Poker Night 562: Better by the Dozen?

"We're at table 12 on 12/12," our dealer properly observed at Hollywood Casino Indiana Wednesday night. "And we start with 12-K" - as in 12,000 chips.

In fact, one donut chain called it the "Day of the Dozens" and offered a special discount. But instead of driving there after work, we drove to Indiana. The five-dollar buffet special was (pun intended) a more well-rounded meal. But would the number of Jesus's original disciples (Matthew 10:1) and the tribes of ancient Israel (Revelation 21:12) have deep meaning for us? A test of that came early....

BLINDS: 25/50

IN THE POCKET: 6-6

We joked with the dealer before the tournament started about playing A-2 (sort of like 1-2). But 6 + 6 = 12, right? So in the first few minutes, this pocket pair is a must-play! With no one raising, it's even better. As we remember, three players at a slowly-growing table of eight are in.

ON THE FLOP: 10-8-2

Not much to brag about there - and no one is betting. So we toss out 125, hoping for a quick win. Except one player calls; the others fold.

ON THE TURN: 8

The board pairs. We have two pair. Our opponent now checks. But what if he has a third 8? We decide to be cautious, and check as well.

ON THE RIVER: Q

Finally a face card - and our opponent acts on it. He bets 300. We suppose he could have been waiting for that. But we conclude this is a "test your mettle" bluff, maybe with Ace high. We call. Are we right?

The other man shows.... 10-5! There was no bluff. He hit top pair, and simply waited us out to win the pot.

But on this night, more good cards came. Our stack went up and down, but was a healthy 17,575 at the first break. Hour Two was worse, with bad decisions leaving us at the edge of the cliff with 6,700. But then came Hour Three - and back-to-back pushes with A-Q and A-J led to double-ups, and a total of 24,800!

After we lost to A-K to a man's pocket Aces, we reached the final table with 17,400. But setbacks struck as blinds went up, and finally we pushed again with King-Queen of spades. A man with A-J pushed first and won the race. On a night with 21 players (come to think of it, that's the reverse of 21), we finished a respectable seventh. (Only the top three earned money.)

MINISTRY MOMENT: "Is that a pager or a pencil sharpener?" a dealer asked at one point about our card protector.

"It's a reflector," we explained to our table, holding up the small red item we'd taken before. "It's a reminder to me that I should reflect the light of Jesus Christ."

Perhaps you've been a bit confused about that light. Two Bible verses can seem contradictory at first reading....

But while I am here in the world, I am the light of the world. - John 9:5 (NLT)

Jesus called Himself "the light." Yet He also declared....

You are the light of the world - like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. - Matthew 5:14 (NLT)

So which is it?

Actually, it can be both. And that's where our reflector comes in. We can reflect the perfect light of Jesus to other people. As one great song puts it, believers can "shine like the moon" which reflects the sun shining on it. Jesus seemed to understand that:

Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, "I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won't have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life." - John 8:12 (NLT)

If you hold a flashlight close to a mirror, the intensity of the light should be stronger. So how closely do you follow Jesus's life and example?

For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps. - I Peter 2:21 (NLT)

That's the part of "following" which might scare some people. Not everyone appreciates God and Jesus Christ. They might put you down, and occasionally even beat you up. But reflecting God's goodness now will be rewarded someday with eternal life. Upon reflection, isn't that worth it?

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 211 final tables in 562 games (37.5%) - 44 cashes.

The Star of Our Show

When some people enter a poker room or tournament, to borrow a pro wrestling cliché, their reputation precedes them. Think of famous names such as Ferguson, Hellmuth or Negreanu.

When we walk into a poker room, it's usually the opposite. Unless other players read this blog or have seen us before, they don't know a thing about us. In a way, that can be a good thing - putting the element of surprise and uncertainty into our play.

We play online from time to time at PokerStars - but we do not claim to be one personally. As a follow-up to our last post about "lucky stars" in casinos, here's the "star" we really hope to represent....

I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony to the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star. - Revelation 22:16

Jesus has many titles, and only a few of them are mentioned here (see verse 13 for more). Why would He call Himself a star? A hint to the answer is hidden in the Old Testament....

I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel. He will crush the foreheads of Moab, the skulls of all the sons of Sheth. - Numbers 24:17

Believers looked for that "star" for a long time. Then came an amazing time....

...Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the one who has been born King of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him." - Matthew 2:1-2

Bible experts believe the "Magi" (called "wise men" by some) knew astrology/astronomy well. A miraculous star led them to the baby Jesus (verses 8-10). And the Bible indicates Jesus shines like a star now:

...Among the lampstands was someone "like a son of man," dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest.... His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. - Revelation 1:13, 16

This "Morning Star" will return at the darkest moment of human history, with Earth on the brink of extinction. Several chapters of Revelation describe how that will occur.

So Jesus is the "Star" we follow - the One we try to reflect. And thanks to a current hit Christian song, we have an answer for people who might think we have "lucky stars" to thank for any success in poker. No, it's not that. We're simply thankful for God's love.

Time for a Change

We hinted in our last post that something was about to happen with us. Now we can reveal what it is.

After almost five years in our home state of Kansas, we've accepted a new full-time (at least for now) job in another state. The move is happening in a hurry, so Sunday marked our last poker tournament in the Wichita area.

Here are the final results from our poker days in Kansas:

Kansas Star Casino - Eight final tables in 47 games (17%); six cashes
Other Wichita poker rooms - 33 final tables in 51 games (64.7%); 10 cashes
Tournaments elsewhere (Kansas/Missouri/Oklahoma) - Six final tables in 13 games (46.2%); 3 cashes
WPT League - Five final tables in 17 games (29.4%); no cash awarded

Grand total: 52 final tables in 128 tournaments - a healthy-looking 40.6 percent!

But we should point some of those "other Wichita poker rooms" had only enough players for one table - and they were all shut down by police two years ago. And we're ending the tournament "experiment" we started last November with a loss of $260, despite three cash wins in four months.

We should be able to keep playing tournament poker in the place where we're going. But we've decided it's not easy for us to make a living at it. It's a "side hustle", but nothing more.

Regular readers know this will be our second move to another state since we started this blog. As a wise person once said: "The only thing constant in life is change." Yet some things in our lives are exceptions to that....

I the Lord do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob are not destroyed. - Malachi 3:6

Some people make this a blanket statement about God. He never changes anything. Period. Yet careful Bible readers can spot times when God changed the rules for doing things.

The Lord said to Moses, "Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water...." - Numbers 20:7-8

God told Moses earlier to strike a rock to get water (Exodus 17:6). In his anger, Moses struck the rock in the second case. He defaulted to God's original instructions - and paid for it:

But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them." - Numbers 20:12

So sometimes, God can change His ways. And even more importantly, He wants you to change yours.

Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. - Isaiah 55:7

To borrow from a classic rock song: you've got to change your evil ways. Read the Bible carefully, then examine yourself.... asking: Is that what I'm doing?

(P.S. Blog updates may diminish over the next few weeks, due to our move.)

High hand, or high-handed?

Today we reach a milestone - 1,500 posts on this blog! That's something to celebrate, much like winning a big poker tournament.

If you want to win the tournament, you'll probably need to have the highest hand most of the time. If you win a pot with a royal flush, that's the highest hand of all.

But there's another kind of "high hand" that we're thinking about right now - and so are observing Christians and Jews. It's this one....

And they departed from Rameses in the first month, on the 15th day of the first month; on the morrow after the Passover the children of Israel went out with an high hand in the sight of all the Egyptians. - Numbers 33:3 (KJV)

It's easy to crack poker jokes about what this "high hand" might have been. A full house? Nope; the Israelites left their homes empty. A straight? Well, maybe - but they wandered around to get to the Red Sea.

But to be serious, we're in a season picturing the time when Israel was allowed to leave Egypt and head for the promised land. Other Bible translations say they went out "with boldness" or "defiantly." The English Standard Version says "triumphantly" - but the victory was only partially their doing.

The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt. - Exodus  12:13

These were instructions from God. The Israelites did their part, marking homes with blood from sacrificed animals. Then God did His - striking dead the firstborn of all Egypt, and causing such anguish that the Egyptians were happy to get rid of a people which had been slaves.

Yet in our time, a third definition of "high hand" has developed. "Arrogant or arbitrary in manner" is how our hardbound dictionary defined someone who is "high-handed." That is something God does not want to see - even if you have a high hand at the table:

The fear of the Lord is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the forward mouth, do I hate. - Proverbs 8:13 (KJV)

Arrogance is linked here to pride. God wants your attitude to be exactly the opposite, when you play poker and live your life....

But he gives us more grace. This is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." - James 4:6

Some believers go so far as to eat unleavened bread (such as matzo or crackers) for seven days - what some call the "bread of humility."

