Poker Day 579: Rocket Test

They say any two cards can win a poker hand. But let's be honest: some cards are better than others, and are more likely to win. That thinking was tested today, when we joined a Friday morning deep-stack tournament at Jack Casino in Cincinnati....

BLINDS: 200/400

IN THE POCKET: Ace of spades-Ace of clubs

Starter cards don't come much better than this! And we're in the starting position for this hand, sitting to the immediate left of the Big Blind. So we apply an old strategy: limp early, bet late. We call. A man across the table to our left raises to 1,200. A young man across and to our right calls. Other players to our right fold.

What would you do in our situation? This looks like a perfect moment to three-bet. We raise to 3,400. Others who tried to limp in now fold. The man who raised thinks it over, then calls. So does the man to our right. So three players are in.

ON THE FLOP: Q-5-6

Harmless looking to us! Still in lead position, it's time for the stereotypical continuation bet.

"I'll be consistent," we say - and bet 3,400 again. The man to our left gets the hint, and folds. But the young man to our right dares to take us on - and raise to 10,000.

What could this be about? We don't think he has pocket Queens, because he probably would have three-bet pre-flop before we did. We conclude he's overconfident with A-Q, so we go for it.

"I'm all-in," we say. A few early wins gave us a top score of 29,900 chips from a starting 25,000. We do this from a hand-starting total of about 26,000.

"I'll call," he answers - as we expected, given his raise. "Two pair."

Whaaaaattt? He turns over 5-6! Phil Hellmuth might call him a "donkey" on the spot. We don't. That's not our way. Instead, we hope for cards to bail us out. Preferably a Queen, for a better two pair. Another 5 or 6 will give our opponent a full house.

ON THE TURN: 2

No help there. One card to go, and we count five outs.

ON THE RIVER: 3

It's a painful, stunning loss. Our opponent's big gamble gets a big payoff, and we leave the table after only an hour of play - eighth out of nine players at our starting table.

MINISTRY MOMENT: A man to our right wondered if he could promote an upcoming local church festival with a poster in the poker room.

"They won't let you," the dealer quickly responded. This is a casino, not the corner store.

But that didn't stop us from promoting our upcoming festival, by word of mouth. "The church group I attend is planning a big festival in October," we said. It's so big that a hotel in Cincinnati has been reserved for it.

The other man was intrigued, so we explained. "It's called the Feast of Tabernacles, based on the Old Testament - and it runs for eight days."

Have you heard or read about this event? It's mentioned several times in the Bible. Even Jesus attended it....

But when the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles was near.... after his brothers had left for the Feast, he went also, not publicly, but in secret. - John 7:2, 10

Don't be fooled by that "Jewish" label. For one thing, Jesus Christ was Jewish:

For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. - Hebrews 7:14

For another thing, the Biblical command to keep the Feast of Tabernacles (which has several names in Scripture) was given to all the tribes of Israel - all the way back at Mount Sinai:

...Celebrate the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather in your crops from the field. - Exodus 23:16

Several churches in our area have weekend "festivals" during the summer. This festival is commanded by God and lasts an entire week - with an eighth-day holy day to wrap it up (Leviticus 23:36, 39).

If you'd like to know more about this "fall Feast," it's not too late to join in - and there are places to celebrate it around the world. Many groups will start it off with a Sunday night worship service on October 13. This independent site explains what the Feast of Tabernacles is, and how to find a location near you. (We've even played poker during it, and sometimes done very well.)

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 222 final tables in 579 games (38.3%) - 48 cashes.

Team Work

He lasted for awhile - but not long enough to make the money. "Jeopardy James" Holzhauer finished 451st in a World Series of Poker tournament this week. There were more than 1,800 entries, so that's not bad. But he needed to place 281st or better to get paid.

Holzhauer also apparently fell short in a second WSOP event, one that's unlike any we've seen before. He partnered with Mike Sexton in a "Tag-Team No-Limit Hold 'em" tournament. The rules state teams of two to four players can tag in or out when they're out of a hand. The tournament is still underway as we post this, but the tag-team event made a little money for one-time baseball star Jose Canseco.

What do you think of this format? It's different from some "poker leagues", where teams compete all day as individuals and then add up their scores like a bowling team. One player represents the team, and we suppose could swap notes on the opposition with teammates while they're out. There's something to be said for that....

Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. - Ecclesiastes 4:12

In most cases, poker is an individual event. Unless someone sponsors your buy-in at an event like the WSOP, you're on your own from start to finish. If your life is like that, it doesn't have to be - and we don't think it should be.

God sets the lonely in families.... - Psalm 68:6

How does God do that? For almost 2,000 years, He's invited people to be part of His family, or His "body"....

And God placed all things under his [Jesus's] feet and appointed him to be the head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way. - Ephesians 1:22-23

A well-functioning church has many members working together to do God's work on Earth....

But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.... so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. - I Corinthians 12:18, 25

Read this entire chapter, and you'll see this is not really "tag-team" action. Various members of the team have different roles, as the human body does - all functioning at the same time.

The concept of a church can be scary to some people. But we encourage you to find one that's true to the Word of God, and offer to join in their mission. If you need help with finding one, leave a comment; we'll be happy to help you get on the team.

The Fight Over 50

The 2019 World Series of Poker is underway in Las Vegas. There seems to be a format for practically everyone - including an online tournament and a "Mini Main Event" (as if the Main Event is too big for some people).

This weekend marked the first four flights of a No-Limit Hold 'em tournament called the "Big 50" -  because the WSOP is marking its 50th year. Everyone starts with 50,000 chips, and the blinds go up every 50 minutes.

The top note atop the website calls it the "50th anniversary of WSOP." But hold on - the history page says the first one was in 1970. So isn't this really the 49th anniversary?  If you became married in 1970, that's what you would logically celebrate during 2019.

The timing of all this is fascinating, because an annual Biblical festival is approaching where the number 50 matters - including how you count it.

