Poker Night 560: Brave-Hearted

Over the river (Ohio) and through the woods (we think; it was dark)…. to poker night we did go. With no time after work to make a long drive to see relatives, we went to Hollywood Casino Indiana for a Thanksgiving Eve tournament.

You may not realize Thanksgiving Eve is a party night for some people. In fact, the tournament in Lawrenceburg attracted the biggest Wednesday night crowd we've seen. This time, we'd have to earn our way to a final table.

BLINDS: 25/50

IN THE POCKET: Ace-King of hearts

The first round of blinds is about to end, and it's been a nightmare for us. A-Q lost to a club flush. Then A-K lost. Then A-Q failed again. Our starting stack of 12,000 chips is already down to about 8,000.

So sitting in leadoff position at a full table of ten, we limp in. A man across from us raises to 425. Others fold, but we clearly don't. We're quickly heads-up.

ON THE FLOP: 5h-7c-7h

No big cards, but a big flush draw for us. We check to the aggressor. He tosses out 800. We feel we must go for this, so we call.

ON THE TURN: 3d

Swing and a miss. So we check again. Our opponent adds to the temptation, with a bet of 1,600. We're slightly tempted to respond by going all-in, but we don't. Yet we're committed to this, come what may. We call again.

ON THE FLOP: Jh

Thank you, Lord! We hit the monster flush! But since our opponent is being the aggressor, we check again.

"I'm all-in," he says. We don't even think twice - even though he might have a longshot full house.

"I'll call." For our last 5,200 or so.

"You win. Congratulations on hitting your heart," he answers. He mucks his cards without a show. We have to show ours to claim the prize, and we gladly do. That opponent is still in the game, but we're really in the game with a double-up to more than 17,500!

That was one of only two hands we won in the first hour, as we reached the break with 16,775. Hour Two brought ups and downs, as our misreads cost us hands. Yet we doubled up again by winning a race of A-J versus A-10, to soar above 20,000. We reached the second break at 18,800.

But then a crippling loss came when our A-Q lost to a woman with pocket 6's, followed by a lot of bad cards. With the field dwindling, we finally saw A-J of clubs and pushed with them. But a caller with pocket Queens topped us. A hard fight ended with us finishing 15th out of 39 players.

MINISTRY MOMENT: "It's the eve of Thanksgiving," our first dealer declared at the start of the evening.

"Can I go ahead and be thankful now?" we asked jokingly.

The dealer allowed that - and then we asked a couple of players next to us what they're thankful for this year.

"Five-six of hearts," one man told us. "Then 2-3-4 on the flop."

Funny, yes. But we meant to be serious. "I'm thankful that I know Jesus Christ as my Savior," we said.

"There you go," that man said.

"Do you know Jesus? Is He your Savior?"

"It's hard to know," he answered.

Well..... is it, really? To some people, the Christian faith is indeed a mystery....

In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ.... - Ephesians 3:4

Full-length books have been written about the "mystery of God". Yet somehow, some of them don't mention these words where the apostle Paul clarifies things....

This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise of Christ Jesus. - Ephesians 3:6

If you don't have Jewish lineage, you qualify as one of "the Gentiles." You can share in the promise of Jesus. And knowing that promise, as well as Him, is to some extent up to you:

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen. - II Peter 3:18

We think that growth comes from reading the Bible carefully, then following what it says. And if you do....

I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection of the dead. - Philippians 3:10-11

A resurrection to eternal life is promised to those who accept Jesus as their Savior, then endure with Him to the end (Matthew 24:13). Whenever you keep a day of thanksgiving (national holiday or not), be sure to thank God for that promise - and the love He showed in providing Jesus for us.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 210 final tables in 560 games (37.5%) - 44 cashes. We've missed back-to-back final tables for the first time since July.

The Art of the Deal

Our last post mentioned what should have been a big disappointment for us - falling one spot short of the money at a poker tournament. But instead, we wound up with a "bubble boy" consolation prize from the other players. It was three-fourths of our $80 buy-in.

How did we do that? Well, we've never read the Donald Trump book that inspired our title. But here are some things that we think helped our cause - and they could help you in poker someday as well:

1. Be friendly. Some players show up at the table like poker is something between a workday at the office and a prelude to World War III. But we're reminded of a verse our long-time pastor in Georgia quoted often....

A man that has friends must show himself friendly.... - Proverbs 18:24 (KJV)

If Mr. Grumpy Grinder had finished fourth on Sunday night, then stormed away from the table, there's no way the other players would have offered to help him. But we tried to be friendly all evening, and it paid off.

