Chinese Checking

Our current home is southern Kansas - a state where less than three percent of the population is Asian. Yet for the second year in a row, we received an invitation to celebrate Chinese New Year at a nearby casino.

The offer of a midnight buffet featuring "curry dusted frog legs" didn't really appeal to us. But a coupon for a five-dollar lottery ticket by playing a table game enticed us to make the trip. We couldn't stay long on a Friday afternoon, but we went to an Ultimate Texas Hold 'em table to see what would happen.

BLINDS/ANTE: $5/$5

IN THE POCKET: 6-6

Pocket pairs pre-flop can be a good thing - but a low one like this is potential trouble at a regular table.  Yet in "Ultimate" play, your only opponent is the dealer.  But still we're wary, and choose to check inside of doubling down.

ON THE FLOP: A-K-5

Flops like that are the reason why.  We check again, at the sight of two big cards.

ON THE TURN/RIVER: 10-10

A running pair actually gives us some comfort.  It probably shouldn't, but it does in this case.  We bet the required $5 to stay in the hand with two pair.... and find the dealer misses the board!  It's a $15 gain for us.

Our investment of $60 reached a high of $65 - and we chose to leave at that point. Given our recent casino trips, any gain in Ultimate is a good day.  We moved to a blackjack table, where the odds are supposedly better for winning -- but several 16's stymied us, and we lost $15 there.  It was a modest drop of $10 on the day.  Oh, and the lottery ticket didn't win us anything.

MINISTRY MOMENT: We dared to take a card in blackjack with A-7.  A King came, and we stood on 18 - but other players at the table wondered what we were doing.

"It's a free card," we explained.  Not for them - as they feared we'd lead to something that would help the dealer.

"Rules are made to be broken," a man to our left said.  Perhaps he said it to encourage us - but he actually opened a door.

"Some rules are made to be obeyed," we told the players around us.  "I read a book that's full of rules. It's called the Bible."

One man to our right seemed to nod his head in understanding.  But sadly, some religious groups - and even some Christian groups - would take issue with our comment.  They might say something along these lines: "Christianity is not a list of do's and don'ts." Is that accurate?

"Why do you ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. "There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments." - Matthew 19:17

Some claim Jesus did away with the Ten Commandments. If that's true, why did He make this comment?  And then go farther?

"Which ones?" the man inquired. Jesus replied, "Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother, and 'love your neighbor as yourself.'" - Matthew 19:18-19

Jesus lists half of the Bible's "big ten." And this list is repeated in two other gospel accounts of the Lord's life (Mark 10:18-19; Luke 18:19-20).  The apostle Paul even lists some of them in a letter after Jesus's resurrection (Romans 13:9-10).


Christ made it clear: keeping God's key laws are vital for entering into eternal life.  They were written for us to obey - even now.  Is that what you're doing?

Two-Minute Warning

Kansas Star Casino seemed busier on December 24 this year, compared to last year.

"Wait until tomorrow," we overheard one table game dealer tell his players.  "People will have all the cash they got as presents."

But we were there on Wednesday night, hoping to make money player 1-3 cash game poker.  We went on a waiting list, and received one of those "your seat is ready now" electric plates you might get at restaurants.

We walked around for a long time, stopping to watch table games.  Finally after about 30 minutes, we decided to sit down at Ultimate Texas Hold 'em to bide our time and perhaps make a gain.  And wouldn't you know - during our first hand at the table, the notifier went off.

We had good cards in that one hand, but the dealer beat us and we lost $20.  With $40 in chips left and $40 in our wallet, we went back to the poker room desk.

"Minimum $100," the attendant told us.  That standard hasn't changed, and we came prepared to offer that $100.  But that one hand elsewhere in the casino had changed everything.

"I played one hand over there, lost $20, so I only have $80," we admitted.  We could have walked over to the ATM, withdrew $50 more and been ready to play.  But instead, we handed our electronic gizmo over and said "thanks, but no thanks."

We wound up losing $70 back at the Ultimate Texas Hold 'em table.  But we learned quite a lesson without even sitting down.  It was a lesson in patience -- waiting even longer than you might think, to obtain what you really wanted.

"Patience is a virtue," we often hear.  It's a helpful trait to have while playing poker -- folding lesser hands while waiting for good cards to come.  And we think it's valuable in all aspects of life.