From the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, count off seven full weeks. Count off 50 days up to the day after the seventh Sabbath, and then present an offering of new grain to the Lord. - Leviticus 23:15-16

Many Jews call this event Shavuot. Many Christians call it Pentecost, based on a Greek word meaning "fiftieth." Something big happened on that day long ago, shortly after Jesus returned to heaven....

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.... All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. - Acts 2:1-4

Jesus promised His disciples that the Holy Spirit would come and enable them to do amazing works (John 14:12, 26). This annual festival day is considered the unofficial launch date of the New Testament Church.

But would you believe church groups have divided over the proper way to count to 50 days? Some people (and countries) keep Pentecost on Monday, calling it an "absolute" vital doctrine. Others say the proper day is Sunday, since a Sunday was "the day after the Sabbath" and should count as Day 1.

If church groups are divided by this, do you see how the WSOP's way of counting and wording can make things confusing? Which way would you figure it - and why?

If you want to make an appeal to WSOP to straighten things out, that's up to you. Instead, we're beginning our own study of which "count of 50" to Pentecost is proper. We're already seeing it can be a matter of detailed wording of ancient tongues.

Poker Night 573: Waiting for My Dreamboat

For people of a certain age (like us), Wednesday night means discounts at Hollywood Casino Indiana. The hotel's dinner buffet is only five dollars! And the poker tournament is still the lowest price in the area at $70. Our goal was to win all that money, and maybe some more. But it's never easy....

BLINDS: 50/100

IN THE POCKET: K-8 offsuit

We won an early pot with hidden "trip 10's." But modest losses have brought us back to our starting level of 12,000 chips. The typical slow-arriving crowd means only six people are playing at the moment, and we're in the Small Blind. No one raises. We don't either. It's a big family pot....

ON THE FLOP: K-7-9

…and it's a big start for us. Holding top pair and playing first, we bet 150 to see who's serious about these cards. Most of the table isn't. But the man on the button is. He calls, and we're heads-up.

ON THE TURN: 7

Hmmm - the board pairs. Now we must slow down, because blinds are low and anybody could be speculating. We check, and our opponent bets 500. We wonder if our 8 really is a good enough kicker with two pair, but we call to find out.

ON THE RIVER: 6

We check again. Our opponent doesn't slow down - he now bets 1,000. What does that mean? His own three of a kind? An oddball straight? Or a semi-bluff with Ace high? Knowing what players tend to do here, we conclude it's the semi-bluff. So we call.

"I've got a King," we say.

The man next to us says nothing - except to turn over 6-6! He hit a full house on the river, and leaves other players stunned; otherwise we would have won.

The first hour was filled with setbacks like that for us. We dropped to about 6,000. But then in the last hand before Break 1, we matched Q-J against a big bettor with a Queen on the flop. He went all-in for 1,100 when an Ace appeared on the river. We feared the worst, but called because we were pot-committed - and were thrilled when he showed Q-8!

That comeback hand gave us 10,575. That launched a second-hour rally, where we won bigger pots. On a 15-player night, we reached the final table with 28,600, then had slightly less at Break 2.

The third hour was huge, as we received A-A and 10-10 in consecutive hands. They were enough to eliminate two players who pushed, and balloon us to 71,800 with five players left! Then Q-10 led to a disguised straight against another big stack - and we were in the 80,000 range!

Only the top two players would win money. But when the contest dropped to three and a low stack proposed "bubble" money for third, we agreed to it. We think we were in the chip lead at Break 3, with 80,800. But the same man proposed a three-way "chop" of the prize money. Since we have a real job and an early wake-up call, we accepted it.

The final result: three players winning $235. Friendly fist bumps and handshakes. A good night for the survivors - and praise to God from us for not only the big comeback, but our second cash win of 2019!

MINSTRY MOMENT: We still are labeled a "distinguished guest" on our poker receipt at Hollywood Casino. Our first dealer saw that and was puzzled. Then he started speculating.

"If you were a knight, I could go home and tell my friends I met a knight."

No, that's not us. But then we remembered: "A well-known book says I can be a king someday - a king and a priest."

Can you guess which book? Regular readers ought to know....

And has made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. - Revelation 5:10 (KJV)

We've heard ministers say through the years that this is a promise for believers who remain faithful to God until the end of their lives or the return of Jesus, whichever comes first. But as we're writing this, we notice something that could change that thinking. This is a "new song" (verse 9) - but who is singing it?

And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the 24 elders fell down before the Lamb.... - Revelation 5:8 (NIV)

This section of the Bible apparently is based on a lengthy vision that the apostle John saw (Revelation 1:10). But people are not necessarily saying these words! There are "four creatures" with four different faces (4:6-7). So who are the "elders?"

The Bible shows churches should have people with the title of Elder....

The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. - I Timothy 5:17

Yet we'd guess many more than 24 people have held the title "Elder" over about 2,000 years of church history. So why does the apostle's vision show only 24 - and are they in heaven now? We invite your comments on this; we'll offer our thoughts in a future post.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 219 final tables in 573 games (38.2%) - 47 cashes. We're six for ten in making final tables so far this year!

Poker Night 561: Little Becomes Much

"Maybe they're trying to tell me I shouldn't play poker tonight," we said to people behind us in line at the JACK Casino cashier's windows.

The line was long tonight, then the first woman available said she could not take poker entries. The second woman available put up a "next window, please" sign when we approached her. But we finally found one window that would accept our $80 buy-in, so we could enter the Sunday night tournament.

BLINDS: 50/100

IN THE POCKET: 7 of spades-10 of spades

We've been biding our time, waiting for good cards to play. After almost one lap around with the button, we have yet to enter a hand. But sitting first with suited mid-range cards, we decide to give something a try. We're in for the minimum, along with about three others at a table of eight.

ON THE FLOP: 9-5-3

As we remember this, only the 9 is a spade. So there's an outside shot at a flush. A man to our right bets the minimum 100.

