poker player - do you join them? Be careful. God doesn't get so distracted by the praise of some people that he overlooks the ingratitude of others. In fact, it might come up where you least expect it - at the judgment seat of Jesus Christ.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 205 final tables in 553 games (37.1%) - 41 cashes. We'll be taking a short break from live tournaments for upcoming church activities.

Slot, Pop and Play

Casinos are filled with them. We tend to walk right by them. But this evening, we were challenged to be successful at them - for two minutes.

Jack Casino invited us to its August "Birthday Bash". (Now you know our birthday month.) The main event was a free-entry slot tournament, with $2,500 in free play at stake. All we had to do was post one of the five highest scores in a two-hour span.

Our game time was 6:20 p.m. We stood behind the early leader, who racked up more than 100,000 points at 6:05. Doris's strategy was simple: pound the "play" button on the slot machine as quickly as you could, and watch the screen to touch balloons that occasionally appeared for thousands of bonus points.

"May the best button-pusher win," we said to a man next to us when our turn came.

Our tongue was only partly in-cheek. This tournament reminded us of why we avoid slots and prefer playing poker. Slot machines tend to be mindless, with no real skill involved. If you think religion is that way as well.... well, it really shouldn't be. Consider what Jesus told one man:

He answered, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'....." "You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live." - Luke 10:27-28

Jesus was talking about how to obtain eternal life (verse 25). It's an "all-in" process - and that includes loving God with "all your mind." Does that mean turning your brain off at the church door? We believe it's exactly the opposite....

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things. - Philippians 4:8

For instance, it means thinking over whether poker players are telling "true stories" in the way they play their hands. It also means thinking carefully about what God really expects of your life....

...But test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. - I Thessalonians 5:21 (NLT)

Sometimes the "gospel truth" well-intentioned people bring you is really "fake news." You can prove fact from fiction by comparing those comments with the Bible. If you're not a Bible reader, we recommend doing it daily to understand God properly.

But we digress....

The countdown went to zero, and our "two-minute drill" was on! We pressed the slot machine's "play" button with our right hand about six times a second, while saving our left hand for balloons to pop. We saw "second place" on our screen at one point early, and noticed we were above 60,000 points at the one-minute mark (everyone starts with 10,000).

"We want balloons!" we said to the machine several times, changing hands for the "play" button to avoid slowing down. To our knowledge, we didn't miss any balloons. But were we strong enough to win?

"You beat me!" we said to the man on our right after the clock reached zero. Our final score: 82,035 points. He was above 88,000. Based on the early results, 100,000 or more probably would be required to "make the money" - and we were only sixth in our group.

With our daily exercise (as we called it) completed, we walked over to the birthday party area. Jack's email promised cupcakes, but Jack topped that (for a change) with a full two-flavor cake, cookies and punch.

"If I had eaten the cake before the game, I might have done better," we joked to people around us. Perhaps a "sugar rush" would have made us press buttons faster. Instead, we settled for a consolation prize of a small win at a blackjack table.

In contrast to this, Hollywood Casino Indiana awarded us $15 in "birthday comps" on our card - good for a couple of free meals at one of the restaurants. Which deal do you think was better? Use your mind to comment - and even to worship the God who makes these moments possible.

Poker Night 546: From Ace-Rags to Riches

"Has John Cynn ever played here?" we asked our first dealer in tonight's tournament at Hollywood Casino Indiana.

"I don't know," he answered. Cynn, a native of Indianapolis, won the World Series of Poker Main Event this week. He was not in Lawrenceburg for our tournament, so our chances for success jumped dramatically....

BLINDS: 100/200

IN THE POCKET: Ace-6 of hearts

We've won one pot with hidden pocket Aces, and split another with a Jack. Now this "turbo tourney" is near the end of its first hour, and we have about 10,800 chips from a starting 12,000.

A man at our table of eight raises to 500. We take the approach that any Ace is a potential top pair, and we call. Five players are in the hunt.

ON THE FLOP: A-4-3 (no hearts, as we recall)

There's the top pair - but are others thinking the way we're thinking? The only way to find out is to bet. After the lead player checks, we offer 500. Three other players call. They can't all have Aces.

ON THE TURN: 4

Now we have two pair - and we really doubt anyone else has a 4. Our bet on the flop would have run off those chasers. So we choose to keep the pressure on, with another bet of 500. That scares away one more players, but two others call again. Is our "rags" kicker good enough for this?