A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense. - Proverbs  19:11

Some players bet big right after losing a tough hand, saying they're "trying to win my money back."  Sometimes that works; sometimes they dig themselves an even deeper hole.  That's where patience needs to govern our play -- as it should everything we do.

Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm because the Lord's coming is near. - James 5:7-8

We live in an area where "winter wheat" grows. Farmers know better than to harvest it during winter. Seeds lie in the ground, absorbing moisture from rain and snow until plants begin to shoot up in spring.

Maybe you have to develop patience by telling yourself to be patient -- over and over again, if necessary.  That would have made all the difference for us this week.  We might have won big in the poker room -- but then again, we might have lost our entire $100. We'll never know in this life. May you develop the patience that brings a good harvest, in poker or elsewhere.

Can I Get a Witness?

The moment admittedly felt awkward.  After a wonderful Sabbath day with good food and Biblical preaching, we sat at sunset in a car in the parking lot of a casino.

It's closer from our church hall to the casino than to our home.  So we decided for one Saturday evening to go there from church -- hoping to win some money and do a little ministry.

A dealer saw us standing near his table wearing a suit and "Praise Jesus" lapel pin, and gave a respectful (perhaps stunned) nod.  Then he went on with the game, because his table was full.

We finally found a Ultimate Texas Hold 'em seat, next to a man in a very verbal mood.  He asked us not to say "Boom shaka-laka" ("Boom goes the dynamite" was acceptable) - and we proceeded:

BLINDS: 5/5

IN THE POCKET: Q-7 offsuit

Nothing worth shouting a boom about here.  We check.

ON THE FLOP: 7-10-K (last two cards not precise)

As best we recall, we have bottom pair.  Our practice at the online Ultimate game has taught us to be wary about betting bottom pair.  It's tempting, but we check.

ON THE TURN/RIVER: Q-Q

The house is full, and we're quietly happy.  We bet the $5 to stay in.

The dealer turns over his cards, to show a flush - but we have him topped.  A player to our left has a better hand, and his full house pays well.

"I have a boat," we say as we quietly turn over our cards.

Except the dealer doesn't recognize that - and he starts to take or cards and chips away!

"He's got a full house," a man next to us says before we can speak up.  He saw it, too -- and the dealer apologized.  He points to the empty "trips" diamond, where an extra $5 bet would have paid us 8:1.  But instead, we get a $25 payout (blind paying 3:1).

We didn't tip the dealer - but probably should have tipped the player to our left, for speaking up in our behalf.  In legal terms, he was our "advocate."  And whether or not you play poker, we all need one.

Even now my witness is in heaven; my advocate is on high. - Job 16:19

Job said this in the midst of a difficult trial.  Without his knowing it, God had allowed the devil to take away practically all his belongings in life.  It was a test -- and at this point, Job was passing it by stating his faith in God.

My intercessor is my friend as my eyes pour out tears to God.... - Job  16:20

Who is Job talking about?  We're led to think he knew something about a Savior who would come to Earth much later, then go back to heaven:

Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died -- more than that, who was raised to life -- is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. - Romans 8:34

There he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.  - Hebrews 7:25

Jesus can intercede and be an advocate at the throne of God in your behalf, too.  But you have to believe in Christ, and His ability to do that.  Are you willing to do that -- so God the Father doesn't declare you an ultimate loser?

P.S. We wound up losing $50 at the table, after having a modest gain for a moment.  The chances of us repeating the "church-casino" double are slim, at best.

Slots or Not

Not all "casinos" are created equal.  We learned this on our vacation, when we stopped at a small one along a U.S. highway in western Oklahoma.

The casino consisted of several rows of slot machines -- and little more.  We looked around, walked right back to the car and drove away.

But the next day, we cashed in a "birthday bonus" at a casino near our home.  We were awarded five dollars in free slot play.  We picked a machine somewhat at random -- and in only a couple of minutes, our five-dollar gift went away with winnings of only 95 cents.  That was enough for us.

Maybe we're wrong, but slot machines strike us as pure gambling.  It's all luck, with no skill or thinking involved.  We agree with the preachers who openly mourn the older people who drop dollar after dollar in this way.