"I can do 100," we say with a who-cares tone. After all, we started with 15,000.

"Anybody can do 100," our opponent says. Well, no they can't. The other players fold, putting us heads-up.

ON THE TURN: 10c

A small risk gets a potentially big card. Now we have top pair. Our opponent checks.

"If you can do 100, surely you can do 250," we say. He thinks it over, then calls our bet.

ON THE RIVER: 6

It's still top pair for us. Our opponent checks again. We reach for 350.

"And if you could do 100," we say, "and you can do 250, then...."

Thud. He folds his cards before our chips hit the table.

"Well, maybe not," we conclude with a bit of comedic timing. A fun little hand leads to a little gain of 550.

We'd love to say things got better than there. But they didn't. We never won another pot, and started going downhill when we misread an opponent who had a full house. That cost us 5,000.

After about 90 minutes, we were down to 1,675 and went all-in. Our K-5 of hearts caught a 5 on the flop, but a man with an 8 also caught a pair. We left stunned by a lack of good cards, and were third out at our table. We didn't read the delays at the cashier's window right, either.

MINISTRY MOMENT: "I don't think I've ever seen a candle here before," the man to our right said when he saw tonight's card protector. Indeed, we brought a small candle for the first time in two years.

"It's the first night of Hanukkah," we explained. "And I brought it to remind me that Jesus Christ is the light of the world."

"There you go," the man replied. And then, wouldn't you know it - his smart phone rang. He answered it, and the potential discussion was over.

Yet we put Hanukkah and Jesus together. If you think Christ only belongs "in Christmas," you may have missed this section of Scripture....

It was now winter, and Jesus was in Jerusalem at the time of Hanukkah, the Festival of Dedication. - John 10:22 (NLT)

Why would the Lord be there? Because even though He came from heaven to Earth, He entered through the line of a Biblical tribe....

From Judah will come the cornerstone, the tent peg, the bow for battle, and all the rulers. - Zechariah 10:4 (NLT)

A lot could be unpacked from that verse, but we'll save much of it for another post. Let's focus on the first item. Who or what is "the cornerstone" of Judah? Let's let the Bible answer that:

Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. - Ephesians 2:20 (NLT)

God started building a church after Jesus was resurrected. He's still doing that - but Jesus has to be the "cornerstone" of any "holy temple" for God (verse 21).

As Jews mark the "festival of lights" this week, we hope you consider the true "light" who once paid a visit to that festival....

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)

As for keeping Christmas, we'll ask you this. Where in the Bible does it say anyone kept Christmas - or is required to do so? Leave a comment with your answer. We'll wait for it before responding.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 210 final tables in 561 games (37.4%) - 44 cashes.

Poker Night 558: Sing the Queen City

Not many women show up for the poker tournaments we attend. But that doesn't mean "ladies" can't have an impact at the table. Take this example from tonight's game at Jack Casino, in the "Queen City" of Cincinnati....

BLINDS: 150/300

IN THE POCKET: Q-Q

We won one early pot, but otherwise have struggled. A-Q and 8-8 both missed the flop and got us chased away. Now we have a nice pocket pair in the Small Blind, holding about 9,000 chips. But a player to our right raises to 1,000. Sorry, these cards are too nice. We call, and we're heads-up.

ON THE FLOP: 2-4-10 (suits are not an issue)

These cards mean we have an overpair - and now we're first to act. We follow our opponent's lead and bet 1,000. He calls.

ON THE TURN: 3

The lower, the better - or at least that's what it seems. In the spirit of a "turbo" tournament, we quickly offer 1,000 again. He quickly calls.

ON THE RIVER: 2

This pairs the board - but we can't imagine our opponent is holding a 2. We quickly try another 1,000. He quickly calls again. What does he have?

"I have Queens," we say as we show.

He shows.... well, no, he doesn't! He folds, never saying a word. We're left to guess. Maybe A-K?! Whatever it is, we'll happily take a pot of more than 8,000 chips.

On another slow Sunday night with only 16 entries, we reached the final table with 10,050 chips. After winning a hand there, we tried to limp in with 9-9 and the button. When no one bet a flop of J-8-7, we went big and bet 4,000. That led the leadoff player to push, and we called.... except he had J-8. His well-played trap held up, and we were eliminated in ninth place.

MINISTRY MOMENT: A man we've met before remembered our "Lord's Supper" card protector, and felt led to talk quietly about his church life. He attended church with his family from roughly ages 14-24, then apparently stopped for awhile.

"I've been attending the Church of Christ down on Third Street," he told us - but admitted he hasn't gone there in more than a month.

"I think it's good to go to church on a regular basis," we responded, "so we can be reminded of what God is doing for us, and what we need to do for Him."

Let's take those two things in order. The apostle Paul gave a young evangelist this advice:

Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage - with great patience and careful instruction. - II Timothy 4:2

We think a good church will emphasize "the Word" - and that means more than simply the Bible:

In the beginning was the Word.... The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. - John 1:1, 14

This only could be talking about Jesus Christ. His example and the Bible in general corrects us of our misunderstandings, rebukes us of sins and errors, then encourages us to walk in step with God.

And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love. - II John 6

Can you "walk in love", even in a poker room? We think it's possible. We'll explain how in an upcoming post.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 210 final tables in 558 games (37.6%) - 44 cashes. Tonight marked our seventh final table in a row, going back to Labor Day!

The Marathon Man (WSOP Edition)

As this year's World Series of Poker rolls on in Las Vegas, we're struck by how may events now have catchy titles. The "Deuce-to-Seven Lowball Triple Draw" admittedly sounds awfully nerdy. But we've mentioned the "Colossus" - and this weekend, the "Marathon" concluded.

Courtesy WSOP.com

Australia's Michael Addamo won the five-day Marathon, which had more than 1,600 entries. The name apparently comes from the fact that each level of blinds lasted 100 minutes, while your neighborhood poker room might increase the blinds after 15 or 20.