2. Be a good sport. Related to #1, be willing to encourage other players when the moment is appropriate. Consider these words to a church group long ago....

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. - I Thessalonians 5:11

Keep the trash talking to a minimum. We also make sure we shake hands with the player who knocks us out of a tournament. Many of them are stunned when we do that.

3. Develop a sense of humor. Long-time readers of this blog know we wrote a mostly-comedy blog first, and had a subscription comedy service before that. So we've developed a good sense of how to keep things light during a tournament. And believe it or not, the Bible supports laughing....

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.... a time to weep and a time to laugh.... - Ecclesiastes 3:1, 4

There had been talk of splitting the prize money late in the final table. But after we were eliminated, we said tongue-in-cheek to the dealer, "You'll notice no one talked about 'Bubble Boy' money here." That little one-liner inspired the donations!

One of the final three on Sunday night said it was a "very entertaining" tournament. That's part of our goal, but only a part. To borrow from a church bulletin we saw years ago: to get them listening (as in comments about God and Jesus), get them laughing.

If you have other ideas, feel free to leave a comment. And may your poker days be not only profitable, but even a little fun.

He Works Hard for the Money

It's a classic debate in the poker world, and even in government buildings: is poker a game of luck, skill - or both?

A recent book by a successful player and coach seems to have a surprising answer: both. While we have not read The Myth of Poker Talent by Alex Fitzgerald, the review we read today indicates he accepts the "luck" notion more than a lot of people.

But Fitzgerald goes on to argue that "talent" in poker is a myth because success is due to hard work and practice. Our response to that would be: is that a false choice? Can't practice and hard work on your game make someone talented?

Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth. - Proverbs 10:4

We're reminded of the story of Kobe Bryant, who would take hundreds of extra basketball shots after practice. No doubt he had the basic skills. But he kept working on them diligently, to become one of the best athletes of his era.

Extra diligence in poker can teach things to apply in a tournament. That diligence can be as simple as watching weekly telecasts or playing pretend cash games online. But keep something else in mind....

Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain. - Psalm 127:1

Why would that work be "in vain?" We think it's because God has the final say over everything people do. You might think you have the greatest poker idea ever - but if God says no, He can stop it whether you like it or not.

Study to show yourself approved to God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. - II Timothy 2:15 (KJV)

Study what others are doing, in poker or other aspects of life - but make sure God approves of your conclusions. Away from the table, that can mean studying the Bible to make sure your will matches God's.

We welcome your comments and thoughts on this. How much of poker success is work? How much is simple and plain lucky cards? Whatever your view, may you take time to study what matter most - a proper walk with God, both in and out of poker rooms.

Poker Day 482: Osage, Can You See

"The main reason I'm here is for a birthday burger," we explained to the man who prepared our registration card. He asked why we took a trip of nearly three hours today to the edge of Tulsa, Oklahoma And it was true: a restaurant chain which offers free burgers on your birthday isn't located in our city.  But we decided if we going to make a day trip, we might as well try to win our money back.

So before the burger, we played poker for the first time at Osage Casino. It's a nice, relatively small tribal complex with a poker room that's a nice distance away from the main floor of noisy slot machines. And its daily afternoon tournaments are downright cheap, at a $30 buy-in. Would a Thursday with a small turnout work to our advantage?

BLINDS: 25/50

IN THE POCKET: 7-6 of clubs

Everyone starts with 3,000 chips, and this is the first round of blinds. An early trial balloon failed for us, so we start with about 2,800. A player raises to 150, and we join about three other players in calling.

ON THE FLOP: 5-8-9

If we were a slot machine, a lot of noise would happen right now. We hit the straight jackpot - but we notice two of these three cards are hearts (we forget exactly which ones). So when a player bets 150, we pounce with a raise to 550.

"I'm probably gonna regret this," says a man on the opposite end of the table. He calls; no one else does.

ON THE TURN: 7s

OK, that's not a heart - but that's not necessarily the best card for us. Our chances of a unique straight have gone down. But we sense our opponent is on a flush draw - so when he checks, we bet 550 again.

"I've got to stay for one more," he says as he calls.

ON THE RIVER: 10c

 No flush there - yet four numbered cards in a row actually are more trouble for us. Perhaps our opponent senses that, because now he bets 1,500. That practically would put us all in.