ON THE RIVER: 5

Ugh - that opens the door for trouble. Anyone on a straight draw just made it. The first man in line checks. We pull out chips, as if we're about to bet again - but then think better of it and check. The third player ponders for a few seconds. If he bets, he probably runs us off. But he checks.

"I have an Ace," we say as we show. The other players.... don't even show! They apparently missed their draws or had smaller pairs! We win a big pot of more than 4,000 chips, and reach the first break at a high of 16,125.

The trouble is, we never made it any higher. Good cards such as K-Q didn't convert into pairs for us in the second hour. Then when we saw pocket Jacks, we took on an aggressive woman across the table. She bet 2,200 on a meager-looking flop. We went all-in for 8,400, and she called.... with Q-Q! Her Queens held on to top our Jacks, and we missed the final table. We finished 13th out of 19 players.

MINISTRY MOMENT: A man two seats to our left won the first three hands of the night. That started jokes about whether he could win every hand and score a perfect game. One man suggested a sidebet on it.

"I would bet against me making it," the winner admitted.

"C'mon now," said the man between the winner and us. "You've got to have faith."

That was our opening. "I'd rather have faith in God, than have faith in him winning every hand."

The men smiled at that thought. But it reminded us of a line a well-known radio preacher said years ago: "Everyone has faith.... in something. The question is, what is your faith in?"

If you put all your faith in yourself or in other people, you're likely to be disappointed....

But man, despite his riches, does not endure; he is like the beasts that perish. This is the fate of those who trust in themselves, and of their followers, who approve their sayings. Selah. - Psalm 49:12-13

Sad but true - our bodies eventually wear down and die. But God promises to resurrect us, at least to a moment of judgment (Revelation 20:11-12). And if you put your faith in God and Jesus Christ now, that moment will be better than you might think:

For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. - Ephesians 2:8 (KJV)

Faith in God can lead to salvation and eternal life. And did you notice the amazing thing about it? It's not really our faith that does it. It's His faith, which God gives to believers through His Holy Spirit.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness.... - Galatians 5:22

It starts by asking God for something the first disciples of Jesus requested when He was on Earth: "Increase our faith!" (Luke 17:5) If you'd like help in doing that, please leave a comment; we'll be happy to help you.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 201 final tables in 546 games (36.8%) - 41 cashes.

An Apology from "Jesus"

The online poker crackdown happened seven years ago. An explanation about it from a poker legend took less than 45 seconds - and may raise more questions than it answers.

Chris "Jesus" Ferguson posted a very short video this week about the "Black Friday" federal intervention. Ferguson reportedly was Chairman of the Board of Full Tilt Poker when it happened. He may have paid millions to the government to settle a civil case while repaying people with frozen bankrolls.

The transcript of Ferguson's video, posted by CardPlayer.com, includes this:

I deeply regret not being able to prevent Black Friday from happening. After Black Friday, I worked relentlessly to ensure that all players got paid back. And, I sincerely apologize that it took as long as it did.

That's not enough for some poker players, including Daniel Negreanu who mockingly called it "so heartfelt." Others are left wondering why Ferguson brought out the apology now - whether it has anything to do with the renewed hopes for state-run poker websites.

We're not going to judge Ferguson's motives. Instead, we're thinking about the real Jesus - the One who was sinless, and never had to apologize to anyone for anything....

So watch yourselves. If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. - Luke 17:3

There are three parts to Jesus's instruction in this verse. We need to watch ourselves and our conduct, especially as events move toward Jesus's return:

Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man. - Luke 21:36

Second: rebuke a "brother" who sins. We were challenged by a preacher last weekend to dare to say the word "sin" again, as many think it's improper now. But we should start with close friends (in church or outside) who may be wandering from a godly way:

Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. - Galatians 6:1

Third: forgive the brother who repents - even if you have to do it over and over:

If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, "I repent," forgive him. - Luke 17:4

We'd note Ferguson did not use the word "repent" - a word that implies admitting doing something wrong, and turning in the opposite direction from it. Time will tell if he actually does that; he'd probably have to return to poker site management to have that opportunity.

Follow the poker "Jesus," and you may run into some regrets. Follow the Jesus of the Bible, and you never will.

