About That Name....

We realize people are at all levels, when it comes to poker. A woman asked via email the other day:

What’s the meaning of “on the flop” anyway?

If you're new to Texas Hold 'em, "the flop" is a key part of many hands. After you're dealt two cards and bid on them, three cards are spread face-up on the table. Then players bid again.

In a perfect world, your pocket Aces are greeted on the flop by two more Aces so you have quads. Or Ace-King of spades are met by Qs-Js-10s, giving you an unbeatable royal flush.

But of course, poker is far from a perfect world. Your hand probably will be something less - perhaps no pair at all. Then it's a real "flop" for you, under a different definition: "a failure."

And that brings us to the name of this blog. You see, it has a double meaning - not only about poker hands, but the person who's writing about them. We can be a "flop", too....

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard. - Romans 3:23 (NLT)

Jesus Christ told believers they are to be perfect, even as God in heaven is (Matthew 5:48). But if when we sin, we're not perfect anymore. Come to think of it, doesn't that make us all "flops" in life?

But the good news is that we don't have to live forever in the "flop house"....

But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. - I John 1:9 (NLT)

God wants to forgive your sins and clean your records. But you need to "'fess up," as they say in the U.S. South. That means admitting God exists, then asking Him to have mercy for the sins you admit doing. After that....

So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbor the truth.... If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work.... Don't use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful.... - Ephesians 4:25-29 (NLT)

Yes, we know what some of you are saying: "That's easier said than done! I'll go right back to being a flop again!"

But there's more good news. God wants to help you become perfect. We'll explain how He does that in a future post.

Poker Night 538: Holiday Road

Some casinos have big special poker tournaments around national holidays. But the poker rooms in our new area do not. It was Sunday night business as usual, when we visited Jack Casino for the first time in several weeks. Memorial Day is an off day for us, so we were prepared to go all night....

BLINDS: 100/200

IN THE POCKET: 8-8

The room is full of poker players, but most of them are in cash games. We're at a full tournament table of nine, and early efforts have not gone well. We start this hand with about 12,750 chips, from a starting 15,000. But we'll gladly give a mid-range pocket pair a try. No one raises, and about five players are in.

ON THE FLOP: K-9-2

Not looking promising for us, with two higher cards showing. A man across the table bets 500. It's enough to chase off other people, but strikes us as a "position bet" to steal a pot. We dare to call, and now are heads-up.

ON THE TURN: 7

Well, 8's do beat 7's. But what are we really up against? We check. Our opponent checks, too.

ON THE RIVER: 9

This pairs the board, and gives us two pair. Suddenly we think it's time to turn the test in the opposite direction, so we bet 500. The other player calls.

"Nines and eights," we say as we show. Lo and behold, that's good enough! Our opponent folds without showing his cards. Our best guess is that he had something like A-Q, and the higher cards missed.

We won a few more modest pots in the first two-hour period of the turbo tourney. Our high was 19,200, and 18,200 remained at the first break. Then rising blinds forced some bold decisions. We went all-in four times without getting a caller, making nice gains in the process without showing our cards.

The four-table tourney went to two in a hurry, and quick dropouts put us at the final table of nine with 21,800. But that was on the low end of the list - and while we held on for a while, eventually we went all-in with 3-5 after seeing a flop of 2-4-9. Our straight draw missed twice. So a man with a mega-stack took out a woman who also had 3-5, as well as us.

Final result: a tie for eighth place, out of 36 players. The Sunday afternoon tournament at Jack had 91 entries - so many that the final table was still going when our tournament began. The top four there earned more than $1,000. Our contest only paid the top six, and we missed the money.

MINISTRY MOMENT: "Do you have an extension cord for that?" the final table dealer joked when he noticed our card protector. We brought an electrical adapter, which people use to plug three-pronged devices into two-pronged wall outlets.

"I brought this to remind me," we explained to everyone, "that I receive power through the Holy Spirit of God."

A few people laughed at our words. We hope it was simply because it was a clever explanation. If you scoff at the idea of a Holy Spirit, the joke someday may be on you - as it was on scoffers long ago:

Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, "What does this mean?" Some, however, made fun of them and said, "They have had too much wine." - Acts 2:13-14

Both groups in this chapter had witnessed an amazing sight - the Holy Spirit filling Jesus's followers and guiding them in speaking other languages (verse 4). The apostle Peter explained what they saw:

These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It's only nine in the morning! No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: "In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.... I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below...." - Acts 2:15-19

It was a moment for joy, but not necessarily scoffing laughter. That's because Peter had a serious offer to make....

And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.... Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. - Acts 2:21, 38

Some believers say they "speak in tongues" today, because they're filled with the Holy Spirit in the same way. They need to be sure others can understand what they say (verses 6, 11). But Peter's main point was that people should call on God, seeking forgiveness with a repentant heart. Then they can be forgiven. People around you might not forgive you, but God can - and that's a wonderful blessing to have.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 196 final tables in 538 games (36.4%) - 40 cashes. The final table count in our new area now is four out of five!