"After all of that...." we say aloud in a bit of frustration. We invested a lot in this hand, but all he needs is a Jack for a superior straight.

"I can't go there," we finally conclude as we fold. We take a big loss, and the winner doesn't show his cards. But there are post-mortems.

"Did you have pocket Jacks?" another player asks the winner.

"Something like that," he vaguely answers.

"Should have gone all-in," we overhear someone else saying - apparently toward us. We don't respond, but we thought we'd bet enough to run the opponent off. As it turned out, we were at a rather loose table where pushing might have been in order - but all the players were new to us.

That loss put us in a tough position for most of the day - but the looseness of the table worked in our favor. Players pushed and failed, while we waited for good moments. Then those moments came: a double-up with A-5, followed minutes later by another double-up with A-10. A measly 1,250 chips were enough to get us to the final table on a two-table 19-player day.

Once we got there, another push with A-5 paid off when an Ace came on the turn. But rising blinds and a couple of small losses kept us short-stacked. Finally with seven players left, we pushed again with 10-10 - but a young man across from us slow-bet pocket Aces and called. The board didn't save us, and we finished tied for sixth due to a double take-out. We left satisfied, knowing things could have turned out much worse.

MINISTRY MOMENT: "Is that a dollar?" the man to our right asked when he saw our card protector. It was actually the one with the Lord's Supper on one side and a depiction of Jesus on the other.

"What do you think of Jesus?" we asked the man. "Is He your Savior?"

"Most certainly, yes," he answered. "I'm number two; He's number one."

That's a good answer - and we hope he means it. But is it true with you? Who comes first in your life?

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves.... - II Timothy 3:1-2

This is an issue we've admittedly battled internally for many years: is it wrong to love yourself? Whitney Houston sold a lot of records declaring, "Learning to love yourself is the greatest love of all." But Jesus indicated there was a love much greater than that - so great it was commanded:

"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this.... 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these." - Mark 12:29-31

God indeed should be our #1 love. But notice Jesus did not say we personally are #2. Our neighbors should be. That can include your family, to borrow from a famous sports memoir. But how about including fellow poker players - especially if you play with some people on a regular basis, and come to know them well?

We can love our neighbors in many ways. It can start with polite words at the table, and extend as far as praying for players with serious problems. But let's go back to that internal question, and ask for your comments. Is it wrong to love yourself? We'll dig deeper into that issue in a future post.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 179 final tables in 482 games (37.1%) - 34 cashes. Only the top two players won money today. Oh, by the way: the "free birthday burger" was pretty good - even if cheese on top cost us 50 cents.

The Everyday Gambler

How often do you play poker?  Once a week?  Twice a week?  Every time the casino doors are open? (As if they ever close?)

We're admittedly so busy these days that poker playing has to wait for weekends - and weekends when we don't have major errands to run.  That's true even with online sites.  The positive side to that, we suppose, is that we save money on buy-ins.

So even if you play poker part-time, you're probably playing more than we do.  But perhaps you're "gambling" in another way, which has nothing to do with casino games.

We heard a radio preacher say the other night if you're resisting a call to become a disciple of Jesus Christ (some would say "giving your life to Christ"), you're a gambler -- and gambling daily.  There's a simple reason for that....

What man can live and not see death, or save himself from the power of the grave? Selah. - Psalm 89:48

The odds of making a royal flush in poker are steep. But the odds of people dying someday are very strong.  Unless Jesus comes back first, they're 100%. Eventually death will "get the checkmark," as they say on TV.  What will happen to you then?

We die only once, and then we are judged. - Hebrews 9:27 (CEV)

That translation is a little misleading - because the Bible talks about a future judgment which could lead to a second death.

Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them.... - Revelation 20:6

Read the rest of chapter 20 to see details of the "white throne judgment" -- and how to avoid it. The key is to have your name written in God's "book of life."

Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the Lord and honored his name. - Malachi 3:16

Some church-goers debate whether or not this scroll and the "book of life" are the same thing. But the key point is to fear God, honoring Him in all you do. Resisting that can be gambling on something bigger than a "belly-buster" royal flush draw. You're gambling with your eternity.

If You're Slumping II

Our last post examined some of the options you might have, if you seem to be in an eternal losing streak at the poker.  You could leave.  You could learn from your mistakes.  But what else can you do?

3. Seek help from experts. A large number of books written by poker pros are available.  So are short "tips" classes online.  And really serious players might invest money in "boot camp" in-person with pros.