So we're really celebrating a seven-day Biblical feast, more than we are 1,500 blog posts. But we're trying to do so with the right kind of "high hand" - thankful for God providing triumphs in our lives, from poker pots to victory over stubborn sins. We humbly thank all of you who take time to read these posts, and invite you to comment on where you're reading and what we can do better.

One False Step

The Thursday night National League of Poker online tournament was our best in months. We were hitting big cards, making big hands and winning large pots. At the one-hour break, we had 24,560 chips -  good for tenth place out of 1,170 total entries!

Then came the second hour, and this critical moment....

BLINDS: 400/800/100

IN THE POCKET: 2-6 of clubs

The NLOP format for this tournament has a maximum six players per table. Trouble is, we've been placed to the right of the chip leader. His stack is huge compared to ours - well above 40,000. But we start this hand with about 25,000 chips. With about 30 big blinds, we can be a bit "creative" with these cards. We call, and about three players are in with no one raising.

ON THE FLOP: 10-5-4 (order may not be precise)

An ordinary flop with a hopeful straight draw. We check. As best we recall, the table checks.

ON THE TURN: 7

Our chances of hitting a straight now have doubled, but we sense a chance to win the pot right here. We bet 800. Mr. Big Stack calls, to our disappointment. The third player folds.

ON THE RIVER: 8

Yes! The straight comes through again! With no flush threat, we bid again for the pot. This time we bet 2,800. But our chip-leading opponent isn't scared. He goes all-in!

We have 22,800. Only a couple of combinations could beat ours - but this opponent has shown during the night he can bluff with very little. After several seconds of agonizing thought, we take the dare. We call. "If he has 9-6," we say to ourselves....

Then comes the computerized showdown.... and he has 9-6! He wasn't bluffing, and hit a higher straight on the river!

"Wow. Very good," is all we have time to write as he takes our big stack away. He writes "LOL" and some kind of scoffing insult in response. After a big 90-minute run, we finish in a lowly 165th place.

We offer this as proof that few hands in a poker tournament are "safe" hands. Other players can put you at risk at any moment, so you have to be careful at all times. Out lives work the same way....

They moved the ark of God from Abinadab's house on a new cart, with Uzzah and Ahio guiding it. - I Chronicles 13:7

What does "a la cart" transport in the Bible have to do with this? Keep reading....

When they came to the threshing floor of Kidon, Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the ark, because the oxen stumbled. The Lord's anger burned against Uzzah, and he struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark. So he died there before God. - I Chronicles 13:9-10

At first reading, this may seem awfully unfair. Touch an ark, and God strikes you dead on the spot?! Well, yes - because there were rules for such things:

After Aaron and his son have finished covering the holy furnishings and all the holy articles, and when the camp is ready to move, the Kohathites are to come to do the carrying. But they must not touch the holy things or they will die.... - Numbers 4:15

The ark was considered holy to God. Uzzah touched it. He died. Right then and there.

"But I thought God was love," you might say. "What about grace and mercy?" God indeed has those traits - but he's also a God with rules. In the same way, we made a bad decision Thursday night on the river - and under the rules, our tournament dream died. (The re-buy deadline had passed.)

Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. - Ephesians  5:15-16

One wrong action can be costly in a poker room. And in driving to and from it. Ask God for wisdom to help you make the right moves at all times.

From Am- to Pro?

Longtime readers know we learned to play poker in Columbus, Georgia. The city had a "free poker" circuit in bars (we always bought a soft drink as a courtesy), which was vibrant for a city its size.

But now, our old stomping ground may be ready for the "big time." In a surprise to us, the Columbus Council is asking the Georgia Legislature to approve a casino gambling bill. It would have to be approved by voters at the polls.

A few community leaders want to put a casino in a part of town which historically hasn't done well economically. Yet since we left, "Columbus South" (at least they used to try calling it that) has been improving. A Walmart SuperCenter opened at a busy intersection, and new motels have sprung up to support an Army post next door with an impressive museum.

The biggest surprise in the story we read about this proposal is that a Baptist pastor, who leads a local ministerial alliance, endorsed a casino vote. He explained people should have a right to vote on such things  "That's the only horse I have in this race," he said. (Your jokes about a horse racing analogy go here.)

We're sure other pastors would take issue with that view. They could reach for their Bibles to do it....

Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, "We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it." But the man who had gone up with him said, "We can't attack those people; they are stronger than we are." - Numbers 13:30-31

Here was a "referendum" on Israel entering the promised land. Two views were offered by people who had scouted the land. What did the people decide?