An Apology from "Jesus"

The online poker crackdown happened seven years ago. An explanation about it from a poker legend took less than 45 seconds - and may raise more questions than it answers.

Chris "Jesus" Ferguson posted a very short video this week about the "Black Friday" federal intervention. Ferguson reportedly was Chairman of the Board of Full Tilt Poker when it happened. He may have paid millions to the government to settle a civil case while repaying people with frozen bankrolls.

The transcript of Ferguson's video, posted by CardPlayer.com, includes this:

I deeply regret not being able to prevent Black Friday from happening. After Black Friday, I worked relentlessly to ensure that all players got paid back. And, I sincerely apologize that it took as long as it did.

That's not enough for some poker players, including Daniel Negreanu who mockingly called it "so heartfelt." Others are left wondering why Ferguson brought out the apology now - whether it has anything to do with the renewed hopes for state-run poker websites.

We're not going to judge Ferguson's motives. Instead, we're thinking about the real Jesus - the One who was sinless, and never had to apologize to anyone for anything....

So watch yourselves. If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. - Luke 17:3

There are three parts to Jesus's instruction in this verse. We need to watch ourselves and our conduct, especially as events move toward Jesus's return:

Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man. - Luke 21:36

Second: rebuke a "brother" who sins. We were challenged by a preacher last weekend to dare to say the word "sin" again, as many think it's improper now. But we should start with close friends (in church or outside) who may be wandering from a godly way:

Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. - Galatians 6:1

Third: forgive the brother who repents - even if you have to do it over and over:

If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, "I repent," forgive him. - Luke 17:4

We'd note Ferguson did not use the word "repent" - a word that implies admitting doing something wrong, and turning in the opposite direction from it. Time will tell if he actually does that; he'd probably have to return to poker site management to have that opportunity.

Follow the poker "Jesus," and you may run into some regrets. Follow the Jesus of the Bible, and you never will.

Blackjacked Up

"There's no tournament tonight!" a poker dealer said when we neared the entrance to the Kansas Star Casino poker room tonight.

"Oh yes, there is," we answered. Poker, no. Blackjack, yes.

We qualified three weeks ago for the casino's blackjack championship semifinals. Tonight was the time to determine the winner. Out of 108 players who advanced (including 18 wild cards), 18 would make the final round and the top six would share $20,000 in prize money.

We drew a table in the middle of three semifinal sessions. After finding a great website for practicing casino "skills" for free, we'd developed a strategy for betting our 500 starting chips over 18 hands. We'd bet small at first, and increase the bets as our stack increased and the number of remaining hands dwindled.

The semifinal sessions started well, as we gained 60 on the first hand with a double-down bet. But then came a string of losses which made us concerned. At the mandatory chip-count after 12 hands, we were down to 375 - yet were surprised to find that was second at the table.

Only the table winner would advance to the finals. So some of the five players around us went for broke, and lost. But we gained a big double-down win of 250 on #16 (might we be allowed to make it sound like golf?), putting us at 635.

We failed in the last two hands, betting 200 each time. Yet amazingly, we wound up "heads up" at the table - and the only other man in the running had only 150 chips! Our 235 (a 53-percent loss) won the table, and put us in the finals!

"You have a one-in-three chance of winning money," a bystander told us as we shared what happened. We knew that - 18 reaching the finals; six getting paid. And we knew we had been blessed, because one semifinal table had two players finish above 5,000.

Our final table included a few early triumphs. We advanced near the 700 mark early, then had small setbacks. At the 12-hand count, we stood at 580; players on either side of us were above 1,000.

We were still at 580 when we doubled-down 125 at #15. Our 20 lost to the dealer's 21, and that hurt. A loss of 110 at #16 left only 220 chips and two hands to play. But we won back 110 at #17 - then went for it all on the last hand, and watched the dealer bust!

Final score: 660 chips. We would not win the $10,000 top prize; the two players around us finished above 1,000. But could we make the money?

A casino manager took the public address mike to announce the top six. Sorry, we didn't make it. A man named Lloyd (pictured) won the championship. Our 660 put us in tenth place out of 18.

At a casino poker tournament, tenth out of 108 would have made some money. Thinking back over three weeks of qualifying, there was a maximum of 972 entries - and the top 98 in poker or golf surely would have made us some money. But in this format.... no.

That's OK, though. We drove home thankful to God for the excitement of competing - and for the ability to say we finished in the top ten of a blackjack competition, out of nearly 1,000!

MINISTRY MOMENT: While we watched the first semifinal session to get a feel for the action, we talked to a man about what we and some former co-workers had faced in recent months.

"It's an unfriendly world," he said.

"That's why I'm thankful that Jesus is my best friend," we told him. Then we asked the "Jesus question." That man considers Jesus his friend as well.