Poker Night 536: The Grand Opening

If you show up late for an event, you might miss something big. In sports, that could mean a first-inning first-pitch home run or a kickoff returned for a touchdown. In poker.... well, check what happened Wednesday night at Hollywood Casino Indiana:

BLINDS: 25/50

IN THE POCKET: Ace of clubs-King of spades

Talk about a slow night for poker. Only three people have shown up for the tournament! The single cash game table seems to have open seats as well. But we were on time, and received good cards for the first hand of the night.

We limp in with them as first to act. A man across the table raises to 425. Then a visitor from central Ohio re-raises to 950! This seems promising, so we simply tag along by calling. So does the other man.

ON THE FLOP: Kc-Qc-10c

Big cards. Good cards! We have top pair, top kicker and a flush draw. The Small Blind checks. The Big Blind offers 500. Slow and steady still could win our race, so we call again. As we recall it, the Small Blind folds. But what does the visitor have? Hopefully not two pair....

ON THE TURN: 6s

Nope, not what we wanted. The Big Blind bets 500 again. Now we're more concerned about a possible two pair - but we suddenly realize something. The Jack of clubs would give us a royal flush! We'll call 500, hoping for the best.

ON THE RIVER: Jc

The dream card comes true! But what we can do with it? The Big Blind checks, giving us an open floor. We ponder for a moment, then decide to test our betting opponent by tossing out 1,000. He says no, and folds.

"I don't think I've ever had this before," we then say....

"Royal flush," the Small Blind guesses. He's correct, and we prove it. The Big Blind never shows his cards.

"I only wish more people had been here to see it!" we admit. (Not to mention giving us more chips.) We advance from a starting 12,000 chips to nearly 15,000.

The tournament attendance eventually grew to eight total players. But our chip stack went down, more than up - as several quality cards missed flops, and we missed draws. We won a couple of pots, but dropped to 6,450 at the first break.

We certainly didn't want to be the first player out after opening with a royal flush, so we tightened up from there. A timely pair of pocket Aces allowed us to triple from 3,300 to 9,900. Then other players pushed without success. We were still in the running at the second break, even with a short stack of 12,900.

Four players remained at that point, and it was a winner-take-all contest for money. But as the third hour started, our visitor went all-in. We had A-8, dared to call.... and ran into K-K. A third King on the flop did us in. A memorable night ended with us in fourth place - a result that sounds good, as long as people don't bring up phrases like "small group."

MINISTRY MOMENT: "Is that gold bouillon?" the man from central Ohio asked when he saw our card protector. We let him look closely as we revealed what it really depicts - an artist's depiction of the "Lord's Supper."

"He's on your side," the man said.

"I hope He is," we replied. God indeed has come to the aid of His people many times through history....

If the Lord had not been on our side - let Israel say - if the Lord had not been on our side when men attacked us, when their anger flared against us, they would have swallowed us alive.... the raging waters would have swept us away. - Psalm 124:1-3, 5

The Biblical King David wrote these words from personal experience. He spent a long time on the run, as King Saul tried to kill him so someone else would be heir to Israel's throne (I Samuel 18-31). David praised and thanked God for personal protection.

But to be truthful, life ultimately is not about whether God is on our side. The question is whether you are on His side - and there's a big difference.

...Jesus answered, "You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me." - John 18:37

Why listen to Jesus Christ? Because He is the truth (John 14:6) - and He pointed interested people to the Scriptures, as God's "word is truth" (17:17). The Lord added:

He who is not with me is against me.... Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it." - Luke 11:23, 28

To borrow a Christian cliché, obeying the Bible will help "get you on God's good side." We think that's far better than the alternative. What do you think?

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 195 final tables in 536 games (36.4%) - 40 cashes. Since we have no control over who shows up (or doesn't) for a tournament, a one-table night still counts as a final table to us.

Avoiding Pride Parkway

Come to think of it, maybe there was  a Ministry Moment from our first poker tournament in Indiana. It came when we mentioned we were heading to a final table, without winning a single hand.

"That's something to be proud about," a dealer told us twice.

We really didn't think so, and quietly said so. But many players might have made it a "pride point." In fact, our new home is not far from "Pride Parkway" - a section of Kentucky State Highway 16 that leads to a Pride Park. We're not sure how those places received their names. But they're places we'd rather avoid - at least spiritually. Why?