That night all the people of the community raised their voices and wept aloud.... And they said to each other, "We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt." - Numbers  14:1, 4

Their "vote" not only was no - it was for rejecting God's leadership of their wandering in the wilderness, and going back to a land where they were slaves to Pharaoh! The supporters of entering saw this reaction for what it really was:

If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. Only do not rebel against the Lord.... - Numbers 14:8-9

The Lord had set the agenda to this point - leading Israel to the brink of Canaan. God wanted to give it to the people (Numbers 13:1). But the people in effect voted no, rebelling against God. What was His reaction?

The Lord replied, "I have forgiven them, as you asked. Nevertheless, as surely as I live and as surely as the glory of the Lord fills the whole earth.... , not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to these forefathers. No one who has treated me with contempt will ever see it." - Numbers 14:20-22

Our point is this: put God's will up for a public vote, and the people will vote against it more often than not. That was true with ancient Israel (we could cite other examples), and many ministers would say that's true today with opening casinos.

We'll say more about this casino debate in a future post. But for now, to borrow from our outgoing President: Don't vote - obey. That sounds awfully simplistic, but history probably will be on your side.

Poker's 11

The ultimate goal in a poker tournament is to play "heads-up." If you only have one opponent, it's easier to plan your strategy -- and probably easier to figure out what he/she has.  And if you're heads-up at the end of a tournament, that means you're in the final two. That's likely to mean good money. That happened to us last Sunday at Prairie Band Casino.

But to get there, we had a starter table unlike any we'd faced before.  There were 11 players crowded around one table.  We're used to a maximum of ten.  But apparently this tournament had 31 entries, and the directors decided against having someone waiting in the wings.  (Why they didn't have four tables of seven or eight, we have no idea.)

Ten may seem like the perfect number for a table -- as well as other things.  For instance, the U.S. Bill of Rights had ten original points.  And it's a number that comes up a lot in the Bible....

Moses was there with the Lord 40 days and 40 nights without eating bread or drinking water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant - the Ten Commandments. - Exodus 34:28

Some religious groups count those ten differently than others -- but the Bible shows there are supposed to be ten.  Jesus also had some "ten counts"....

At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lambs and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. - Matthew 25:1-2

Some believers make a big deal about "Bible numbers." They look for tens and sevens in Scripture more than some poker players look for 10's and 7's to make straights.  But in the end, we think a smaller number matters more...

There is one body and one Spirit -- just as you were called to one hope when you were called -- one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. - Ephesians 4:4-6

The winning number here is one - believing the one God, one Lord Jesus Christ and one Holy Spirit.  Read the Bible carefully to get in line with those "aces," and you can be united with God for all eternity.

We did our own study into Biblical numbers; we invite you to review it and offer your thoughts. In the meantime, how many players do you prefer to have at your poker table - and why?

Future Tens

As the poker world moves past the "perfect 10's" of this year's World Series of Poker Main Event champion, we asked about the number ten in the Bible.  We noted there are the Ten Commandments - and we asked where other combinations might be found.

Courtesy tenplay.com.au
 

Jesus mentioned one group of ten in a parable -- then He divided them in two:

At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lambs and went out to meet the bridegroom.  Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not have any oil in them. The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. - Matthew 25:1-4

What's Jesus driving at here?  Is this a message to "preppers" about a coming apocalypse?  Well, in a way it is. Keep reading....

But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. - Matthew 25:10

Let's apply this moment to the poker room.  We don't think it's good to show up "fashionably late" to a tournament.  You'll probably have to start with higher blinds, which means less room to maneuver - and you'll probably have to square off against players with larger chip stacks from earlier action.


But Jesus really was talking about something else - His own return to Earth. Check what happened to the five people had to go buy oil for their lamps:

..."Sir! Sir!" they said. "Open the door for us!" But he replied, "I tell you the truth, I don't know you." Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour. - Matthew 25:11-13

If you're not ready for the return of Jesus, you might miss out on something - the greatest wedding in history:

Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. - Revelation 19:7

The Bible shows believers (God's church) will be wed to Jesus, and be joined with Him forever.  It pays to be ready for that moment.  Stay close to God in prayer and Bible study to keep your "oil supply" well stocked.

We did some more Bible number-crunching, and put the results in one of our newest articles.  We welcome your thoughts about it.

Poker Day 422: And the Rockets, Read....

It's a big day for car racing fans -- with famous events in Monaco, Indianapolis and Charlotte.  Poker is known for "races" as well.  And we knew we'd have to win some to succeed at River City Poker Room.  It always helps to have a good engine....