"He's kept me vertical," he explained. "My health is fair." Then came a surprising addition. "Jesus.... redeemed me."

We praised the Lord for that short testimony. But do you understand what he means by Jesus redeeming someone?

The Lord redeems his servants; no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him. - Psalm 34:22

The concept of redemption goes back to long before Jesus Christ appeared on Earth. David wrote these words during a time of persecution, appealing to God to protect righteous people like himself from evildoers (verse 21). Later on....

...For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. - Romans 3:23-24

Earlier in the day, we heard a pastor on radio talk about old-time S&H green stamp "redemption centers." People used to collect stamps while shopping, then turn them in at the centers for gifts and prizes. You may have a credit card that offers "rewards points" in a similar way.

Jesus redeemed us from our sins, by giving up His sinless life on our behalf:

For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. - Colossians 1:13-14

Jesus never sinned. We have. We do. More often that we'd like to admit. But Jesus redeemed us through His blood, shed for us. If we ask God to apply Jesus's blood to our sins, we can be part of God's glorious coming kingdom. That can be more exciting than any night of blackjack.

Will you take advantage of God's amazing offer? Leave a comment if you'd like to know more about how it works.

Aaron Sells-Out

At our last live poker tournament, the name "Aaron" came up - and we noted that's a famous name from the Bible. We meet him first in Exodus 4, as the older brother of Moses and a spokesman for both of them.

Aaron accompanied Moses in several showdowns with Egypt's Pharaoh. They ended with Israel coming out of Egyptian slavery - and the support was more than vocal:

As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amaliekites were winning. When Moses's hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up - one on one side, one on the other.... - Exodus 17:11-12

How many "poker wives" support their spouses quietly and loyally - whether in big tournaments or small? They may not literally hold the cards up so the players can see them, but they can give moral support and encouragement in many ways. It's easy to overlook them, but we shouldn't.

God set up a line of priests through Aaron (Exodus 28:1/Leviticus 8:21-30) - but then he made a big mistake:

Aaron answered them, "Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.".... He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it into a tool. Then they said, "These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt." When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the calf.... - Exodus 32:3-5

It's one thing to win a gold bracelet, at an event such as the World Series of Poker. It's another thing to idolize it - making it a god and presuming it's like the God of heaven. Even though God was displaying His power in amazing ways to Israel, Aaron defaulted to something Egypt had done. And then....

"They said to me, Make us gods who will go before us'.... Then they gave me the gold, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf!" - Exodus 32:23-24

Really.... really?! Aaron lied by denying he'd "fashioned" the gold, and claiming it looked like a false god by sheer coincidence. It's easy for us to say it now, but Aaron should have stood his moral ground and pointed the people to the God who was talking with Moses on Mount Sinai.

If poker consumes a lot of your time, either in person or online, you might have turned the game into your god - and you have a false god. You might need to do what Moses did for Israel....

So Moses went back to the Lord and said, "Oh, what a great sin these people have committed! They have made themselves gods of gold. But now, please forgive their sin...." - Exodus 32:31-32

Seek God's forgiveness, and make Him the true God of your life. After all, He was around long before poker - and He offers the gift of eternal life, to last far beyond it.

Games Back On?

Did you hear about the recent charity poker tournament in Wichita?

If you didn't, that may have been by design. When we spent a Monday night at Yvie's a couple of weeks ago, the Tournament Director referred to an approaching weekend charity event with a buy-in.
We didn't ask about it further, to avoid the appearance of prying. But we thought that sort of thing had been stopped by the local police a year ago.

On top of that, the old Arrowhead Poker has reopened as a private club. Its Facebook page says:

Winners Game Room is a private social club where patrons can enjoy a variety of games, billiards, and entertainment in an alcohol-free setting. Memberships are $10 per day. You can also buy a 20-visit pass for just $100.

A video clip posted by the owner in February indicates the "games" include poker. It didn't show any billiard tables.

So what happened here? Is a private club format legal, while the old "chair rental" approach was not? We admittedly don't know the law on such things. But we found what the Bible may say about it - and in rather grotesque terms:

As a dog returns to his vomit, so a fool repeats his folly. - Proverbs 26:11

In other words, some habits can be hard to break. People who want to get drunk or smoke marijuana will find ways to feed their "needs." Some poker players can be the same way - except poker players have other options. They can go to a casino for tournaments and cash games. They can play online for free. Why do something that risks getting in trouble with the law all over again?

Rather than return to questionable practices, the Bible recommends a different "rate of return"....

Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God. Your sins have been your downfall! - Hosea  14:1

You may have wandered away from God and not even realized it. Maybe not by playing poker, but by doing other things that violate His laws.

The Lord was very angry with your forefathers. Therefore tell the people: This is what the Lord Almighty says: "Return to me," declares the Lord Almighty, "and I will return to you," says the Lord Almighty. - Zechariah 1:2-3

Making that return isn't always easy. It can mean admitting you're wrong, and asking God for mercy. But the good news is....

