From Porn to Poker (and Vice Versa)

Most bloggers are thrilled to find people visiting their pages. We are, too - but for us, the thrill depends on what sort of visitors they are.

We've discovered in recent weeks we're getting a lot of visits from people on a pornography site. (No, we won't name it.) Maybe they're coming here to clean up their minds, after watching X-rated material. Or perhaps they've bookmarked us for changing the screen, if a boss or spouse is coming.

Some people might say poker and other casino activities lead down a path to porn. The reasoning comes from verses like this one:

For everything in the world - the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does - comes not from the Father but from the world. - I John 2:16

Casino drink servers always seem to be female - and some of them admittedly can wear suggestive clothing. If men are not very careful, that can lead to lust. And that lust simply is not of God.

But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. - Matthew 5:28

These words of Jesus come after a reminder of the Biblical command against adultery (verse 27; Matthew 19:18) - and He noted even the wrong desire for women can be a sin.

If you happen to be here after browsing Internet porn, we urge you: repent of the porn habit. Develop a "God habit" instead. After all, God's word warns....

….for the Lord searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever. - I Chronicles 28:9

Visiting this blog regularly can help you develop that God habit. But it's even better to read the Bible daily. Think carefully about what it is. Then do what it says, as best you're able. Put the God habit even above a poker habit. It's much better for you, and normally doesn't require hiding anything.

(For more on developing a God habit, check this article we wrote several years ago.)

Fossilman's Folly

It turns out last weekend was a troublesome one for poker, even outside our area.

Police in North Carolina arrested former World Series of Poker Main Event champion Greg Raymer on prostitution charges.  A statement from his attorney seems to admit "Fossilman" did it.

While other poker players are mocking Raymer online, our mood is more disappointment.  Raymer is married and a father -- so stepping outside to "look for action" (putting it in poker lingo) risks damaging his own family.

For the prostitute reduces you to a loaf of bread, and the adulteress preys upon your very life. - Proverbs 6:26

Many big-time poker tournaments admittedly are played in places where sin is known to abound, such as Las Vegas.  But North Carolina isn't really known as a "sin zone."  Sin lurks everywhere in this world -- probably even in your neighborhood.

My son, if sinners entice you, do not give in to them. - Proverbs 1:10

Whether their goal is prostitution, drunkenness or something violent, we should play a clean game - in poker and in living.

Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. - Matthew 10:16 (KJV)

Praying for God's wisdom is important -- whether you're dealing with "hooks" (Jacks) or hookers.

Poker Night 393: Hook Me Up

Readers with long memories might remember when we played poker at a downtown lounge called Hookahmeup.  The play there didn't last long, due in part to a dispute about the prize money.  But "hooks" can happen at any poker table, anytime.  At a place named Lil Kim's Cove tonight, they seemed a bit appropriate....

BLINDS: 25/50

IN THE POCKET: J-J

The game is young, we're under the gun (first to act) -- and a high pocket pair shows up.  Would you attack right away with them?  Before you answer, we'd note this is a "bounty tournament."  The man across the table from us is the bounty.  Eliminate him, reach the final table and you'll get a 20,000-chip bonus.

Only a couple of players at our table of six have raised pre-flop so far.  So we limp in to see if any will jump with a big bet.  But no one does.

ON THE FLOP: J-6-4

A third "hook" comes for tripping opponents -- and even better, it's the top card showing.  When the play checks to us, we offer 400.  That runs off several players, but a young man to our immediate right calls.

ON THE TURN: 8

That man now tests our mettle by betting 500.  Somehow we doubt he has 5-7 for a straight.  But we choose to play along, and simply call.

ON THE RIVER: 2

Now our opponent checks.  But we simply cannot, and bet 1,000.  That's too much for him; he folds, and we win the pot.

"I was chasing a straight," we recall him saying.  We don't say what we had -- well, until here and now.

We won a couple more pots in the first hour -- but then took a big loss when a man made bets in the 5,000 range with every card.  We had A-Q and a Queen came on the flop, but we decided at the river he had us topped.  Sure enough -- another player called him, and he showed pocket Kings.

We never recovered from that loss, and finally went all-in with K-J of clubs.  But not enough clubs showed up for us, nor did a pair.  A man who made a pair of 9's eliminated us in 14th place.

MINISTRY MOMENT: "That thing's worth about 20 dollars," the young man at our right said when he saw our card protector -- the gold coin with a depiction of the Lord's Supper on one side, and an artist's rendering of Jesus on the other.

"Do you believe in Jesus?  Is He your Savior?" we asked.  We might as well have put the man all-in pre-flop.

"Is Jesus my Savior?  Is He not my Savior?" he pondered aloud in a quiet ramble which was tough to hear.  "I believe He was a person.  He was a good person.  But I don't accept about half of the things He said."

The game moved along, and we never asked the man which half of Jesus's sayings he didn't accept.  So we'll turn the question in your direction.  Do you accept everything Jesus said?  Everything?  Here are a couple of quotes which might test your answer....

I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery.... Do not commit adultery.... - Matthew 19:9, 18

Jesus upheld the Ten Commandments given to Moses.  (In fact, some ministers teach Jesus actually was the "God" who gave them to Moses, as "Lord of the Old Testament.")  That includes the command against adultery, which upholds the marriage vows.  If you're thinking about divorcing your spouse, ask yourself: is it right in Jesus's eyes?  And related to that....

"Haven't you read," he replied, "that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female,' and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'?" - Matthew 19:4-5

In spite of what modern society may support and politicians may contend, this is how Jesus defined a marriage.  A man is united with a woman.  Call Christ judgmental if you wish -- but keep in mind, He'll be exactly that way when He comes again:

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. - II Corinthians 5:10

If you're resisting any of Jesus's commands and instructions, what do you expect His ruling on you will be?