BLINDS: 2,000/4,000

IN THE POCKET: A-A

It looked like we were doomed to an early exit, as several promising hands fell short.  But then things started to turn around, with K-Q turning into a winning Queens-8's two pair.  Now we've survived to the final table on a two-table day, with eight players remaining.  And believe it or not, we've been dealt pocket Aces for the second hand in a row!

We went all in for 22,000 on the prior hand in middle position, and had no takers (never showing what we had).  Now we have 36,000 in rather early position, so we change the strategy a bit.  We raise only to 14,000.  Most of the table bails out, but two players call.

ON THE FLOP: Q-J-7 (third card may not be precise)

With no flush risk, it's a green-light flop for us.  So we go all in again -- as it happens, for 22,000 once more.  One man folds.  A young man across the table gives it a great deal of thought.

"I'll call," he finally says -- and shows K-Q.

'You can call me Houston, because I've got Rockets," we say as we turn the Aces over.  Our opponent has 6 outs to beat us -- only about a 13% chance.

ON THE TURN: Q

The dealer clearly doesn't watch poker on television, because she doesn't even give us time to say Nooooooo....

ON THE RIVER: 5

Our opponent caught a third Queen on the turn, and our "rockets" crash like North Korean missiles in the sea.  We're eliminated in eighth place -- and as we leave, we hear our opponent saying he thought we might have a King.  It turns out we had better, but not enough to win the race.

MINISTRY MOMENT: The dealer at our table was female. while all the players were male.  At one point for some reason, one of them referred to her as a "heifer."

"I'm insulted," she said.

"There are places where a heifer is a good thing," we pointed out.  "In Israel, a red heifer is a very good thing."

This seemed to stump the table, as we figured it would.  A man at our left asked about it.  "Check it in your Bible," we suggested.

We're not sure if he will.  So let's show it to you....

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron: "This is a requirement of the law that the Lord has commanded: Tell the Israelites to bring you a red heifer without defect or blemish and that has never been under a yoke." - Numbers 19:1-2

Not just any ol' heifer - but a red one.  It was slaughtered and burned (verses 3, 5).  And then....

"A man who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer and put them in a ceremonially clean place outside the camp.  They shall be kept by the Israelite community for use in the water of cleansing; it is for purification from sin." - Numbers 19:9

So this heifer's ashes had a special specific use: cleaning ancient Israel's sins.

Some religious people in our day still consider a red heifer a big deal.  We've heard stories of U.S. ministries sending them to Israel -- dropping a hint that it's time to rebuild a temple in Jerusalem and hurry the second coming of Jesus.  So let's ask: what do you think of all this?  Offer a comment, and we'll offer our thoughts in an upcoming post.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 150 final tables in 422 games (35.5%) - 25 cashes.  We are a perfect five-for-five in making final tables so far this year!

Poker Day 406: Toss Across

A newcomer at a poker room has a bit of an advantage, because no one else knows how they play.  That may have helped us on our first trip to Arrowhead Poker two weeks ago.  But the disadvantage is that we don't know how others play. Let's see if the tables turned on us today....

BLINDS: 100/200

IN THE POCKET: King of hearts - Queen of hearts

Early feelers haven't worked for us; in one case we folded 8-8 to a big bet on the flop and missed a winning 8 on the river.  Now we have great-looking suited connectors, and a man ahead of us at our table of seven has raised to 700.  We're happy to lay low and call; about half the table is in.

ON THE FLOP: Q-10-4 (no hearts; last card may not be precise)

Top pair and a strong kicker give us hope.  But an older gentleman across from us seems even more optimistic; he tosses out 2,000 without a care.  We're puzzled by what he has (two pair, maybe?!) - but we feel strong enough to call.

"If you called, I'm folding," a man next in line from us.  He was one of the dealers on our last trip to Arrowhead, and will reveal later in the game that we "play tight."  Doesn't he realize loose lips can sink ships -- such as ours?

ON THE TURN: 9

We're now heads-up against the older man, and he tosses out 2,000 more.  This actually makes us more skeptical about what he has -- now thinking he has a Queen only.  So we call again.

ON THE RIVER: A

Without hesitation, our opponent flips out his last pink 5,000 chip to go all-in.  He's been tossing chips like coins into a fountain -- but that Ace was absolutely the last thing we wanted to see.  So we take a moment to think about this.

"If you've got an Ace..." we finally say.  He says nothing.  We conclude (admittedly more out of hope than a read) that he missed some kind of flush draw.  "I'll call."