Of course, this option requires something from you - an admission that you need to be taught.  Not all poker players are willing to humble themselves like that.  But people who wrote the Bible did:

Teach me, O Lord, to follow your decrees; then I will keep them to the end. - Psalm 119:33

Come to think of it: learning God's "decrees" will help you in the long run more than any poker boot camp.  You'll learn the proper way to conduct yourself, in the poker room and outside it.

My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity. - Proverbs 3:1-2

4. Pray about it.  This admittedly seems like the strangest option of all.  People should pray about whether they should play poker?  Or even pray for God's help in succeeding??

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. - James 1:5

The fact that you're not sure what to do actually indicates you need wisdom to do the right thing.  God can help with that.... but....

But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. - James 1:6

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Look to God for answers.  They may come from other people, circumstances or an in-depth look at the Bible.  But look for them in faith, and God can provide them.

May God help you to make wise decisions at all times - including the times when poker games don't seem to be going well.

The Fear Factor

At a recent poker tournament, we talked about how everyone should fear God.  That brought a good question from another player: "Why should I fear my Savior?"

Let's start with the simple answer: the Bible indicates we should....

Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men.... - II Corinthians 5:11

OK, you may admit, the apostle Paul knew about it.  But why fear the Lord?  Back up one verse:

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 people are operating an illegal cash game in their home, there's a reason why they don't put a large ad in the newspaper promoting it.  They fear getting caught.  They fear police arriving, breaking up the game, sending people to jail and bringing those people eventually before a judge.  The thought of Jesus's final judgment should be even more concerning:

And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened.  Another book was opened, which is the book of life.  The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.... If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown in the lake of fire. - Revelation 20:12, 15

This judgment is a matter of life and death - eternal life and death.

We've become persuaded in recent years that everyone's name originally is in that "book of life" - but then something happens:

The Lord replied to Moses," Whoever has sinned against me I will blot out of my book." - Exodus 32:33

Since we all sin (Romans 3:23), we've all had our name removed.  We need to get back in -- and that takes more than a strong finish in a "qualifier" somewhere.

He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white.  I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge is name before my Father and his angels. - Revelation 3:5

We need to overcome our sinful nature - and we can't do that by ourselves.  Our next post will explain the way to do that.

The Book on You

Top poker players write books all the time, offering everything from introductory instruction to advanced ways of spotting an opponent's bluff.  A search on Amazon.com this morning brought 5,155 titles of poker books.

But in a post this past week, we asked for your thoughts about getting in something called "the book of life."  This is a book we all need to enter, whether we play poker or not.  It first came up in a conversation between Moses and God....

"But now, please forgive their sin -- but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written."  The Lord replied to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against me I will blot out of my book." - Exodus 32:32-33

So there's no confusion: the Bible itself is a "book of life."  It contains the "word of life," about how to gain eternal life (Philippians 2:16).  But the book described in Exodus is different.  Apparently it's a book with lots of names, which God can adjust when He chooses.

You know how I am scorned, disgraced and shamed; all my enemies are before you.... May they be blotted out of the book of life and not be listed with the righteous. - Psalm 69:19, 28

So the book of life contains names of righteous people.  But the problem is that we all sin (Romans 3:23) - and when we do that, God can remove our names from it.  And that's potentially bad news....

If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. - Revelation 20:15

This verse describes a vision of the final judgment, when everyone will come before Jesus.  The lake of fire is called "the second death" in verse 14.  To avoid that, we need our name back in that book -- badly.  How can we get there?

Yes, and I ask you, loyal yokefellow, help these women who have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel.... whose names are in the book of life. - Philippians 4:3

How did these women get in the book?  Apparently by helping the apostle Paul spread Jesus's gospel message.  We think that requires actually believing that message -- and something else:

He who overcomes.... I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels. - Revelation 3:5

Overcome sin, in your own life and this world.  Then help spread the news about Jesus coming to put an "end" to sin (Hebrews 9:26-28).  You'll be well on your way to appearing in the book that matters most.

Poker Night 390: The 5-K Race

It was the night of Presidents' Day, and The Red Barn was packed with poker players.  But strangely, most of the people we met didn't seem to realize it was Presidents' Day.

"I'm not a President," one man said skeptically when we mentioned the holiday.  He went on to dismiss all U.S. Presidents as "crooked," because they lie to people.  We're led to think some poker players would fit in well with them.  But would they pull a fast one when a lot of chips were on the line?