But let's be honest - don't most poker tournaments feel like marathons? Especially if you survive deep into the final table? The first table or two might seem like a sprint, as wild players take their chances and go bust early. But the fight to make the money takes time, and usually isn't easy.

A wise man once wrote about that - even though we don't think he ever played poker:

I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all. - Ecclesiastes 9:11

We've been surprised by how long "turbo" tournaments can last in our new area. Even with 15-minute blinds, it took more than three hours in our last event to whittle 14 players down to four.

Outside the poker room, our lives also can be like that. While Addamo won a bracelet at age 23, it came after four years of effort at the WSOP and other events. To reach the ultimate success in life can take far longer - a lifetime, in fact. But consider what's promised:

To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations... I will also give him the morning star. - Revelation 2:26, 28

Jesus Christ made this promise to a church in the city of Thyatira (verse 18). National authority under Jesus is the reward to those who "endure," as the King James Version puts it. That will happen when the Kingdom of God comes to Earth.

There's been some sad news lately about famous names dying from suicide. It's hard to argue they truly "endured to the end." If you're thinking about doing the same thing, read this letter from a church President. Then seek professional help, if necessary. Save the desperation push for A-Q in a Small Blind - while ending your marathon of life successfully.

Dream Works

A recent post focused on a poker-related dream we had while we slept. But there's another side to "dreams."

Maybe you've dreamed in your mind about becoming a "Poker Star." You want to turn pro and make a lot of money doing it.

That thought has crossed our mind as well in recent years. Based on our own experience, here are some things you need to consider before making a commitment:

1. WORK ON YOUR GAME. Athletes in (ahem) real sports practice a lot. That's a good idea for poker players, too - and online games make it easy to do for free.

All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty. - Proverbs 14:23

But we'd add a caveat to that....

2. DON'T BECOME ADDICTED. Stay balanced in your life. If you have family responsibilities, don't neglect them. And always put God first....

Jesus replied: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment." - Matthew 22:37-38

3. YOU CAN'T WIN 'EM ALL. We doubt there's a poker player alive who's made every final table they've ever entered (unless they only entered once). If they did, more people would be playing.

Losses and setbacks will happen. They even happened to Jesus, after He said some challenging words:

From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. "You do not want to leave too, do you?" Jesus asked the Twelve. - John 6:66-67

Most of the 12 main disciples stayed loyal to Jesus, even beyond His death and resurrection. They became founding figures of the church.

We've had a lot of career dreams over the years, including a poker route. Most of those have fallen short. In fact, statistics show most business start-ups fail. We suspect that's true in poker as well. So keep these things in mind, and plan carefully.

(Do any poker pros reading this have advice they'd like to add?)

Poker Day 525: Not Too Komfortable

Pocket Aces? "Easy Aces," to borrow from an old radio show. But those other pocket pairs can be a problem to play. Consider what happened to us Friday at Kansas Star Casino....

BLINDS: 25/25

IN THE POCKET: K-K

It's early, but we've been losing. We begin this hand with about 3,000 chips from a starting 3,500. These cards give us hope, and we limp in. A man two seats to our left makes us look smart, by raising to 225. We call; everyone else at the full table folds.

ON THE FLOP: 8-J-8

It's not in the pocket, but another pair shows up. Yet it's the Jack in the middle that concerns us. Did our opponent raise with his own pocket pair.... maybe Jacks? Or Aces? We check in caution. He bets 500. That's not enough to run us off; we call.

ON THE TURN: 9

We check again. This time, he does as well. This actually makes us feel better. A "third barrel" might have run us off.

ON THE RIVER: 6

With no flush threat, we think it's time to turn the tables and see if we've been bullied. Now we bet 500 with our hidden two pair. Our opponent thinks about it - then simply calls.

"I've got the donuts," we say. "Krispy Kremes."

"You sure do," he says.... and folds without showing. That gain of more than 1,200 chips get us officially into the game.

"I had one of your cowboys," the man adds. So he apparently had K-something. In this case, one King would not have been enough.

We won the next hand as well (with a straight, as we remember it), for another big gain. Our stack reached 7,700 during the first period, but we fell to 5,750 at the first break.

Then in the second term, trouble happened. We attempted to eliminate that same man with A-K, but his push with pocket Queens worked. We never recovered from that, holding on to the semifinal table. There we had the bad break of sitting down in the Big Blind right away. A push with our last 600 with A-Q fell to a man with pocket 2's, who caught a third one on the turn. A day with 73 players ended with us in 20th place.

MINISTRY MOMENT: We brought our "Lord's Supper" card protector (the one with a traditional caricature of Jesus Christ on the other side) and showed it to a few men at the table.

"We may never know what He looked like," a man to our immediate left said.

"I think we're going to know someday," we responded.

That man indicated he might not be around to see that. "I'm not really sure where I'm going."

"We can do something about that...."

"Oh, I know. My wife is a choir director and a church organist."

Let's break down this exchange. How can we say that "someday" we'll know how Jesus looked?

Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen. - Revelation 1:7

This is a reference to Jesus (verse 5). In a past generation, ministers suggested "every eye" would see Jesus's second coming because CNN would televise it live. But we wonder if this will be an intervention so huge that it spreads across the entire earth:

And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. - Revelation 19:11(NASB)

As sports fans might be surprised to see the roof opened or shut at a domed stadium, God apparently will open what we think are the limits of the sky. But will some people really miss the moment of encountering Jesus?

Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne.... The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. - Revelation 20:11-12

Not even death will protect you from this "all in moment." In fact, your life will lead up to this moment.

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

That includes us.... and you. What are you doing now, that will receive a payout then?

As for where that man is going, and the duties of his wife.... let's hold those for a future post.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 190 final tables in 525 games (36.2%), 39 cashes. Experiment update: Down $25.