Table games such as poker have a degree of luck, to be sure.  But many times, you have to think a little and consider your chances.  Exercising a bit of skill moves slightly toward fulfilling a proverb:

Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished, but he that gathers by labor shall increase. - Proverbs 13:11 (KJV)

A different Bible translation puts the last part of the verse this way: "Money earned little by little will grow and grow."

That actually happened to us after our slot machine test.  We sat down at an Ultimate Texas Hold 'Em table, won three hands in a row and gained $35.  Then this happened:

BLINDS: $5/$5

IN THE POCKET: 4-6 offsuit

That doesn't look promising.  But as some poker players like to say, any two cards can win.  There's no penalty in checking, so we do.

ON THE FLOP: A-A-5

Not too thrilling for us.  Maybe a longshot straight or full house will come.  But we know better than to bet two times our blind on that.  We check again.

ON THE TURN/RIVER: A-3

A man to our right suddenly is excited.  Three Aces are on the table.  If we had plunked down five more dollars on the "trips" option, that would have earned us $15 -- enough to break even.  But we don't normally play trips at live tables (only online with pretend money), so we miss out.  We fold.

When that man's turn comes to show his cards, he displays a fourth Ace!  "Quads," the dealer announces to the pit boss.

That man truly has a reason to be excited.  Quads pays 30 to 1 on the "trips" button, and 10 to 1 on the blind.  He wins something in the neighborhood of $500.  We sat one seat away from a jackpot.

At that point, we have to leave to go home and run errands.  "Be sure to tithe on all that money," we tell the big winner.  He nods a bit as he smiles -- leaving us to wonder if he knows what that word means.

You people are robbing me, your God.  And, here you are, asking, "How are we robbing you?"  You are robbing me of the offerings and of the ten percent that belongs to me. - Malachi 3:8 (CEV)

A "tithe" is ten percent.  God has required that of believers since the days of ancient Israel.

I am the Lord All-Powerful, and I challenge you to put me to the test.  Bring the entire ten percent into the storehouse, so there will be food in my house.  Then I will open the windows of heaven and flood you with blessing after blessing. - Malachi 3:10 (CEV)

The "ice bucket challenge" is a fad of the moment.  God dares you to take the "ten percent challenge."  We give God a tenth of our poker winnings, through the church we attend.  Will you do the same, and claim His promise of abundant blessings?

A Little Extra Time

Andres Cantor ranks among this country's best soccer broadcasters.  But as we drove up the highway on a Sunday afternoon, he frustrated us - as he seemingly refused to give the score of the World Cup Finals during the second half.

Our path home from another event took us past a casino, and we had our casino card just in case we had to time to stop for a little play.  Cantor's drama finally proved the deciding factor.  We stopped at the casino to watch the remainder of the match -- and only after walking to a big-screen TV near a bar did we understand what was happening.  Cantor gave no score because there was no score - a 0-0 tie.

The tie remained after 90 minutes, so we walked to an Ultimate Texas Hold 'Em table to (a) see if we could pay for our gas on the trip and (b) watch the overtime periods.  We answered some general soccer questions for a man sitting to our right, who didn't seem to know the game well.  But poker he knew; he had a much bigger stack of chips than we did.

BLINDS: $5 (plus $5 ante)

IN THE POCKET: 8-2 offsuit (as best we recall)

Any two cards can win, they say - but these cards aren't likely to take us anywhere.  But it's free to check, and so we do.

ON THE FLOP: 6-8-6

OK, we'll take that back!  Two pair looks good in this game, so we plunk down a $10 bet (two times the blind).  This commits us for the hand, and there's no further action required on our part.

ON THE TURN/RIVER: K-5

We're feeling confident, although the King makes us wonder.  Then the dealer turns over his cards -- and they're K-5, matching the last two!  After a couple of small early gains, this is a $20 loss.

We stayed at the table until the final whistle sounded, watched Germany's Goetze get the golden goal (your tongue twister for the day) and explained a bit more about pro soccer.  We left with a $30 loss, plus a $5 tip for the dealer.

MINISTRY MOMENT: We left trying to say something about the site of the soccer match. "May everyone follow the One shown in that statue," we said (sort of).  Rio de Janeiro is famous for a 98-foot-tall statue of Jesus Christ.

Was all that a sufficient testimony of our faith?  Some religious groups might say simply befriending the man next to us and answering soccer question was a "witness" enough. But that strikes us as an example, more than a witness.