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. - I John 1:9

That process starts by examining yourself and your life carefully. Are there areas where you've wandered off God's course? It's something we're personally doing right now, so you can do it as well. It could be the best move you've ever made - well, this side of going all-in with pocket Aces.

Getting the Message

We had a good discussion about matters of faith at a recent poker tournament. One topic involved the Holy Spirit. A man admitted he's sometimes not sure if the Spirit is speaking to him, or something else.

We've written before about waiting for the Spirit's guidance when we play. But as at least one preacher has put it, how do you know it's the Spirit talking and not last night's dinner? Let's see what Jesus said about that....

But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. - John 14:26

We think the "remind" part means the Holy Spirit's messages are verifiable. They should at least replicate what Jesus said. The Lord continues:

But when he, the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth.... - John 16:13

Jesus called Himself "the way and the truth and the life" (John 14:6), and also referred to the Scriptures as the "Word of truth" (John 17:17).

..He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. - John 16:13b

So there may be a message about what is ahead. But any tip from the Holy Spirit should be based on what God the Father and Jesus the Son already have revealed.

But maybe we've forgotten a key point here. Just as you can't play in a poker tournament without chips, you can't understand spiritual things without the Holy Spirit being present in you. What can you do so "the Spirit of truth comes" in the first place?

Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of the you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." - Acts  2:38

It all starts with repentance - admitting your ways are wrong, seeking God's forgiveness for them and turning to walk in a holy way. Some people will talk about doing this, with the "Lenten season" beginning tomorrow. But you can do it right now, without any human-set partying deadlines.

Turn your life over to God, to start hearing clearly from Him. You may not be told how to play pocket Kings, but the overall quality of your life is bound to improve.

Breaking Badness

"The Pope is a bad person, isn't he?"

Talk about an unexpected question at a poker table.  We had already brought up our faith in Jesus.  Now a player was going "all in" about religion in a different way.

We stammered a bit, in trying to answer with a bit of humor. "I've never met the guy."

The other player went on to explain why he said that.  "This Pope believes in abortion.  He believes in homosexuality.  Things I don't agree with."

We were aware of some of Pope Francis's remarks about "not judging" homosexuals.  But we didn't know what the man meant about abortion - and a quick online search we did for this post indicates the player's statement was in fact an overstatement.

But let's go back to the player's original question.  Is Pope Francis a "bad person?"  There's a better answer to that, which we admit we didn't give at the time: Is anyone not a bad person?

We've met people at poker rooms and other places insist they're "a good person."  Yet the Bible says....

For all have sinned, and short of the glory of God. - Romans 3:23

All humans sin.  Even the Pope has gone to a confessional -- although you don't have to do that to admit your sin.  Jesus made an amazing statement along these lines:

"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered.  "No one is good - except God alone." - Mark 10:18

Was Jesus saying even He was bad?  We don't think so.  Jesus was God in the flesh, after all (John 1:1, 14).  But since only God is good, what do the rest of us need to do?

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. - I John 1:9

Confess the sins to God, as opposed to a minister.  After all, a minister can't purify you.  Only God can do that, through the blood of Jesus (verse 7).  And then....

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

Forsake (as in give up) ways that are wicked and bad -- even thoughts that are evil.  Ask God to help you walk in a good and better way.  You'll be starting on the road to goodness -- a road that can lead to eternal life.

Friday Night Lights, Part 2

When we left a previous post, we had $30 left at the casino - only enough for one more Ultimate Texas Hold 'em hand at the $10 table.  Since the $5 table was full (proving more casino gamblers are economy-minded than you might think), we did something we hadn't done it years. We sat down at a blackjack table.

With $30 to spend and a $10 table, we figured we'd finish things quickly.  But a remarkable thing happened.  We won a hand.  Then another.  Then another. It wound up being a run of five wins and one push -- and suddenly we were $20 from breaking even!

But when the dealer dealt himself A-K, we knew it was time to get out near the top.  We left with only a $30 loss, stopped for a burger dinner, drove home and worked on our tax return a bit (even turning on TV for some of the sin-laden 10:00 p.m. news) before going to bed.

Keep in mind why we did this -- because we were consciously not showing love for God on February 14, including the start of a seventh-day Sabbath.  We admittedly had prayed Thursday night (the 13th) explaining to God why we were doing what we did.

The next morning was Saturday, the 15th -- and we resumed our normal routine, praying to God first thing in the morning.  We sought His forgiveness for anything we may have done wrong in the process.  (We could have acted much worse -- but we didn't curse, or even eat "unclean meats".)  And we have confidence from the Bible that it was granted....

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. - I John 1:9

We should stop here and ask: have you done this?  Even poker players sin, you know....

....For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. - Romans 3:23

We all need God's loving forgiveness -- and that's admittedly one big problem we have with the magazine article which started all this.  Does God suspend His love for humans on February 14, simply because some people have turned that day into a pagan "love feast?

Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. - Lamentations 3:22-23

If God can forgive our "love is wrong today" fling, even if it's suggested by a church group's teaching which seems to be ridiculous, He can forgive your sins at the poker table.  But you must confess them -- which we think means admitting they were wrong, and asking God to forgive them.

There's one more part to this story.  A worship service Saturday afternoon allowed us to share our actions with other church members.  Could we start a conversation on exactly what love means -- including when to do it?

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

Poker Night 395: Looking for Something?

Did you ever search and search around the house for an item -- only to discover it was sitting right in front of you all along?  That can happen at a poker table, too.  Look carefully at this hand from tonight's tournament at Lil Kim's Cove:

BLINDS: 25/50

IN THE POCKET: Queen-7 of diamonds

As best we remember, we haven't won a pot yet -- but we haven't bet much, either.  From a starting 13,000 chips (3,000 extra for soda, 5,000 for arriving on time), this is a safe inexpensive hand to play.  We call, and no one at the table of six raises.

ON THE FLOP: 10x-Kd-6x

A third diamond offers hope of a flush.  We're helped by the fact that the table checks.

ON THE TURN: J (not a diamond)

There goes the flush -- and our interest in this hand.  We're ready to fold to anything.  But the table checks again.

ON THE RIVER: A

As they say in hockey, now the gloves come off.  A woman who calls herself a "newby" player bets 3,000.  A man across from her raises to 10,000.

"I'd better get ready to fold this," we say -- but then with our cards above the table, we suddenly see it.  Hey, there are four cards for a straight on the board!  And we have the Queen for a "Broadway" straight!

The cards come back, and we're glad we didn't simply say "fold."  We call the bet of 10,000.  The new player next to us struggles to figure out her chips, but she calls as well.

"I've got a Queen," we say as we show.  And it turns out the other two big bettors did, too.  It's a three-way split of the pot, and only a modest gain for us.

The lesson for us here: keep watching a hand carefully until you're completely out of it.  Surprising "runner" cards came to give us a straight -- and we almost missed it, by assuming the worst.

We won a couple of pots outright in the first hour, including an 8-9 which turned into two pair on the flop and took out an opponent.  Then a longtime Tournament Director quit the game with a huge stack of chips, and we gained about 5,000 more in a six-way split.  Our high was 23,500 -- but then good cards quit coming.

An attempt to make something happen with a pair of Jacks fell victim to a flush we didn't have.  Finally at the start of the third hour with only 10,000 chips left and the blinds at 5,000/10,000, we folded 7-10 -- only to watch cards come which would have given us a winning straight.

The next hand was a forced Big Blind with J-6.  The river brought a 6 -- but a man across from us had A-6, and his kicker topped us.  We again fell barely short of the final table, finishing 10th.

MINISTRY MOMENT: "I read a passage from the Bible every day," the new female player told us before the game began.  That led to a short discussion around the table about sin.

"Everyone sins," a man across from us said.  "There are little sins and big sins."

Big and little to us, maybe.  But in the eyes of God, we're still.... well, "all sin."

For whoever keeps the whole law and stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. - James 2:10

The discussion reminded us of a Bible passage we'd read earlier in the day....

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. - I John 1:8

Are you claiming that?  If so, take another look at the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20 or Deuteronomy 5.  Have you gone throughout your life without ever telling a lie -- even once?  Have you never longed to own something one of your friends has?  That can be coveting.  Yet here's the good news....

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. - I John 1:9

After you seek God's forgiveness of your sins, ask for His help in coming out of sin.  His Holy Spirit can help you resist and win, if you let Him live within you.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 136 final tables in 395 nights (34.4%) - 20 cashes.

NATIONAL LEAGUE OF POKER TOTAL: Full tournaments - 283 point wins in 1,388 games (20.4%), 92 final tables, 10 cashes, 12 wins.  No-River Hold 'em - 28 point wins in 108 games (25.9%), 23 final tables, 2 cashes, 1 win.

It appears we were wrong about NLOP ending the monthly Senior Championships.  Qualifying is underway for the March event -- but we'll have to miss it, due to another commitment.

POKER STARS.NET TOTAL: Pretend cash games -  $85,649, down $747.

Poker Night 361: Too Jacked Up

Tonight marked our first trip to Lil Kim's Cove in three weeks -- and it may go down as the craziest night we've ever had in a poker room.  We'll explain why in a moment.  But first, we want to ask for your help in an unusual way -- especially if you live in our area:

MISSING PERSON: Jessie Everett's picture was posted on a wall at Lil Kim's tonight.  He was last seen Thursday, November 1 walking from the First Avenue club toward the Oakland Park area. He's described as disabled (with a limp), and has a bad left hand and arm. If you've seen him, call Columbus 911.