When pride comes, then comes disgrace.... - Proverbs 11:2

Pride only breeds quarrels.... - Proverbs 13:10

A man's pride brings him low.... - Proverbs 29:23

When the Bible talks about pride, it's usually not a good thing. We heard a Christian radio preacher note the other night that Luke 14 is a chapter completely about the perils of pride. We'll let you read it, and see if you can find the reasons why he said that.

Back at the poker room, we added a few words for the dealer about the alternative to pride. The Bible speaks of that, too:

...But with humility comes wisdom. - Proverbs 11:2b

...But a man of lowly spirit gains honor. - Proverbs 29:23b

We've written here before that poker is a game that keeps you humble - or, at least, it should. How many players have bet the farm on pocket Aces, only to see an opponent with pocket 4's or worse crack them with three of a kind?

One of Jesus's apostles put it this way....

...All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. - I Peter 5:5-6

We think that means you shouldn't sit down in a poker room with a head bigger than the table. Or to put it another way, don't get stuck in Pride Park!

If we're blessed by God to have any tournament success at all, we give the praise to Him - maybe not always at the table, but certainly here.

Poker Night 534: Hungry for Jack

We now can reveal our new poker base, after walking in unannounced for a tournament tonight.

JACK Casino is located at the east edge of downtown Cincinnati. It opened two years ago, and in some ways is unlike any casino we've ever visited. We'll explain some of those ways in upcoming posts. But for now, let's see what happened in our first trip to a poker room in close to two months....

BLINDS: 100/200

IN THE POCKET: Q-2 offsuit

A $75 entry fee in the Monday night tournament gets you 15,000 chips, and everyone starts equal. We split an early pot in a blind fight, when we both played two pair and an Ace on the board. Now we're in the Big Blind with about 14,800 chips, and no one has raised. Of course we check. About four players are in.

ON THE FLOP: Q-2-4

Right on, well, Q! We have two pair. The Small Blind checks, and we're ready to go with a bet of 350. But to our surprise, a young woman to our left (apparently a poker room regular) raises to 1,100. Other players fold, and we're left with a decision. Is she playing a game of "Test the Newbie"? Or does she have something like 4-4, which led to three of a kind? We call to find out.

ON THE TURN: 4

This puts a pair on the table, and compromises our 2. If she has a 4, we've stepped into trouble. We check to be safe. Thankfully, she checks as well.

ON THE RIVER: 6

We're still not sure what our opponent has. Maybe it's pocket Kings?! We check out of caution again - and are delighted when she checks again.

"I have two pair," we say. "Well, I had two pair on the flop. Now I have three pair."

The woman says nothing.... and mucks her cards! Apparently we had her topped all along. In any case, we gain about 1,700 chips.

A big gain came minutes later, when a man went on tilt and all-in after a controversial hand. We had 10-10, dared to call - and won a race against A-Q for an 8,500 chip gain! That gave us a comfortable cushion through a period with few quality cards.

The first break came at the two-hour mark, and our high of about 25,000 chips was down to 16,500. But then we made a timely nut flush (not shown) to regain thousands. Tight play worked again - as other players dropped out, and we survived to the final table with 14,700!

Once there, we went for it all with K-Q of diamonds. But a caller with A-Q gained an Ace on the flop to eliminate us. On a night with 41 players, we finished ninth. That missed the money by three places, but we left the casino satisfied and thankful.

MINISTRY MOMENT: This tournament may go down as the chippiest we've ever played - and that includes some nights in small bars. Several players were penalized for acting out of turn. Several players demanded penalties be imposed on other players. And after one disorganized hand, a man said Jesus Christ's name out loud.

"He's my hope of salvation," we said quickly.

We're not sure he heard us or wanted anything to do with it, as he stood up to stew a bit. But this leads to a reminder of being careful with what we say....

He said to them, "When you pray, say: 'Father, hallowed be your name, your Kingdom come.'" - Luke 11:2

Jesus wanted the name of God the Father to be hallowed. That word might remind you of Halloween, but it really means to "make holy, sanctify, consecrate.... honor as holy." In other words, treat the name of a great God with great respect. And since Jesus is God (John 1:1), His name should receive respect as well.

But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned. - Matthew 12:36-37

What have you said about God and Jesus lately? Are you in a habit of saying those names in an angry way - as a curse at a poker table, or elsewhere? If so, please see the need to repent of that sort of language. Even if children aren't around to hear it, God is. And He may take it more personally than you expect.


UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 193 final tables in 534 games (36.1%) - 40 cashes. So far in 2018, we have four final tables in 12 tries.

Poker Day 533: Donut Bites

Our current situation (which we're not really comfortable posting here right now) presented us with a wide-open Sunday afternoon. And the pricey "deep stack" tournament at Kansas Star Casino might be our only opportunity to play all week. So we drove down the turnpike today, to be amazed by how packed the place was - in the poker room and outside.

BLINDS: 25/50

IN THE POCKET: King of hearts-King of diamonds

Even though we arrived 20 minutes before the starting time, we were third on a waiting list to play. We've barely sat down with our 12,000 starting chips, but clearly the stacks and small blinds have the full table in a betting room. So with K-K (which we call "the donuts"), we raise to 400 in late position. Three players call.

ON THE FLOP: 9d-4h-5h

So far, so good. The players check to us, so we bet another 500. As we remember it, two players call.

ON THE TURN: 6h

Now hold on here. Three hearts in a row open the door for all kinds of trouble. A man across the table seems to stir up some, by betting 800. Did he make a straight? A flush? Or both? We suspect the real answer is "none of the above," and he's testing the newcomer. So we call, since we have an overpair and our own flush draw. We're now heads-up.

ON THE RIVER: Ac

No flush, but not much more comfort. We're pleased when our opponent checks. So do we.

"I have Kings," we say. To this moment, we don't know what the opponent had. He folds, so we're left to guess it was a bluff. We win a nice pot of more than 2,000.

We won a couple of other hands, to hit a high of 14,800. Then we took our own chances with small blinds and a big stack, but they didn't work. We were 25 above our starting total at the first break.

Then in the second term, everything went wrong. A-Q missed the flop for us twice, and raising players made us fold. Pocket 8's lost as well. We endured the entire 80-minute period without winning a single hand! Our stack deteriorated to a lowly 900 at the break, leaving us one remaining hand. We tried with Q-5 of hearts, but diamonds showed up and a flush fight knocked us out.

We ended the day around 44th place, out of 79 entries. But at least we followed up on our blackjack success of Thursday night by going to a table and recovering $20 of our $95 entry fee.

MINISTRY MOMENT: "I'm an honest man," a young man said as he turned over his cards to end a hand.

"Not to mention humble," we added. This brought a few chuckles from our end of the table.

Then we remembered a story we'd heard on Christian radio. "A congregation gave a pastor a trophy for being the most humble man in town. He brought it to church the next week.... and they fired him."

That's the funny thing about humility, isn't it? The Bible says we're supposed to have it....

Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands. Seek righteousness; seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the Lord's anger. - Zephaniah 2:3

....and yet the seeking of humility can turn into a trap. Jesus told His own story about that:

Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: "God, I thank you that I am not like other men - robbers, evildoers, adulterers - or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get." - Luke 18:10-12

The Pharisee prayed, thanked God, fasted on a regular basis and tithed to the temple. Those are all good traits. But Jesus continued....

But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, "God, have mercy on me, a sinner." I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. - Luke 18:13-14

Translation: the Pharisee prayed with a sense of pride - even arrogance toward the despised other man in the temple. The tax collector humbled himself before God, admitted his sins and pleaded for God's mercy.

It's easy to get a "big head" in a poker room when you win a tournament or make a lot of money. We should thank God for whatever blessings come our way - but be careful to do so in a humble way. Give God the glory from start to finish. The result could be even greater blessings than you expect.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 192 final tables in 533 games (36.0%) - 40 cashes. Experiment update: Down $260.

The R.O.I.

"You usually don't play cash games," a poker dealer said as we passed the poker room entrance Thursday night.

"True," we replied. "But I'm here for something else."

We explained an unusual Thursday night trip to Kansas Star Casino was for a blackjack tournament. It guarantees a $20,000 prize pool with a $10,000 top prize, for a mere $35 buy-in.

Since we've had small gains at times playing blackjack and the buy-in was less than for a casino poker tournament, we decided to try it. Thursday's first night of qualifying had room for 108 players - but apparently not every seat was filled, as the Director invited late entries on the house mic before the third round.

We sat at a table of six in the first round, with a starting stack of $500 in chips. Everyone had 18 hands to build the biggest stack they could, using regular blackjack rules.