A truthful witness gives honest testimony, but a false witness tells lies. - Proverbs 12:17

We've heard church pastors say Christians are to be "lights" and not "loudspeakers."  But if a witness says nothing about what he or she has experienced, will anyone get the message?  Based on our years walking a Christian walk, a few people might -- but not many.

This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. - I Corinthians 2:13

The apostle Paul believed in speaking what was on his mind -- and the things of Jesus were on his mind often.  If we dare to speak about Christian things, some people around us still may not get the message.  But at least they'll have heard it -- and they'll be without excuse when they stand before Jesus for judgment.

A Time To Lend

A promotional card enticed us to head to a casino this weekend. We had "25 bonus entries" to win $1,000 in slot machine play -- which would have been interesting had we won, because we never play slot machines.

But we took $60 to the Ultimate Texas Hold 'em table.  The $5 table was surprisingly open, as only two players were beside us for awhile.  But one needed our help at one point....

BLINDS: $5 (plus $5 ante)

IN THE POCKET: 4-8 offsuit

Ugh.  This doesn't look promising - but anything can happen on the flop, as the dealer can't raise to drive us away.  So we check.

ON THE FLOP: K-7-7

That highway must be in our state somewhere.  But it's not on our road.  We'll check again -- but first, the player on our right is anxious.

"What do I do?  I don't have the money to bet!" he says.  It looks to us like he has $10 in chips, but he clearly wants to do more than that -- and he apparently doesn't have extra cash.

"Can I borrow $5 from you?" the man finally asks us.  "I'll give it right back.  I've got a 7."

At any other place and occasion, we probably would have said no.  But he's made a promise and he's sitting right next to us.  So we hand over one of our $5 chips, so he can bet 2x the blind.

ON THE TURN/RIVER: 9-6 (as best we recall)

We wisely fold.  But our borrower wins big, as his "trip 7's" top the dealer and get a big payoff.  And yes, the winner then gives us back that $5 chip.

"Always tip the dealer," we joke.  "Or in this case, the lender."

The man did not do that.  And we eventually lost $55 of our $60 at that table (dropping the other $5 in a quick time of blackjack).  But it was an opportunity to practice giving -- something we all really should do.

We have different gifts, according to the grace given us.... if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously.... - Romans 12:6-8

So far in 2014, we've had an amazing ten encounters with beggars around our area.  We haven't gone looking for them; they've simply crossed our path or come to us.  In fact, we stopped for a street-corner beggar at a traffic light on the way to this casino trip.  We held up traffic and probably infuriated a few drivers, while we hurried around to open our trunk and give a man with a "HOMELESS" sign a small bag of food.

We do these things because we're trying to follow the example of God....

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. - John 3:16

The greatest gift God ever provided for you and me was Jesus.  And why did the Father and Son do this?

For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! - Romans 5:10

Our $5 loan at the casino table helped a man win, well, maybe $50.  God's gift is much better and long-lasting -- salvation and eternal life.  Will you accept Jesus, the gift God offers you?

Friday Night Lights

The setting seemed strange -- and for us, it certainly was.  We sat at a blackjack table at a casino, well after sundown on a Friday night.  No one had dragged us there against our will.  We'd made the decision to go.

But we should start at the beginning.  Last Friday was Valentine's Day, and the church movement we attend has taught for many years the "holiday" is wrong.  It's based on pagan Roman traditions, as opposed to the Bible....

Thus says the Lord. Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. - Jeremiah 10:2 (KJV)

Yet in recent years, the church association we attend has taken this view of Valentine's to what we considered an extreme.  An article posted last winter was moved up to the association's top-level magazine this year.  It says....

What about showing love on Valentine's Day if I'm not doing it for pagan reasons? Isn't that okay? No, because the expression of that kind of "love" is still rooted in a former pagan holiday. True Christians must not adopt pagan festivals as holidays, for they are to strive to please God in everything they do.

Based on this paragraph, any display of love on February 14 is wrong.  And it continues....

It's a good thing to express your love toward others through a card, flowers, dinner out or any number of other ways. But don't do it under the trappings of a pagan holiday like Valentine's Day!

So with this instruction in mind, we try hard not to love people on Valentine's Day.  This year we sounded gruff at work -- even shouting in frustration at one point.  We grunted or mumbled when we met people, as opposed to saying friendly such as "Hello."