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 136 final tables in 393 games (34.6%) - 20 cashes.

NATIONAL LEAGUE OF POKER TOTAL: Full tournaments - 283 point wins in 1,381 games (20.5%), 92 final tables, 10 wins, 12 cashes.  No-River Hold 'em - 27 point wins in 105 games (25.7%), 23 final tables, 1 win, 2 cashes.

Since we tend to play only cash freerolls where no points are awarded, it's probably time to change our standard in regular tournaments; watch for details about that.

But NLOP still awards points in most No-River Hold 'em games, and we had a strong week there: seventh place on Saturday night, second out of 93 players on Monday afternoon (sadly, only the winner earned money), then ninth in Wednesday's Bi-Weekly Championship (only six winning money, with no points).

POKER STARS.NET TOTAL: Pretend cash games - $86,396, up $577.

Caught in a Trap?

The talk around a poker table often centers on the game.  But sometimes it can be wide-ranging -- and as we mentioned in our last post, last Thursday night's discussion turned to marital infidelity.

 

We noted the Old Testament of the Bible declared adultery a capital crime, and Jesus expanded the definition of the term.  Yet there was a time when a group of people brought an adulterous woman before Jesus -- and His reaction was quite unexpected.

 

Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they?  Has no one condemned you?"  "No one, sir," she said.  "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. - John 8:10-11

 

Why didn't Jesus condemn this woman?  Because he sensed what was behind the entire situation....

 

They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.... - John 8:6

 

Jesus sensed traps as well as any experienced poker player.  The accusers may have been right, but their motives were wrong.  They wanted to make that woman a "sacrifice" for finding fault with a perfect Savior - when Jesus had come to be the perfect sin sacrifice for them.

 

We can gain many lessons from this passage.  One is to be wary of potential traps -- not only from people slow-playing pocket pairs, but people trying to compromise your integrity.  (Going back to last week's discussion, that can include married people pretending to be single and flirting with others.)  There's another lesson in Jesus's response to the woman.

 

....Jesus declared.  "Go now and leave your life of sin." - John 8:11b

 

Jesus showed mercy -- but he wants the sinning to stop.  In other words, don't be like these guys....

 

For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you.  They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord. - Jude 4

Whether you fall into sin or someone pushes you into it, seek God's mercy and forgiveness.  Then remember the classic advice of Dungeons and Dragons - and keep checking for traps.

 

Poker Night 286: The Last Resort

When the cards don't come and the players around you bet big, it cane make for a long quiet night at the poker table.  That can be depressing -- or it can be a test of your sense of timing.  Our test of the latter came tonight at Lil Kim's Cove....

BLINDS: 1,000/2,000

IN THE POCKET: Ace of spades - 4 of clubs

We won a hand in the first hour, when we had an Ace which paired on the flop.  But that's all we've won, as small pocket pairs were overwhelmed by big bets by opponents and missed flops.  Now we're in the small blind, starting the hand with 2,500 left.  Our blind is 1,000, and no one at the table of five raises ahead of us.

"I'm all-in," we decide after checking our cards; "500 more." (Over the blind, that is.)

The big blind throws in 500 to call.  But the dealer to our right decides that's not enough.  "I'll go 4,000 more."  Those are chips we can't win, but they put the big blind all-in with us.  That man calls, and a dealer who took two players out in the first hour by turning K-10 into a straight could take out two more.  He shows 9-9.

"An old-fashioned race here," the big blind notes.  And the cards are dealt quickly to match....

ON THE FLOP: Jc-7c-4s

We make a pair, but not the one we wanted.

ON THE TURN: 3c

Still in trouble....

ON THE RIVER: 8c

"I've got a club!" we point out.  The dealer's nines don't include one.  The big blind shows K-8, with no club.  So runner-runner keeps us alive with the main pot of 7,500, while the dealer takes a side pot and eliminates only one player.

"Good game," we try to say to the big blind -- but we gets up and leaves without acknowledging us.  And he wore a big cross around his neck, too.

That advanced us to the semifinal table, but the cards weren't much better there.  The next big blind there gave us 6-9, and we were forced to go all-in with our last 1,500 when 7-8 appeared at the turn.  But the river was J, and we missed our straight draw while another man did not.  We did shake his hand -- walking home in 12th place, and with our three-week final table streak snapped.

MINISTRY MOMENT: "What could be more wrong than cheating on another man's wife?"  A player said that out of the blue during the one-hour break.  We're not sure why, but it led to a little "guy talk" around the table about married women (primarily) increasingly engaging in infidelity.

"People aren't being faithful," we said.  And that's sad -- for the sake of their families, and also because God takes a marriage covenant seriously.

If a man commits adultery with another man's wife -- with the wife of his neighbor -- both the adulterer and the adulteress must be put to death. - Leviticus 20:10

That punishment may sound straight out of Saudi Arabia or the Taliban -- but it was part of the broad Old Testament law called the "Torah."  Instead of loosening the rules, Jesus had this to say:

But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. - Matthew 5:28

But wait, you may be saying -- didn't Jesus forgive a woman who was caught in adultery?  Yes, He did.  We'll consider that in an upcoming post.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 105 final tables in 286 nights (36.7%) - 17 cashes.

NATIONAL LEAGUE OF POKER TOTAL: Full tournaments - 184 point wins in 798 games (23.1%), 63 final tables, 7 cashes.  One-table sit-n-goes: 8-13-9-3-3.  We haven't played at NLOP much in recent days, due to a busy schedule and the site's transition to a new system.

POKER STARS,NET TOTAL: Pretend cash games - $65,624, up $2,980.