Poker Night 524: One Last Chance

We began our poker career in Columbus, Georgia - a city so much along the Georgia-Alabama state line that we could jog from our front door to Alabama in less than 15 minutes. The college football national championship game dominated that area's attention tonight. But we don't live there anymore, so we focused on the return of Monday night poker at Five-Star Billiards - warts and all.

BLINDS: 500/1,000

IN THE POCKET: A-Q

We won the first hand of the night with pocket 9's. Our chip stack has gone up and down from there. Now as we sit in late position, we decide to change our usual strategy. We call with these big cards, instead of raising.

A man to our immediate left who likes to wear a bowler hat at the table goes all in for 700. Two other players get in, so other players sort out the chips. Mr. Bowler Hat can win 2,800 chips. Another 1,200 is in a sidepot.

ON THE FLOP: A-10-J

We like the looks of this - top pair with almost top kicker. The other men check, so we bet 1,500.

"You don't know how to play, do you?" a man across the table grumbles.

"I don't?!" we ask. The man folds, indicating we should have left well enough alone.

"It's not a dry pot," says a man out of the hand. In poker lingo, that means a sidepot exists for three players to win. We bet more than the sidepot's value, which may explain why the disgruntled player thought it was outlandish. But as they say in late-season sports events, we want it more. And we get the sidepot, when the other player folds.

Now we show our cards, as a little grumbling continues. Mr. Bowler Hat turns over K-J. Middle pair is not enough.

ON THE TURN: 9

"And I didn't get it," Mr. Bowler Hat concedes. But he's overlooking something.

"There's still one more card," we point out to him. In fact, we both have draws for a clinching straight....

ON THE RIVER: Q

...and he makes it! Mr. Bowler Hat stays in the game, winning the main pot of 2,800.

We reached the first break slightly above the starting point, at 10,600 chips. Then the grumbling man seemed intent on getting us out of the tournament - answering our pre-flop raises by going all-in twice with two weak clubs. We "doubled up" on him twice, with A-8 and A-K. (We'll talk more about that tension in a future post.)

That man bowed out early, as did Mr. Bowler Hat. Pocket 10's which led to a third 10 on the turn helped us reach the final table with 17,000 chips - and we advanced to 28,000 by the second short break.

Minutes later, a woman went all-in for 45,000. We looked at Q-Q and declared, "The book tells us to play this." We also pushed, with only 25,000 left - but then discovered that woman had pocket Aces. The board brought no rescue for us. We finished in seventh place, and perhaps in need of another book.

MINISTRY MOMENT: Because of holidays, WPT League night at Five-Star Billiards had moved to Tuesdays for the last couple of weeks.

"I take part in a Bible discussion on Tuesday nights," we explained to Mr. Bowler Hat.

"What do you talk about?" he asked.

"All kinds of topics," we said. "How to live a godly life; how to be united as a body of Christ."

For some players, poker nights are their idea of a "small group" meeting. Friends and acquaintances  get together to discuss their common interest and lives. While that can have its place, we focus more on a different form of small group....

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching. - Hebrews 10:24-25

Weekend worship services in churches are nice. But some church groups are so big that it's hard to make friends and truly fellowship with other believers. That's why many pastors (especially those with megachurches and radio ministries) recommend "small group" meetings during the week. Gatherings at homes or restaurants can allow personal sharing and encouragement.

But encourage one another daily, while it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. - Hebrews 3:13

The writer of this Biblical book clearly wanted the church to stay together, so it could grow together. The internet era has made it easier than ever for people in isolated areas to find togetherness; we heard on radio today about a converted Muslim who can only join in online Bible studies because he faces family persecution.

If you're looking for a Bible-centered "small group" to call home, we invite you to join us on Tuesday evenings. It's a conference call format, that actually has events throughout the week. Click here to learn how to participate.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 190 final tables in 524 games (36.3%) - 39 cashes. Tonight marked our first final table at Five-Star since mid-November.

A Place of Your Own

We introduced you in a recent post to a poker player who called himself a "generic Christian." He doesn't go by a list of beliefs from denominations. Instead, he says he does what the Bible says.

Yet that same man admitted he had only attended a church occasionally in recent weeks. There's a big problem with that - as the Bible indicates you should:

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching. - Hebrews 10:24-25

Believers in Christ are expected to meet. They do that weekly, and sometimes more often, in groups large and small. It could happen in big buildings or in small homes. But the meetings are supposed to be for encouragement toward "love and good deeds."

If you attend a church group, does it do that? And if you don't attend one, how can you find a place that does?

We think it starts with determining which group really loves God and Jesus Christ. Many say they do, of course. But how many live up to the Bible standard?

Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him. - John 14:21

Jesus emphasized keeping his "commands." We recommend searching the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) to learn what He commanded when He walked the earth. Among other things, you'll find this....

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. - John 13:34-35

Love indeed matters - toward God in obedience, then toward other people. If you need help in finding a church group truly doing that, leave a comment and we'll help you as we can.

Poker Night 512: Brave Hearts

Some poker hands are considered better than others before the flop. But any two cards have a chance of succeeding, once the flop comes. If only some hands ended there. You'll see what we mean, in this review of tonight's freeroll tournament at Five Star Billiards.

BLINDS: 100/200

IN THE POCKET: 6-3 of hearts

It's the very first hand of the night, at a table of six players. We're in the Small Blind, and no one has raised. Of course we'll play suited cards. About four players are in.

ON THE FLOP: 2h-Jh-8h

A perfect flop for us! But then the humility moment strikes. Our hearts to make the flush are small. Someone might be sitting on bigger ones. So in lead position, we bet 500 to take the temperature of the table. Several players fold, but the dealer does not. He calls.

ON THE TURN: Kh

A fourth heart makes our cards suddenly look a whole lot smaller. Is this what the dealer was waiting for? We check to see.

"I'll bet 1,000," he says. Yup, that's what we feared.