At the table, we won one pot by making a straight from a starting 5-6.  But we didn't win any others, and finished in 16th place.  But this was one of those nights when the most memorable hand was one we didn't play....

BLINDS: 200/400

IN THE POCKET: 9-10 offsuit

A brand new deck of cards has been introduced for this hand, because the old one had a few clipped corners.  We have about 5,700 chips -- and a man sitting "under the gun" challenges us by raising to 1,000.  We look at him, stare for a moment seeking clues, see none and fold.  But most of the table gets in.

ON THE FLOP: J-10-10

Ouch!  We would have made three of a kind right away.  On top of that, the table checks.

ON THE TURN: J

Now we would have had a full house.  As we recall, the table checks again.

ON THE RIVER: Q

The checking now stops and the fireworks start.  A woman across from us bets 1,000 (as best we remember).  The man under the gun goes all-in.  The woman to his left (our immediate right) also pushes.  Then a young man to our left who's playing in his first live tournament also pushes!  It looks like a mad case of full house fever.

"I've got the boat with a Jack," the first woman says -- turning over a Jack of hearts.  So she would have beaten our "10's over Jacks" full house.  The other woman in the hand also shows a Jack.

"I guess you don't have a Jack," we say to the new player at our left.  But no -- he also shows a Jack!  A grand total of five Jacks are showing!

"There are two Jack of hearts," we note -- pointing to one on the board, and the one the first woman has.  We turn over the cards for a moment, to make sure they're both from the same new deck.  What's going on here?

After a moment, the dealer figures it out.  He turns over the rest of the deck -- and there are no low cards at all.  He was given a pinochle deck, instead of the regular Ace-through-two deck used in poker!  Our late Dad played pinochle for decades, and he would have been thrilled.

The Tournament Director is called, and he rules everyone gets their bets back.  But after reviewing the pinochle rules online, we wonder why the dealer didn't notice that deck had only 48 cards.  We watched the count, and it didn't look quite right to us -- but we deferred.  And we wound up with the two lowest cards, anyway.

(That wasn't the only crazy moment at our table tonight.  But we'll hold another matter for a future post.)

MINISTRY MOMENT: We apologized before the game to the man who was outside our front door Monday evening.  It turns out he used to live in the apartment next to ours, and is friends with the owner of the property.

"I was not offended," he assured us -- adding he understood we were hurrying to The Red Barn.  That was comforting.  We don't think he's a Christian, yet he reflected a Biblical trait....

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

The sports world (and perhaps to a lesser extent the poker world) is filled with "grudge matches" and rivalries.  But holding long-term grudges against other people is something believers in Jesus should not do.

Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you. - Colossians 3:13

God showed His willingness to forgive men and women by sending Jesus Christ to pay the death penalty for our sins.  Have you confessed your sins and repented before God, to receive the comforting forgiveness He wants to provide?

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 124 final tables in 361 nights (34.3%) - 19 cashes.

NATIONAL LEAGUE OF POKER TOTAL: Full tournaments - 272 point wins in 1,215 games (22.4%), 84 final tables, 10 wins, 10 cashes.  No-River Hold 'em - 17 point wins in 63 games (27.0%), 13 final tables, 1 cash win.

POKER STARS.NET TOTAL: Pretend cash games - $86,449, down $1,373.  The re-election of President Obama may mean pretend games still will be all U.S. residents can play for awhile.

After the Storm

Professional poker players are known for keeping their cool during a game.  But of course, the ones who don't make for "great television" -- in the same way outlandish actions are more likely to appear on the evening news than ordinary trips to dinner.

The shouting match at our poker table this week over a misdealt card didn't have to happen.  Several people could have handled things much better. For instance....


1. The woman who lost the big hand vented all the way across the table at the dealer.  Jesus taught a better approach:

If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you.  If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. - Matthew 18:15

Jesus went on to add a second step you should take, before getting everyone else (in His example "the church") involved -- getting "one or two others" to hear the dispute (verses 16-17).


2. The dealer verbally apologized.  That's good.  But he did it on the loudness level of the complainer, almost trying to shout her down.  That's not so good.

A soft answer turns away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger. - Proverbs 15:1 (KJV)

In this case, the upset woman probably never would have heard a quiet apology which interrupted her.  So our approach probably would have been to let the woman speak her piece -- and apologize quietly once she was finished.


3.  The Tournament Director heard the argument -- but when he walked over, he told everyone involved to settle it among themselves.  We're not sure if he had anything better to do, but he missed an opportunity:

Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. - Romans 14:19

Or as Jesus put it: "Blessed are the peacemakers" (Matthew 5:9).  Many approaches could have been used to bring peace to this argument.  Perhaps he could have let each party speak their piece uninterrupted, then offering guidance.  (If you have a better idea, please leave a comment.)