Sure enough -- our opponent flips over A-J.  He chased a winning hand to the river and won it, throwing up big bluffs along the way.

We never recovered from that big loss -- finally going all in for our last 2,500 with our own A-J amid rising blinds.  Another man went all-in for even more, then showed A-K.  The board paired, but his King kicker was better.  On a day with only two tables playing, we missed the final one by finishing 13th.

MINISTRY MOMENT: The pre-game talk turned to a penny someone had picked up along the way.  What, if anything, made it a "lucky penny"?  Someone said it had to be face-up.  This was news to us.

"All I know," we told a man next to us, "is if you find ten pennies, you tithe on one of them."

Are you familiar with a "tithe"?  The word means a tenth, and it's often used in church-speak.

A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord. - Leviticus 27:30

These instructions to ancient Israel were for an agricultural society.  It's different from an "ante" in poker, where everyone contributes the same amount of chips pre-flop.  The amount of the tithe depended on how much of a crop people produced.

The tithe was given to he Levites, who served as ministers -- then national leader Moses passed along a "tenth of that tithe" to Aaron the priest (Numbers 18:21-28).  We suppose poker rooms work somewhat the same way; a certain amount from buy-ins is set aside for covering the room's expenses and salaries.

You might be giving more than a tithe of your income to the government today, in the form of taxes.  But have you given God His tithe?  There's a promise for those who do:

"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house.  Test me in this," says the Lord Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it." - Malachi 3:10

God blesses those who give -- especially if you give to Him.  One way to do this is through a church congregation.  It's only fair to repay ministers who work hard to preach God's Word and provide us spiritual support.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 140 final tables in 406 nights (34.5%) - 22 cashes.

I've Got a Secret?

"Thanks for giving me your house key," we said to our older brother as we stayed with him for a day during our recent vacation.

His response threw us for a moment.  "Did you win?"

No, we didn't win at the poker room we visited.  But he won the discussion, by knowing one of our locations without our even bringing it up.

Our brother might have guessed at the visit based on this blog, or our recent habits.  But it turns out he had to review his computer's online browsing history for some kind of Internet activity -- and he noticed we'd called up a couple of casinos in the area, looking for a place to play.

There's a lesson for all of us to gain from this -- especially if you're "sneaking out" to play poker without telling your family or friends.  Does someone close to you oppose your poker habit, perhaps because you're gambling away vital money?  An ancient leader named Moses warned....

But if you fail to do this, you will be sinning against the Lord; and you may be sure that your sin will find you out. - Numbers 32:23 (emphasis ours)

How does it "find you out"?  Smart people (like our brother) can track down your online habits, to see if they're for your good or harm.  And suspicious minds can follow you around in other ways (check TV series such as Cheaters for proof).  Whether or not you're good at hiding your trail, keep in mind:

The sins of some men are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them. - I Timothy 5:24

That "place of judgment" ultimately is the judgment seat of Jesus Christ, where everyone will stand someday (II Corinthians 5:10).  We think it's best to follow the advice of a hymn, and "live transparently" -- with your activities open before God and man.  And even better....

In the same way, good deeds are obvious, and even those that are not cannot be hidden. - I Timothy 5:25

If you're hiding a bad gambling habit, work on developing a good one in its place -- one that's a lot less expensive, and maybe others will appreciate.

The Gift of Gold

A man stayed in the hand with weak cards, but caught the exact right card on the river to take a nice pot.  The Tournament Director was playing at the table, and was stunned.

In response, the Director pulled out gold chips worth 5,000 -- and proceeded to give one to everyone at the table except the big winner.  "This is for sucking out," the Director explained.  "Don't tell the other tables I'm doing this."

We were playing at this table, so we received one of the valuable gold chips.  But something didn't seem right about this.  "This doesn't seem very fair," we noted to the Director with an innocent-sounding voice.

"If you'd like me to give a gold chip to everyone at the other tables, I will," the Director offered.

Talk about a sudden ethical dilemma.  This Director was offering us (along with about four others) a competitive advantage over the rest of the tournament field -- a "leg up" we seldom have, since the other players tend to outspend us for bonus chips, in terms of food and drinks.

How would you have responded to this situation?  Before we share our answer, let's get some Biblical guidance.  Would Jesus pull this kind of stunt?  There are plenty of Scriptures to indicate He would not....

For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. - Deuteronomy 10:17

We fear there are some believers who think they gain special favor or protection from God because they give more than ten percent of their income to a church, or attend services every week for years.  But the Bible record suggests otherwise:

....Your Father in heaven.... causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. - Matthew 5:45

And yet there are times in the Bible when God clearly selected a few people for doing something special.  It occurred in the Old Testament....