"I liked these cards for awhile," we respond - but we fold, expecting the worst. Sure enough, the dealer shows us the Ace of hearts. He had a draw for the "nut flush," and received it.

That loss was relatively small, but we won a few pots which were modestly big. From a starting 10,000, we reached 11,200 at the first break. We won a few more in the second hour, helped at one point by pocket Aces. Despite a  big loss with A-J at the end, we reached the final table at the two-hour break with 12,000.

A couple of wins and splits there lifted us to a high of 25,000 - but at that point, the blinds had reached 5,000/10,000. A desperation push with A-9 led to a 9 on the board, but a man to our left had Q-Q to eliminate us. We wound up matching Friday's tournament in Tulsa, with a sixth-place finish out of about 25 players.

MINISTRY MOMENT: "I'm a generic Christian," a man across the table told us before the night began. No, we didn't bring up religion; a talkative older man next to him did.

But what did he mean by generic? "I go by what Jesus did, not by what some religion says." That may sound strange, but it actually follows the Bible's advice....

Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ. - I Corinthians 11:1

The apostle Paul wrote this to a church group that was showing signs of division:

What I mean is this: One of you says, "I follow Paul"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow Cephas"; still another, "I follow Christ". - I Corinthians 1:12

The Christian movement has had a lot of splits over the years. Protestants marked a major one a couple of weeks ago, with the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther's action sparking the Reformation. Yet what did the apostle say long ago about this?

Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul? - I Corinthians 1:13

His point in this letter and others was that every believer ultimately should follow Jesus Christ.

For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. - Ephesians 5:23

So the man across the table was perceptive. But we had a question for him. "Didn't Jesus say He came to build a church?" Indeed He did....

And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. - Matthew 16:18

The man admitted he'd only attended a church service a few times in recent months. Yet as divided as Christianity is, we're expected to attend one as we're able. We'll go deeper into that in an upcoming post.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 187 final tables in 512 games (36.5%) - 36 cashes. Since crossing the 500-game mark, we've made four final tables in 12 tries.

The Gut Shot

A short article on basic poker strategy offered this advice: "You should.... never ignore your gut. If your intuition tells you to play a hand, play it! It's usually right."

If we had a dollar for every time that was true.... well, sorry, but we wouldn't have many dollars.

There are many reasons for that. For one thing, your intuition can deceive you. We've played in tournaments where we tried a series of "hunches", and almost all of them failed. That only proves....

There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death. - Proverbs 16:25

Your "right" move can end with you at the rail. Our most recent post had an example of that.

But look at it another way. Other people at your poker table also have "guts." If they all use their different intuitions and decide to get in a hand, can they all be right? It's somewhat like this....

What I mean is this: One of you says, "I follow Paul"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow Cephas"; still another, "I follow Christ." - I Corinthians 1:12

These were four different ideas about living a Christian life - inside a church group! As logical as each faction probably thought it was, could they really all be correct? Proper logic should tell us the answer is no.

Yet if you've explored religious matters at all, you may have run into this. Lots of different faiths claim they're right - and that they're the only way to ultimate success and happiness. But the man who wrote I Corinthians shook off his own faction. Instead, Paul wrote....

For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. - I Corinthians 3:11

Paul declared Jesus is the right starting point for building your life (verse 10). He based that not on "guts," but on a personal encounter he had with Jesus years before (Acts 9).

In a poker game, knowing the odds of success with a particular hand can logically tell you whether or not to get in. In the game of eternal life, many have come to see that God, Jesus Christ and the Bible make the most sense spiritually. It can take some digging and asking tough questions, but it's worth it.

As one man once put it: the feeling in your "gut" may simply be that you had the wrong food for dinner. Take of Jesus, the "bread of life" (John 6:48), for the most satisfaction of all.

There Are No Words

Poker rooms can be quiet places. Sometimes that's what the players prefer; even writing a few comments in an online game can get you called out for talking too much. But sometimes, the players can't speak at all.

A casino in Ohio held a poker tournament this weekend for hearing-disabled players. We'd never heard of a "Deaf Poker Championship" before. But the one in Toledo had 59 players, a $1,605 top prize - and apparently some intense play, as it took nine hours to determine a winner.

As we thought about this, this idea made a lot of sense. As one dealer said at a recent tournament we entered, "Poker is a visual game." Players might "announce a raise," but in truth they don't really have to say a thing. You tap the table to check. You set chips in front of the line to bet. The dealer can move cards forward and back to show which hand is best.

Believe it or not, we've heard some ministers say hearing-impaired people cannot become real Christians. They might turn to Bible verses like this....

Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. - Romans 10:17

Their logic is: if people cannot hear, how can they have faith? But we think this logic is misguided. Here's why....

Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law. - Psalm 119:18

Thanks to the printing press, and more recently the Internet, "wonderful things" about God can be read as well as heard. People can come to understand God's plan of salvation by carefully studying the Bible.

The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. - I Timothy 4:1

That's a scary warning, but we'd like to focus on the start of that verse. The Holy Spirit says things?! Yes - not audibly, but through the written word speaking to the hearts of people seeking God.

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. - Revelation 2:29

If you're paying attention when you read the Bible, the Holy Spirit of God may be "speaking" to you through its words. That's why it's good to ask God when you read for the Bible's words to be made clear - so you know exactly what God would have you do.

Come to think of it, something might be even better than having hearing-impaired people "hear" God through print. Can you guess what that might be? We'll get to it in our next post.

Rage Against the Machine

The word "poker" can mean different things in different places. In our part of the U.S., it usually refers to a table game with cards and chips. But other countries have "poker machines" which are really more like slot machines.

A trial involving those machines is underway this week in Australia. A casino player named Shonica Guy claims a casino and a "poker machine" company misled her about her chances of winning at one particular machine - and she went on to lose a lot of money.