Someone noted to us during a break this shouting match occurred in a "free poker" game.  Yes, first-place prize money was at stake -- but nowhere close to the millions of dollars at the World Series of Poker Main Event.  So was the loud argument really worth it?  The Bible offers a much better idea:

Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.  Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. - Ephesians 4:31-32

P.S. Neither party in the argument made it to the final table.  We did -- along with a woman who admitted she intentionally walked away from the table during the spat so she wouldn't have her "blood boil."  Is there a lesson there for all of us?

Poker Night 324: The Devil, You Say

A TV station in our area surprised us a few weeks ago, by making a big fuss about new license plates.  The station managers decided to exchange three news car tags which had the numbers 666 in them -- even though a fourth number followed the sixes.  Should you be afraid of that series of numbers?  That issue actually came up tonight at The Red Barn....

BLINDS: 200/400

IN THE POCKET: A-7 offsuit

We're in the small blind, at a table which has been playing "friendly poker" before the flop most of the evening.  We won an early pot when our K-10 turned into a straight on the flop.  But we've been biding our time otherwise -- and with no one raising, this gives us no reason to change.  We call, and most of the table is in.

ON THE FLOP: 6c-6d-6h

Several players laugh at this, since enough people know the symbolism associated with those numbers.  "That's a beast of a flop!" we declare -- but we're not sure how many get our play on words.  (If you don't get that, your assignment is to read Revelation 13:11-18.)

After the commotion dies down, we check.  So does everyone else.

ON THE TURN: A

That's practically the best card we could see at this moment.  It gives us a full house -- but we bet 500, just in case.

"He's got the Ace," someone says.

"He could have a 6," another speculates.  That would give us quads -- but we realize to earn a 5,000-chip house-rule bonus for quads, we have to carry the hand all the way to the river.  So this bet actually should tell thinking players at the table we don't have quads.  We hope they get the "next best thing" message and fold.  Most of the table does, but one woman does not; she calls.

ON THE RIVER: 7

That card is really inconsequential.  What matters is what that woman has.  We think she most likely has an Ace of her own, which would mean we split the pot.  We offer 1,000, to show we mean business in case she's holding a smaller pair.  The woman responds by raising to 2,000.  Oh no -- could she be the one with quads?  We remain skeptical, and think this is a "dare and double dare" move.

"You'll have to show me the 6," we say as we call.  "I've got an Ace."

After we show our cards, the woman dramatically turns over 7 of spades.  Then 6 of spades!  She played suited connectors and hit it big!

"I knew he had an Ace," the player out of the hand repeats to someone else.  "He's been playing cautious all night."  Thanks for the tip.  At least he got our message; perhaps we should have read the woman's hint better.

We recovered our loss on the next hand, when 3-3 brought a third 3 on the flop.  We went all-in with 3,025 left and won.  Moments later, K-K brought another big gain.  We rolled to the one-hour break at 21,700 chips -- then won a couple more modest pots in the second hour.  A timely win with A-6 and a pair of 6's on the flop helped us reach the final table at 20,500.

But once there, we made a tactical blunder.  We held a Queen, saw Queen-high on the flop and only bet 8,000 chips instead of pushing completely.  A man stayed in with 5-6 and made a winning full house.  It came down to an all-in move with K-9 for us -- but a woman with K-K topped us, so we settled for a seventh-place finish.

MINISTRY MOMENT: "I have a bone to pick with you," a man said as soon as we walked in the door tonight.  He called us over to the bar, and proceeded to disagree with the nice words we wrote here last week (and elsewhere online) about Mr. Wing.

"The service was terrible," the man told us.  So were the wing prices, he added -- even though we never went into detail about the food menu, because we didn't order from it.  The man claimed to speak for many when he concluded: "Your recommendation s*cked."

Instead of getting into a quarrel about it, we asked the man to forgive us.  We tried to follow a Biblical example....

Forgive us our debts, as we have also forgiven our debtors. - Matthew 6:13

But that man did not respond to our request by forgiving us.  That's also a Biblical example:

Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you. - Colossians 3:13

We realize poker players can have differing opinions about everything from sports bars to the handling of pocket Jacks.  We've learned to accept those differences, without turning them into a big fuss.  Are you able to be that accepting?  That's really the approach which shows a more Biblical attitude of humility.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 115 final tables in 324 nights (35.5%) - 17 cashes.  Maybe we should give up the Thursday night games, because we've made seven out of the last nine final tables early in the week.

Remember As You Play....

All a man's ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the Lord. - Proverbs 16:2

Be honest now -- how many times have you heard a poker player make a big move which loses, then blame himself for making a big mistake?

We've seen plenty of online games where the loser finds fault with the winner, declaring him a "donkey" for making the call. In religious circles, this behavior is known as "self-justification." We find a way to justify our own actions, even if they fail. It's an old custom, really....

So these three men stopped answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. But Elihu.... became very angry with Job for justifying himself rather than God. - Job 32:1-2

The more humble approach is to admit we blew it. That's true if we try an all-in bluff with 7-4 offsuit -- and it's true in everyday life as well.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. - I John 1:9

To borrow an old poem: take your pride and cast it aside. Admit it when you're wrong. Admit you're human. You may be surprised to find the players around you will respect you a lot more.