Then Moses said, "Now show me your glory."  And the Lord said, "I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence  I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion." - Exodus 33:18-19

God also chose to speak "face to face" with Moses -- a privilege not granted to his siblings, even though they complained about it (Numbers 12).  What makes the difference in these cases?  The New Testament offers a clue:

Then Peter began to speak: "I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right." - Acts 10:34-35

In this week of U.S. and Canadian patriotism, is it simply a case of "God Bless America"?  No - it's more about God blessing the worshipful and obedient, no matter where they live.  Peter grasped this concept long ago, because Jesus accepted him back after denying the Lord three times at a crucial moment (John 21:15-19).

So what did we finally decide to do, regarding that 5,000-chip bonus?  Read the answer.... in a future post.

Poker Night 322: A Wing and a Pair

Big Dog Poker has a new Sunday night "free spot" -- Mr. Wing Sports Grill, near St. Francis Hospital in Columbus.  Since it was a rainy Sunday with little else to do and our schedule for this week is a bit different, we stopped by tonight.

The "grand opening" sign was out, the service was outstanding (we received a soda refill for the road without even asking) and a man at our table praised the chicken wings.  In short, the place impressed us.  Maybe a bit too much, judging from a few hands we played....

BLINDS: 25/50

IN THE POCKET: 10 of hearts - 10 of diamonds

We're in the Big Blind, early in the game.  After a modest loss with a missed flop, we have 5,500 chips when the blind is removed.  No one at this full table raises, and the play has been tame so far.  Would you elect to turn up the heat, seeing this nice pocket pair?  We're tempted, but we decide after a moment to check and "play possum."

ON THE FLOP: 5s-5c-Ac

We wanted to see numbers here, not letters.  We have two pair with a "top kicker," but that kicker could be something anyone is holding.  The small blind checks, and we decide to semi-bluff to test the waters.  We bet 300, and several players call.

ON THE TURN: 7c

This card seems harmless to us.  But we're still puzzled by what our opponents have, so we check.  A man across the table spreads out 700.  This might be a signal to some players to fold, but something tells us to press on.  We call, as do one or two others.  "No club," a man then says.

ON THE RIVER: Jd

Wish granted for him.  Not really for us.  We now feel seriously defeated, so we check again.  The earlier bettor offers 1,300 -- and we wonder to ourselves what we were thinking earlier.  Playing firm and stubborn seemingly got us nowhere here.  We fold.  Someone else calls -- and the bettor shows Kc-2c.

It's admittedly not a good excuse, but the poker tables at Mr. Wing were set up around big-screen TV's.  The action on two screens distracted us at times.  (Have you ever played poker to The Cleveland Show?)  So we never realized three cards for a flush were showing.  That man hit it.  At least we minimized our losses.

We thought an early exit was looming, as another big loss dropped us to about 1,200 chips.  But then good cards came to win us a couple of all-in bets.  We rebuilt to 3,350, then missed with A-J and dropped to 1,550 at the one-hour break.  Then came one of those second-hour comebacks, as a couple of pushes paid off to get us to 6,500.  Two more pot wins (including a "Big Blind Special" with 10-5 bringing two pair on the flop) and we reached the final table with 17,000.

But with seven players left, we had a Queen in the Big Blind and saw Q-8-4 on the flop.  We went for it, pushing again with top pair.  A man across the table didn't hesitate to call -- then showed 8-8.  His three of a kind took another player out with us.  Yet a night of ups and downs ended on an uptick, as we wound up tied for sixth place.

MINISTRY MOMENT: Our small bottle of Liquid Paper was back on the table tonight as a card protector.  We told a man to our left, "I brought this to remind me that Jesus can wash my sins whiter than snow?"

That man then asked an excellent question.  "Do you need the bottle to remind you of that?"

We paused for a moment -- then confessed.  No, we really don't need that bottle.  But we're aware some people wear crosses around their necks as a symbol of their commitment to Christ.  The idea actually goes all the way back to ancient Israel.