But this year was different, because the night of February 14 included the start of God's seventh-day Sabbath:

Remember the Sabbath Day by keeping it holy.  Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God.... the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. - Exodus 20:8-11

If it's wrong to express love toward others on February 14, we said to ourselves, shouldn't it be equally wrong to express love toward God on that day?  After all....

This is love for God: to obey his commands.  And his commands are not burdensome.... - I John 5:3

So, we logically concluded, it's wrong to love God on February 14.  We responded by not praying on that day, studying our Bible or listening to Christian radio.  And as a 6:08 p.m. sunset approached for Sabbath, here's what we did:

5:55 p.m.: We exercised with a two-lap 24-minute speed-walk at a relatively empty mall.  With no socks on, a big blister developed on our left foot which made us limp a little the rest of the night -- but then again, we shouldn't love ourselves on Valentine's either, right?

6:30 p.m.: With a loud rock station playing on our car radio, we went to an ATM and withdrew $100 -- the sort of money-handling we'd normally do on Friday afternoon.

6:35 p.m.: We drove toward the casino south of town -- but had to change the radio station when it cleverly followed the song Deal With the Devil with Living On a Prayer.  We moved to a Spanish-language station - wary of any song with too much "amor."

7:00 p.m.: We "limped in" (literally) at the casino and entered without problems.  A big crowd was on hand -- with an especially long line for the buffet restaurant.

We walked slowly around, especially looking for the "heads-up" poker machine we'd played at another casino the previous weekend.  But it wasn't in the small area with poker machines, so we concluded this casino didn't have it.  After pondering what to do, we sat down at an Ultimate Texas Hold 'em table (barely acknowledging the dealer) to see what would happen.

BLINDS: 10 (+ 10 ante)

IN THE POCKET: J-3 of clubs

We had an early small win, but this is nothing to get enthusiastic about.  We simply check.

ON THE FLOP: Jd-9d-7d

Wrong suit -- right top card!  It's worth a "double down" $20 bet, freezing our hand.

ON THE TURN/RIVER: 7x-6d

Uh-oh -- a fourth diamond hit the board.  We have two pair, but if the dealer has a diamond, we're sunk.

After a last round of betting, the dealer does not show a diamond.  Instead he shows.... 7-5.  That's three of a kind, and we're sunk anyway.

Another loss left us with $30 from our starting $100 -- barely enough to play another hand at the $10 table.  So we left there and walked around some more....

(NOTE: This entry will continue in a future post.)

Five-Dollar Come Along. Part 2

So we sat down at the Ultimate Texas Hold 'em table -- but not the one we wanted.  The $5 table was full and seemed to have several people waiting.  So we went to the $10 table and turned in our lottery coupon.

We took only $60, and had to plunk down $20 at the start of every hand -- $10 for the blind, $10 for an "ante."  We made an early gain with two pair.  Then came this hand....

IN THE POCKET: K-3 offsuit

Unlike the other players at the table, we have NOT put down an extra $10 on the "trips" option.  If you make three of a kind or better, you win money no matter what the dealer shows.  We're choosing to follow the old advice of financial counselors and "build wealth slowly."  There's little reason to think we'll build here, so we check with these cards.

ON THE FLOP: A-10-3

A pair of 3's isn't bad -- especially considering we're only playing the dealer, whose cards are face-down and cannot be changed.  Even though it's bottom pair, we decide to be daring with a surplus.  We bet $20 more, locking in our hand.

ON THE TURN/RIVER: 3-7 (last card may not be precise)

Three times three equals win for me?!  We feel very good about this.  But if we had put $10 on "trips," we'd feel even better -- because that option alone would have assured us a $40 payout.

Now comes the showdown, and our dealer turns over.... 10-10!

That's a heartbreaking full house, which tops everyone at our table.  That's the peril of everybody playing any two cards -- although in regular Texas Hold 'em, the dealer probably would have raised pre-flop with his pocket pair and chased us away.

.We had a surplus for awhile, but would up quitting when out $60 dropped to $30.  It was a small loss, with a five-dollar lottery ticket offering hope for winning some of it back.

"I won $10," another person at our table said about his lottery ticket.  But alas, we did not.  None of the five games had matching numbers to win money -- although most of them came tantalizingly close.

What can we learn from all this?  Many things, probably.  We're reminded of how fleeting riches can be....