One phrase struck us right away when reading this story. Guy is described as a "gambling addict", who says "poker machines took over my life for.... 14 years." If that's true, that's sad - and it's a reminder that even regular poker players can become addicted to the game. Some timeless advice applies here:

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. - I John 2:15

Would anyone be addicted to poker or "pokies" (as the Aussies call them) if there was not a little "love" involved? Many addicts (gambling or otherwise) probably wouldn't put it that way. They might say something inside draws them in - something they think they can't control. But that "love" of the addiction needs to be replaced. And the love of God is the best possible replacement.

The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever. - I John 2:17

The hope of eternal life in God's Kingdom is offered to those who, for lack of a better term, become addicted to Him and to Jesus Christ. We think you can still play those games (yes, we realize others would disagree). But as Jesus said, borrowing from a message we heard at church last weekend....

You cannot be my disciple, unless you love me more than you love your father and mother, your wife and children, and your brothers and sisters. You cannot come with me unless you love me more than you love your own life. - Luke 14:26 (CEV)

Love Jesus more than anybody. More than anything. More than any game. A good church group can help you with that....

But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. - Hebrews 3:13

For more specialized help with addiction, a support group might be the answer you need. But don't blame the machine or a casino for your problem. We don't really think they're holding you hostage. Go to God in prayer, and begin moving toward a better life - even toward eternal life.

Gambling Town?

With a title like that, you might think we're going to comment on Las Vegas. Or Atlantic City. Or maybe Monte Carlo. But we're not.

We heard a radio preacher say this morning that Antioch was a place where people "loved to gamble." Antioch was a major city in the Roman Empire as the early Church developed.

Yet when we did an online search for "Antioch gambling," we didn't find a New Testament place - we found a town in northern California with a casino. When we added "Bible" to the search, ancient Antioch came up. But Bible resources didn't mention anything about the city's gambling history. And the preacher didn't give a source for his statement - simply "historians."

So maybe ancient Antioch isn't famous for gambling after all. But it became famous for other things:

Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. The Lord's hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord. - Acts 11:20-21

Perhaps some people were persuaded to give up gambling and start serving God. The Bible doesn't say. If they did, they made a good choice. But it may not have been easy....

...Persecutions, sufferings - what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. - II Timothy 3:11

A church group developed in that city, with this Biblical note....

The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch. - Acts 11:26

This may explain why many church groups today have "Antioch" in their names. Skeptics may have thought the believers took a wild chance with their lives. But the Christian way is the path which leads to eternal life - a grand prize, if ever there was one.

The Choice Is Yours

"Can I see that?" a man to our left asked during our last live tournament. We happily showed him our card protector - a "Lord's Supper" depiction given to us years ago by a man at a poker night in Alabama.

The man then pulled out a gold-looking coin of his own. He wasn't using it for a protector, but apparently carried it around in case he needed one. "They say it's gold, but I think it's bronze," we recall him saying. (We don't think ours is gold at all.)

But then the man pondered about what we were showing him. "Are you a Mennonite?" he asked. We're not sure what led him to think that. No, we're not - although we've met in their church buildings for worship several times.

We explained we attend a Sabbath-keeping group called the United Church of God. Sabbath (Saturday) services allow us to play poker on Sunday afternoons. But a comment by our Pastor this weekend reminded us of this conversation. He said we have no choice in what way of life we live. Is that really true?

This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.... - Deuteronomy 30:19

Moses actually did set a choice before Israel in his farewell address: life or death. The late singer George Michael and his group Wham wore "CHOOSE LIFE" T-shirts in their first hit song. Whether they realized it or not, they promoted God's choice for humans. But that's not the only choice we have....

But if serving the Lord seems undesirable for you, then choose for yourselves this day who, you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord. - Joshua 24:15

This world offers all kinds of "gods" to follow. In the U.S., you can also choose from many church denominations (even different Sabbath-keeping groups). Joshua made his choice to "serve the Lord." What does that mean?

If anyone chooses to do God's will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. - John 7:17

Now we have the words of Jesus Christ - the One who claimed to be the Son of the true God (John 8:54). He invites you to choose to "do God's will." Finding that will requires some study. In fact, it can take a lifetime. But examining the Bible to find it truly is worth the time and effort.


Poker players have many choices these days - playing in person or online, in a tournament or a cash game, then raising pocket Kings pre-flop or trapping with a call. When it comes to the bigger choices of life, may you make the correct ones. The denomination we attend is ready to help.

A League of Their Own

You might think of poker as an individualistic game. But if bowling can have teams and summer leagues, why not poker?

We read today about the new Poker Sports League in India, where teams battled for prize money and had a five-day final showdown. But while bowlers might form their own teams from co-workers or neighborhood buddies, the poker teams were more haphazard:

...12 teams, consisting of a mentor, two local pros, two live qualifiers, two online qualifiers, and two wild card entries, battled it out....

We've heard of local poker leagues in places where we've played. We suppose they can promote friendship and good competition. But we think there's a better "team" to be on....

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage each other... - Hebrews 10:24-25

What sort of "team" is this? The Bible is talking about a group of "brethren" (verse 19, NASB). We think that refers to a church group. Members meet, show love toward each other and encourage each other to do good deeds. But why?

..To prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God.... - Ephesians 4:12-13

Just as a national congress or parliament is a "legislative body," the church is Jesus Christ's body. One main goal is to grow in the knowledge of God - and as Hebrews shows, it should be expressed in "love and good deeds"....

...and all the more as you see the Day approaching. - Hebrews 10:25b

The New International Version has "Day" capitalized. We think this refers to the day when Jesus comes back. The church should go increasingly "all in" - for each other.

Some groups will take time this coming weekend to mark the anniversary of the founding of the New Testament Church. It's known in the Bible as Pentecost. This link explains the day in more detail. We encourage you to take time to mark the anniversary - and go farther, by becoming part of a "league" that's working for a godly purpose.