Words of a "LoSer" II

Our last post mentioned an online opponent named "LoSerUr2" who clearly brought an attitude with him to the poker table - an attitude challenging our faith. The chat about our Sabbath-keeping went on, as the play continued:

LoSerUr2: you go to church one day to ask for forgiveness of the sins ya do the other six days

This skeptic actually raises a very good point. Some people look at Chriatianity as simply "doing your duty" to God in a weekly worship service, then living any way they please the rest of the week. It becomes custom and tradition -- when God wants much more than that.

You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: "These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men." - Matthew 15:7-9

These are tough words from Jesus -- and they should be thought-provoking words, even for long-time believers. Could you and I worship Jesus in vain? If rules are followed simply because they're the "rules of the house" like at a poker tournament, the Lord says yes. Instead....

Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. - II Timothy 2:22

Ask God to purify your heart to fully please and serve Him. Then pursue a lifestyle that reflects a godly example -- toward other people as well as Him. Back at the chat....

Me: I seek God's forgiveness most every day.
LoSerUr2: i forgive my my fellow poker player

Why, thank you. That's the spirit we all should have:

Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. - Colossians 3:13

We've found poker players in live tournaments practice this far more than you might think. Not always. Not perfectly. But it happens on a regular basis. Can you say that, as you walk with God?

Heads-Up: One and Done?

It happened again Saturday night. For the second time in three weeks, we played a heads-up poker match at The Red Barn which was over in a single hand.

We had Q-8 of spades. The flop brought three spades, including the King! We slow-played our flush, betting small and calling a raise. The turn was 10s, and we checked -- then called a bet. The river was 6s, putting a flush on the board.

"I'm all-in," our opponent said. Since only one card could beat us, we....

Well, we actually did pause a moment to think about this. What if he had that one card? Why else would he push? After that pause, an alternative explanation came to mind: he was making a big bluff to scare us off the pot.

"I'll do it. I'll call," we said. After sorting out the chips, we showed our Queen of spades -- and he showed an Ace of spades, to top us.

"Now we're even," our opponent said. In fact, this was the very same man we'd eliminated two weeks before with quads! Now he had knocked us out of this double-elimination event.

Have you made a big mistake in your life -- even bigger than the one we made? The good news is that God is willing to help you through a "loser's bracket" of sorts, to gain ultimate success.

For though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again.... -- Proverbs 24:16

How can he rise? By repenting and turning back to God. Pray the sort of prayer King David did, after he made a big mistake:

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. -- Psalm 51:1-2

In some poker tournaments, you can "re-buy" your way back into the action. God's gift of forgiveness is free, but you must humble yourself and ask for it. Once you do, learn from your mistakes -- and try not to repeat them.

Poker Night 102: Turn or Skid

After several recent online losses through longshot river cards, we concluded it's vital to respond to the turn card properly. If you have a good hand, don't wait -- do something to win the pot then and there. That lesson was reinforced to us tonight at Lil Kim's Cove....

BLINDS: 100/200

IN THE POCKET: 10-7 offsuit

We're in the small blind at a table of five, and standard calling occurs around us. Holding 5,600 chips, we call.

ON THE FLOP: Q-7-4.

We have middle pair. That's OK, but not too thrilling. We check, as does everyone else.

ON THE TURN: 7.

Aha! We have three of a kind, sit first in line to bet -- and it's a good time to bet. We throw in 500. One man calls; the others fold.

ON THE RIVER: 8.

The cards are offsuit. What could go wrong? We bet 1,100.

"I'm all in," the man to our left says -- and he has more than 6,000 in his stack. Huh?! What could he have? Based on how the table has played, we conclude he has a Queen or a pocket pair -- still only two pair.

"All I have is 3,900," we say as we call.

"I've got a straight," the opponent declares. He has 5-6 -- and hit an open-ended draw on the river. To be honest, it was a straight possibility we never saw.

Should we have bet more on the turn -- maybe 1,500 or 2,000? Looking back, it might have chased that opponent off his draw. But we wanted to maximize our gain from this hand. Trouble is, we wound up minimizing it -- to the max. We finish 17th, on a night with only about 25 players.

MINISTRY MOMENT: We won a big all-in pot earlier this week at NBC Sports. As we recall, our A-9 topped an opponent's K-Q. The opponent then wrote we logically should NOT have called his big bet. That led to this exchange:

Me: I'm sorry.
roket88: i forgive you
roket88: this time
Me: May God bless you for a forgiving heart.
roket88: amen

Forgiveness -- it's a good thing. We think it beats holding grudges at a poker table. The apostle Paul put it this way in Ephesians 4:32: "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 41 final tables in 102 nights (40.2%) - 9 cashes.