For riches do not endure forever, and a crown is not secure for all generations. - Proverbs 27:24

A church elder told us years ago he considered the stock market gambling, every bit as much as a casino trip.  Stock prices indeed can go up and down every day.  We've found there are long-term gains in the market, as long as you don't panic at the low points.  And even if they drop....

He has caused his wonders to be remembered; the Lord is gracious and compassionate.  He provides food for those who fear him; he remember his covenant forever. - Psalm 111:4-5

God can meet your needs, even in tough times -- especially the spiritual ones.  We can speak personally of God doing that for us in recent years, during job trials.  Are you trusting in a savings account to help you through -- or in a God who can provide all that, and the even more valuable gift of eternal life?

Too Long at the Fair

We were due for a night like this.  We went to Kansas Star Casino hoping again to make quick money playing Ultimate Texas Hold 'em - but lousy cards came our way four hands in a row.  At a ten-dollar table, we lost $90 in no time.

We left and walked around the casino, pondering what to do.  Do we cash in our remaining $10 in chips and go home?  Do we dare risk that $10 on a cheap blackjack game?  (No, we concluded -- every time we passed a blackjack table, the dealer was getting heartbreaking wins.)  Do we reach into the "envelope of blessings" we carry for the remaining money inside?

After several minutes of sports-watching and pondering, we decided to reach.  We made change for the remaining $100, and only plunked down $50 at the table.  And what do you know -- the tide turned in our favor!  Several quick wins transformed our $60 into $160.  We had the money back, plus $10.

We knew that streak had to end eventually -- and it did on the next hand.  We could have packed up, left with a $10 loss and thanked God for a good comeback.  But we stuck around, hoping to get back on the "plus side."  Only we didn't.  The losses returned -- and we wound up going home with a $160 loss.

At that moment we were reminded of a man at a regular poker table who talked of losing $300 in a cash game.  "Why don't we ever get out?" he moaned.

That's a very good question.  Perhaps part of the answer can be found in a very familiar Bible verse:

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.  Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. - I Timothy 6:10

Notice carefully: the love of money isn't the root of evil.... but it's certainly one of them.  We can be so eager after winning a little that we stick around, dreaming of winning a lot -- and the law of averages comes back to bite you.

You want something but don't get it.  You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want.  You quarrel and fight.  You do not have, because you do not ask God. - James 4:2

This may sound strange -- but looking back to the start of the night, we probably didn't pray enough about what was going to happen inside the casino.  We certainly didn't pray for God's wisdom in being a light to other people. (We tried to be in the second trip; that's an item for another post.)  Ignore God in prayer, and He well could ignore you....

Come near to God, and he will come near to you.  Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. - James 4:8

We take the blame for not following the advice of fictional TV anchorman Ron Burgundy: "Let me out at the top." That door was open.  We didn't take it.  We needed to keep a wise godly head at that moment -- instead of waiting until we drove home, confessing our faults to God and resolving not to go back to that casino for awhile.

The Big Giver

Getting a seat can take some waiting.  But we're finding we like "Ultimate Texas Hold 'em" games in casinos a lot.  This weekend we scored our third cash gain in as many tries.  And on top of that, the atmosphere around the table seems friendlier -- since everyone competes against the dealer, not each other.

"What I'd like," said a man to our left Saturday night at Kansas Star Casino, "is a royal flush or a straight flush.  I'd give everyone at the table $100."

Aha -- sounds good!  But then he added: "The last time I made a straight flush was 1987."

"So you're due," we told him hopefully.

"Overdue," a woman to his left added.

Straight flushes don't happen very often, of course.  And for that matter, neither does the attitude of that man -- especially when it comes to poker.  It's an attitude of giving, and it's downright Biblical.

Give, and it will be given to you.  A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap.  For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. - Luke 6:38

In a typical poker room, giving is the last thing on people's minds.  A gain in a cash game normally means taking money from other players.  Winning in a tournament requires getting all the chips in play from the competition.  Sadly, many people live their lives with the same mindset.

What causes fights and quarrels among you?  Don't they come from your desires that battle within you?  You want something but don't get it.  You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want.  You quarrel and fight.  You do not have, because you do not ask God. - James 4:1-2

God is ready to provide your needs -- if you ask Him.  Oh, and don't forget....