Poker Day 500: The Greatest Race of Them All

Today was a milestone day for us - our 500th live poker tournament! We're only a few weeks away from the tenth anniversary of our first one. But today we gave ourselves a challenge - heading to Kansas Star Casino to play in the pricey $85 "deep stack" buy-in Sunday game. At times, amazing things happened....

BLINDS: 400/800

IN THE POCKET: J-J

If we're this far along in the blinds, things must be going well - and after a slow start, they have. Q-8 gave us a breakthrough straight in the first period. Then we 2d-9d into a diamond flush in the second, to triple our stack. Now we have at least 30,000 chips, from a starting 10,000. When a man across the table raises to 2,500, we see these cards and decide to do the "smooth call." No one else is in.

ON THE FLOP: J-9-2

We're definitely "hooked" on this! Our opponent checks for some reason instead of continuation betting. We're pleased to check along.

ON THE TURN: 9

Now we have a full house, and we're wondering how patient our opponent is going to be. He bets 2,500. OK, fine; we'll call again.

ON THE RIVER: J

Wow - we made quads! Now with two pair showing, how confident is our opponent?  Confident enough to bring out 3,000.

But now we pause. Under casino rules, since we have the superior hand and are last to act, we are required to raise. How much do we think our opponent will dare to go?

"I'm all in," we decide - and it's about 30,000.

Nope, that's too much; our opponent folds.

"You made a very wise decision," we say as we show our Jacks. We probably should have simply doubled there, to maximize our gains. But still, it's a big pot win.

Our stack reached 55,500 by the end of the second period, and a high in the third period of 74,000. This provided us time to wait through some poor cards, and pick up a couple of timely modest pots along the way. At the third break, we moved to the final table at 55,000!

But then the big drama came, as only seven players would win money on this 70-player day. We missed a flop with pocket 8's. Then with nine to go, we were dealt A-J. The biggest stack at the table raised pre-flop, and bet on the flop to put us all-in. We felt compelled to call.... and he had Q-Q. An Ace did not rescue us, and we finished in ninth place.

We missed the money by two, but left feeling somewhat satisfied. Our standard all along has been making final tables, and we did - doing it at one of the premier tournaments of the week in our city. The "500" was a good showing, and we thank God for it.

MINISTRY MOMENT: "First player to lie...." someone at the table muttered between hands. "All you Sunday morning go-to-church folks...."

We had to interrupt that. "I was in church yesterday," we told the man sitting nearby. That prompted another man at the table to start a guessing game.

"Seventh-Day Adventist?!"

"No."

"Catholic?!"

"No."

"I don't know what's left," the man admitted. So we told him.

"The United Church of God," we explained. If you haven't heard of it, that's understandable. It's a small Sabbath-keeping denomination that broke away from a larger group in the mid-1990s. (That larger group now is also much smaller than it used to be.)

In fact, the day of worship was a main reason behind the split. The larger group moved away from decades of teaching about God's Sabbath....

By the seventh day, God had finished the work he had been doing, so on the seventh he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done. - Genesis 2:2-3

God "created" (for lack of a better word) a day of rest. Not that God needed one; He's God, after all. But He set an example for us to follow....

Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work.... - Deuteronomy 5:12-13

The Sabbath was included in God's Ten Commandments, every bit as much as the commands not to lie (the NIV has "give false testimony" in verse 20) or murder. And Jesus Christ never said anything about doing away with it. In fact....

He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom.... - Luke 4:16

Jesus went to the synagogue on Sabbath because He was Jewish (Luke 2:23, 33). Go into many  synagogues today and try talking about Jesus, and it might not end well for you. So early believers gathered in groups, which became known as "the church."

If you don't have a regular church to attend, we suggest giving UCG a try. Hopefully you'll find a group which puts Jesus first in all they do, and really tries to live by all Ten Commandments. It probably won't be a perfect group of people; we're all sinners, after all (Romans 3:23). But it might satisfy something deep within you - a desire to worship God.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 183 final tables in 500 games (36.6%) - 36 cashes. As time permits in coming days, we'll analyze those numbers to see whether or not we're really good at poker - and how much this effort has cost us.

Losing the Lead

We've suspected it for a year or two in our part of the U.S. And now a national news report seemingly has confirmed it - poker is losing chips, in terms of interest.

When Las Vegas casinos are shutting down their poker rooms, you know the game is in a decline. The number of tables across Nevada has dropped by more than 25 percent in the last ten years, and the casino income from poker has dropped 30 percent - even years after the "Black Friday" crackdown on online games.

Translation: the game is in a slump. It's very unlikely to drop to "push or die" status, but the adrenaline rush of new players isn't what it used to be. So what can be done to turn things around?

As strange as it sounds, maybe poker players and casinos should learn a lesson in promotion from the Bible - even from Jesus Christ:

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. - Matthew 28:19

Jesus said this to His disciples (verse 16). But like a crafty poker player waiting to make a move with big cards, they waited to act until the right moment. That's because Jesus also said...

On one occasion, as he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about." - Acts 1:4

Jesus promised "power from on high" was coming (Luke 24:49) - and days after He returned to heaven, it came in the form of the Holy Spirit which inspired dynamic messages.

Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. - Acts 2:41

With that sort of a jumpstart....

Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word by the signs that accompanied it. - Mark 16:20

In the church world, this movement is called evangelism. As a radio series we've been hearing puts it, you "tell someone" about the gospel and Jesus. People have been following Jesus's command and doing that for nearly 2,000 years.

But to be honest, even that effort has had peaks and valleys. Some say the Christian church is in its own slump right now, in terms of dedicated members. We think interest can come back, if believers are willing to spread their message - perhaps even in new and creative ways.

If that can happen in a church, why not in the poker world? When was the last time you told someone new that you play poker - and even told them where and how they can take part in a tournament? (We're talking legal games here, not the other kind.)

"Word of mouth" worked with the gospel message long before Texas Hold 'em became popular. It can still work, if you wait for the right moment and make a powerful action when it comes.