BLINDS: 200/400

IN THE POCKET: J-10 of hearts (suit may not be precise)

The evening was a disappointment until only a few hands before this.  We had K-9, looked at K-Q-9 on the flop, went all-in and scored a double-up plus a 5,000-chip "Rodney hand" bonus.  Now we're feeling better with around 14,000 chips.  No one raises before the flop, so we're happy to call with suited connectors.

ON THE FLOP: 10-10-3

Now we're even happier -- but only for about five seconds.  A woman down the counter from us (we're playing on a counter top again) bets 5,000.  She did this on the K-9 hand, which put us all-in.  She had Q-9 then.  We're puzzled by what she has now -- perhaps a second high pair?!  But there's little question about the right move: we call with three of a kind.  Everyone else gets out of the way.

ON THE TURN: 5

The respect level seems to be mutual at this point.  The woman checks.  So do we.

ON THE RIVER: J

Wow -- now we want our opponent to make another bet.  But instead, she checks.  We will not.

"Five-thousand," we say as we bet.  The woman calls.

"I've got a 10," she tells us -- and then she sees our 10-J.  It gives us a winning full house, as her kicker card is a 6.

"You got it on the f**king river," she says in frustration.  "You did it to me twice!"

"No way either of you were going anywhere, with a 10," a man between us comments.  He's right.  We're happy.  We simply smile, as our stack of chips jumps to around 29,000.

Those two hands were the only ones we won all night, as we became very "card dead" after the one-hour break.  Pocket 8's and pocket 5's were trumped by big cards on the flop and big bets which followed.  But our two big wins were enough to reach the final table, then hang around through some drama involving other players.

With seven players remaining, we were forced to go all in for our remaining 10,000 chips with J-8.  The flop brought an 8.  The river brought a Jack.  Trouble was, that Jack put four spades on the board.  We didn't have one, while a man on our right did (Qs).  He sent us home in seventh place.  But on a night with about 30 players and lots of huge stacks, we were pleased.

MINISTRY MOMENT: "There's the man with that little pencil again," a man said at the semifinal table.  We've recorded hands for this blog with a small pencil and paper for a long time.  But in the last couple of weeks, that pencil has become a card protector as well.

"I bring it to remind me," we said across the table, "that my name is written in the Lamb's book of life."

This reference appeared to puzzle several people.  But it's mentioned near the very end of the Bible:

Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life. - Revelation 21:27

You may be listed in the telephone directory.  But this "book of life" is much more important -- because if your name is there, you're in the running for a reward which may sound like only a dream:

And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming out of heaven from God. - Revelation 21:10

"But wait," you may be asking; "isn't Jerusalem on Earth now?"  Yes, there's a city in the Middle East with that name.  But this is a new one, which God will bring down from heaven to Earth after Jesus returns (verse 2) -- and the incredible scene described through Revelation 21 indicate it will be forever pure, for God and Jesus Christ will live there (verse 23).

But that leaves a big question: how can you get your name in this "book of life"?  What's your answer to that question?  Feel free to leave it in a comment, and we'll offer our thoughts in a future post.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 135 final tables in 390 nights (34.6%) - 20 cashes.  This was our first live final table since the end of January.

The Best Read of All

A player named Watership was eliminated from an online poker tournament early Sunday.  That led to this chat, which has been edited a bit:


Me:  Watership down
ronrhoades55:  55 left
kman:  lol
ronrhoades55:  watershop down 
kman:  down know until two left
ronrhoades55:  hmmmm aint that about rabbits or some s****
Me:  Never read it
ronrhoades55:  I did
Dealer:  Vangor wins Main Pot ($1,300)
ronrhoades55:  its about rabbits
Dealer:  Mendocinobud wins Main Pot ($2,800)
ronrhoades55:  if you actually know how to read flop you should read it***....its quite good
ronrhoades55:  like a peter rabbit animal farm kinda thing

Yes, we know how to read books.  And attitudes -- especially when a player such as Ron tries to be an "insult comic."  But we know how to respond to such slaps....

If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also.  If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. - Luke 6:29

So instead of writing a verbal slap in response, we stuck to the facts:

Me:  Oh OK.

ronrhoades55:  no sex but still intriguing

Me:  Too busy to read such things.

Dealer:  MoNeYmAkEr77 wins Side Pot 1 ($540) with Two pair, jacks and eights

Dealer:  Pinebro52 wins Main Pot ($11,405) with Three of a kind, eights

ronrhoades55:  well just stick to your porn then

Me:  I don't do that.