When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. - James 4:3

Maybe we should all try asking God in prayer for blessings that we can share with other people -- especially with people in more difficult situations than our own.  That approach can fulfill something we hinted at in our last post....

Cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it again. - Ecclesiastes 11:1

On this night, the royal flush and straight flush didn't come.  But a good example of Christianity did -- at least in word.

While We Were Out

September may go down as the busiest month this blog has ever had, in terms of page views.  Two posts about a U.S. Senator ballooned the total to more 850!

Despite all this momentum, we were away from this blog for about the last two weeks -- a bit like a poker player who piles up a big stack, then leaves the table for awhile.  Before we explain what happened, here's a quick review of the poker-related activity we've done in recent weeks:

+ We filled some idle minutes at an online version of Ultimate Texas Hold 'em, staying in practice for our next casino trip.  The play is quick and addictive -- and after early gains, we lost more than 1,200 pretend dollars.

+ We played pretend cash games at Poker Stars, and practically broke even.

+ We found National League of Poker tightened its cash giveaways again.  Instead of running freerolls for money twice a day, now those games only qualify you for level 10 on a 12-step scale to win money.  It seems awfully time-consuming for little gain.

In all these cases, we did not stop at poker rooms as we have during other fall breaks.  That's primarily because our schedule and travel plans did not allow it.  But that's OK -- because we didn't lose any real money, and we focused on something much more valuable.

Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise.... it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. - Proverbs 6:6-8

A wise poker player saves some of his winnings (if he wins enough to save) for tougher times.  But even then, we should keep in mind....

For riches do not endure forever, and a crown is not secure for all generations. - Proverbs 27:24

We were focused in recent days on an annual church festival picturing the coming Kingdom of God.  It included worship and daily (sometimes very detailed) Bible study.

How much better to get wisdom than gold, to choose understanding rather than silver! - Proverbs 16:16

It's about striving for a prize much more priceless than a poker tournament's final table.

To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. - Romans 2:7

Eternal life with God and Jesus Christ is the greatest thing anyone could want.  So what are you trying to win these days?

An Ultimate Half-Hour

We withdrew $60 from a bank ATM and headed for the casino.  The casino had a poker room, where we'd never played before -- but then we found it took $100 to have a seat at the cash game table.

Too bad for us?  Actually, no.  Wandering around the Kansas Star Casino floor, we found a table where people were playing Ultimate Texas Hold 'em -- a blackjack-style version of the poker game.  After watching a couple of hands, we sat down and gave it a try.

The sign said we needed a minimum of only five dollars - but in reality you needed $15 to play a hand: five for the blind, five for a matching ante, then five more if you choose to play your two cards all the way to a showdown with the dealer.

We never plunked down pre-down money on the "trips" button in front, which promised bigger returns.  A cautious first-time approach was enough for us, and one time it paid off big....

IN THE POCKET: 4-6 of clubs

They're suited but uninspiring.  We could bet right now... but why?  We check.

ON THE FLOP: 3c-5c-Kc

OK, that was why.  We make a flush on the flop!  Now we can bet again -- and we want to go for it all.  But under the rules, we can't; we're limited to two times our ante.  We offer $10, and we're frozen from betting any more in the hand.

The turn and river cards were dealt together, and we missed our open-ended straight flush draw.  The dealer turned over 7c, which would have been perfect for us -- but happily enough, he lacked another club.  We doubled our money on the blind and ante, with a flush paying three-to-two for our "play" bet of $10.

Our $40 chip investment brought us double our money within 30 minutes - reaching a high of $82.50.  We left the table with $62.50, happy to score a gain of more than 50 percent in a hurry.

There's a lot to like about the Ultimate format.  For one thing, the dealer is helpless.  He can't change the two cards he's dealt -- and since only one deck is used, those cards are every bit as likely to be as lousy as yours.  Also, you don't really compete against the other players around the table; anyone who beats the dealer's hand gets a payoff.

MINISTRY MOMENT: There's also an opportunity to interact with players next to you at the table.  The woman to our left scored a nice pot with pocket kings.

"As they say on Christian radio," we told her, "walk with the Kings and be a blessing."

That catch phrase (with only one "King," not two) comes from a late radio Bible teacher who still can be heard each weekday.  We ask you one simple question: which King do you follow each day?  We pray it is....

....God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who live in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see.  To him be honor and might forever. Amen. - I Timothy 6:15-16