The Lord said to Moses, "Speak to the Israelites and say to them, 'Throughout the generations to come you are to make tassels on the corners of your garments, with a blue cord on each tassel.  You will have these tassels to look at and so you will remember all the commands of the Lord, that you may obey and not prostitute yourselves by going after the lusts of your own hearts and eyes.'" - Numbers 15:37-39

Let's open the blog for discussion on this.  Do you carry something as a reminder of your relationship with God and Jesus Christ?  Do you intentionally avoid doing such things?  Why or why not?  We'll look more closely at this in an upcoming post.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 114 final tables in 322 nights (35.4%) - 17 cashes.  The "first of the week" game succeeds again, with six final tables in the last eight on Sunday through Wednesday nights.

Call His Bluff?

"God does not bluff, when it comes to change."  We heard a speaker say this during a worship service this weekend -- and of course, the poker side of our brain paid attention.

The speaker made that statement, while referring to a dramatic moment in the Old Testament - when a group rebelled against Moses and his leadership:

Then he said to Korah and all his followers: "In the morning the Lord will show who belongs to him and who is holy, and he will have that person come near him.  The man he chooses he will cause to come near him." - Numbers 16:5

Their version of "showdown" came the next day....

Then Moses said, "This is how you will know that the Lord has sent me to do all these things and that it was not my idea: If these men die a natural death and experience only what usually happens to me, then the Lord has not sent me.  But if the Lord brings about something totally new, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them, with everything that belongs to them, and they go down alive into the grave, then you will know that these   men have treated the Lord with contempt." - Numbers 16:28-30

Verses 31-35 show events transpired exactly as Moses said.  The death toll was high for challenging God's set-up for doing things.

We can gain a couple of lessons from this.  For one thing, the Bible promises this same kind of judgment will happen again -- on a worldwide scale:

For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do.... they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. - I Peter 4:3, 5

We didn't post the list of things "pagans choose to do" at the end of verse 3.  But look it over, and you might  find parallels with what people experience on poker nights in bars and nightclubs.  The Bible promises their "day of reckoning" is coming.

"But wait," you may be saying.  "This was promised a long, long time ago.  It hasn't happened yet!"  That's true.  And Peter even admits that fact.

First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.  They will say, "Where s this 'coming' he promised?  Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation." - II Peter 3:3-4

But the apostle doesn't stop there.  He answers with a warning:

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness.  He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. - II Peter 3:9

You can scoff now, and think God's words of warning are all a bluff.  But God holds a "king of kings" named Jesus, who will come to judge the world and claim final victory.  Whose side will you be on then -- and should be on now?

Sunday Rewind: The Numbers Game

Some poker players have "favorite hands," that they love to play. (Why would anyone prefer something other than A-A, anyway?) Others have what they consider "lucky numbers."

In our last post, we mentioned what some people in Freemasonry apparently consider an unlucky number -- 33. The reason: Jesus died at that age. The thinking behind this comes from the book of Luke:

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

Many Bible scholars believe Jesus's ministry lasted 3 1/2 years, based on a prophecy in Daniel 9. So the Lord would have been 33 when He was crucified. But if that makes 33 a bad number, how do we explain King David?

David son of Jesse was king over all Israel. He ruled over Israel 40 years -- seven in Hebron and thirty-three in Jerusalem. He died at a good old age, having enjoyed long life, wealth and honor.... -- I Chronicles 29:27-28

There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with that 33. And that brings us to our point: some Christians seem to get caught up in "Bible numbers" so much that they risk forgetting the Bible's key message. It's a bit like poker players concentrating so much on the percentages of a hand succeeding that they don't take other factors into account.

Instead of worrying about numbers, why not do what an old hymn says? "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus. -- instead of countless distractions. As Jesus put it:

For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. -- John 6:40

If you're still interesed in Numbers.... well, it's the fourth book of the Old Testament.

High-Handedness

This is a big week for Jews and practicing Christians -- the "Passover season," or the Days of Unleavened Bread. It marks the time when ancient Israel sounded like it was playing poker.

"And they departed from Rameses in the first month.... the children of Israel went out with an high hand in the sight of all the Egyptians." (Numbers 33:3, KJV)

We could have some fun joking about what sort of "high hand" the Israelites had:

* A full house? No, they left their homes (Ex. 12:37).

* A straight? No -- check a Bible map and you'll probably see their exodus was a rather wandering path.

* A flush? No -- because the pursuing Egyptian army was flushed away at the Red Sea (Ex. 14:27-20).

We're open to ideas on this, but we think Israel's "high hand" was simply a pair. Moses was the human leader. And the Lord brought His children out (Ex. 12:51), leading them with an interchangeable pillar of cloud and fire (Ex. 13:21).

As some ministers like to say: one person and God can make a majority. Make God your partner -- not only during the Spring Holy Day season, but all year long.