Me:  I read the Bible.

If you want to improve your skill at playing poker, you might buy and read a book by a pro.  (We have a couple.)  If you want to improve the life you live, there's one book that's better than any other -- the one God wrote.

All Scripture is God-breathed, and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. - II Timothy 3:16-17

There's no better time than now (even before 2013 begins) to start reading God's Bible.  Read it with an open mind -- and as much as you're able, without the "spin" church groups and preachers try to put on certain verses.  You may be surprised by what you read.  You may be convicted, and see a need to repent to God.  But the training will do you good -- and hopefully will benefit  many people around you.

What's That On Your Shoulder?

Some readers have wondered whatever happened to the admittedly drunken, downfallen woman we played in heads-up poker last December. She's apparently doing better now, because we understand she has a job. And she's certainly not shy at tournaments.

At one recent game, she was betting big -- and even turned over an Ace pre-flop when someone accused her of playing junk cards. The woman even made a comment that others at the table were playing and talking "like they have P.M.S."

What we have here is what a Christian author once called "Sporting a 'Tude." Some poker players bring an attitude with them which almost matches the size of their chip stacks -- perhaps arrogant, perhaps know-it-all, but (from what we've seen) not often meek and humble. Which of those attitudes is best?

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but msde something nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. -- Philippians 2:5-7

The KJV says "Let this mind be in you...." And let's be honest -- your attitude is largely (some would say completely) created in your mind. Being arrogant or brash is a choice. So is the humble walk like a servant.

Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. -- I Peter 4:1

Go back one verse to 3:22, and Peter may be referring here to an approach of submission. Jesus certainly showed it, by enduring a painful death to open the way to salvation for us -- including you.

Whether you play poker or not, there are times when we all could use what country singer Hank Williams Jr. calls an "Attitude Adjustment." Not through a bottle, but by following the Bible.

Poker Night 129: Al-Qaeda vs. Cowboys

Some professional poker players say the most troublesome hand to have is seemingly one of the best: pocket Kings. On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a man went for it all with that hand at Club Eighty-Five -- and we had to stare him down.

BLINDS: 2,000/4,000

IN THE POCKET: A-Q offsuit

We've just arrived at a nine-player final table. The bad news is that we showed up with only 4,000 chips. The good news is that we won the deal -- so we dealt ourselves this nice hand right away.

Then bad news again: a man at the other end of the table pushes all-in with a much larger stack. "I have to do it," we say as we call. Everyone else gets out of the way -- and our opponent has K-K. That's trouble, so we have to deal. (In more ways than one.)

ON THE FLOP: A-10-7

"I like that flop!" we declare. We're now in the lead.

ON THE TURN: Q

"I really like that turn...." And with two pair:

ON THE RIVER: 4

A big hand gets topped, and we jump to about 11,000 chips. We never won another hand after that -- but we held on tight with rising blinds, and wound up in fifth place.

MINISTRY MOMENT: Some people bring cell phones to the poker table. One or two even bring mini-DVD players, to watch movies between the hands they play. Then there's the young woman who sat down next to us tonight with a paperback book called Up Pops the Devil.

"Does the devil show up in that?" we asked the woman. The answer -- not exactly. She explained it's about a corporate executive who spends time in prison, then faces temptations when he gets out.

"We need to resist temptation," we said -- and the woman agreed with that. "Resist the devil and he will flee from you. I read that in a book."

"Really?!" The woman didn't realize that quote is from the Biblical book of James (4:7).

"The trouble is," we added, "you face temptation all the time here." Example: we folded A-9 at the final table when two players went all-in ahead of us -- and after the dealing ended, we would have lost. More on that subject in an upcoming post.

(P.S. After reading an online synopsis of the book, we wonder if James 4:7 might actually be quoted in it!)

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 51 final tables in 129 nights (39.5%) - 10 cashes. Now this is more like it: three final tables in our last four nights!

Too far all-in

Before we went to our Wednesday night poker tournament, we heard part of a man's detailed confession of how a gambling addiction ruined his promising law career -- and eventually put him in prison.

You can hear it, too. It's the current book on the "Radio Reader" series on many U.S. public radio stations. If you can't hear it, ask at your bookstore or library for Never Enough by Michael J. Burke.

The segment we heard Wednesday dealt with Burke becoming hooked on slot machines at casinos, and becoming a money-losing "high roller." We think that can happen at poker table cash games, too -- so if you think you might need help, this book could be more valuable than pocket Aces.