When the first count was taken after 12 hands, we had $962.50. That put us second at our table. But with the top 30 players on the evening advancing to the semifinals, would that be good enough?

Not knowing where "the cut" would come (to borrow from golf), we increased our betting in the last six hands. Ups and downs came, but a $250 payoff on the final hand gave us a final count of $912.50. That was second-best at our table, behind a man with $1,275. Two players went for it all on the final hand, and went bust.

We had to wait until 9:30 p.m. for the evening rankings to be revealed - and we were satisfied to place 19th. First place had $3,075, while the 30th-place cut was $640. All 30 of us move on to the semifinals 22 February, but we'll have to do better then. Only the top player at each table will move on to the finals, and only the top six finishers overall will make money.

"This reminds me of Jeopardy," we told a woman next to us at the table - as in how much to wager and when. We started at $25, and increased slowly from there as our stack grew.

But our 82.5% chip gain reminded us of something else. It's a parable of Jesus....

He said: "A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. 'Put this money to work,' he said, 'until I come back.'" - Luke 19:12-13

In this familiar Bible story, most of the servants put their "chip stacks" of one mina each to work. Eventually the king returned to check on them:

The first one came and said, "Sir, your mina has earned ten more." "Well done, my good servant," his master replied. "Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities." - Luke 19:16-17

A big reward for the servant who increased his stack by 1,000%! Another servant had a 500% return on investment, and received a five-city payoff (verses 18-19).

Then another servant came and said, "Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it away in a piece of cloth. I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man...." - Luke 19:20-21

As someone told us at a poker night in Georgia years ago, "Scared money don't win." It didn't win here....

His master replied: "I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant!... Why then didn't you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?" - Luke 19:22-23

Refusing to bet the $500 at the blackjack tournament would not have made the cut. The king wound up removing the mina from the scared servant (verse 24). A parallel report of the parable offers this lesson from it....

For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. - Matthew 25:29

This parable has meaning far outside the casino walls. Jesus went to heaven to become King of Kings, and He'll come back to earth someday....

For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done. - Matthew 16:27

Among other things, Jesus will check to see what you've done with the "talents" (to use King James English) that God has given you. It's called the day of judgment:

...The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. - Revelation 20:12

You may think your "chip stack" in life is small. But God has given each of us the breath of life. What are you doing with that, to provide an "ROI" for what the "royal original Immanuel" has provided you?

Fake News

For perhaps the first time, we took a lugnut for a car tire to a poker room this past Sunday. It was our "card protector" and conversation starter - and on December 24, we had an extra line ready.

"I'm just nutty enough to think Jesus was not born on December 25."

Does that surprise you? The Christmas holiday has built layer upon layer of tradition and celebration onto the presumed birth date of Jesus. But if we make the Bible our guide, we find a lot of that is what Heartland Poker Tour announcers call "running without the ball."

While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keep watch over their flocks at night. - Luke 2:6-8

The key issue here is the timing of the shepherds' watch. The NIV Study Bible claims, "Flocks reserved for temple sacrifice were kept in the fields near Bethlehem throughout the year." But other ministers realize late December was the cold, rainy season in that area - so shepherds who really cared about their sheep would not be out then.

Those ministers also note the birth date of Jesus was borrowed from pagan Roman tradition. And did Jesus or His disciples tell the early church to keep that day, or command them to say "Merry Christmas?" The Bible shows no sign of it. Instead....

Then came the Feast of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was in the temple area walking in Solomon's Colonnade. - John 10:22

Some Bible commentaries (and even a few translations) note this was the Hanukkah festival - an event some Jews mark to this day.

If this also surprises you, consider this: Jesus was not born a "Christian." That term developed after the church was founded (Acts 11:26). But Jesus had a Jewish heritage....

Now Jesus himself was about 30 years old when he began his ministry. He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph, the son of Heli.... the son of Amminadab, the son of Ram, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah.... - Luke 3:23, 33

It's sad to admit, but a lot of Christians have mixed what we call "fake news" with the story of Jesus Christ. It's thus no wonder that some people dismiss Christianity and the Bible completely.

But instead of doing that, we challenge you to read the Bible "without spin." See what it says about Jesus, His life and actions without the "peer pressure" of ministries and preachers. Then act on what you read. Hopefully it will be much closer to "the truth" - which is what Jesus claims to be (John 14:6).