Mercy-Me

The man to our left bet big on the flop. Then he bet bigger on the turn. We called the flop with A-K, but decided the turn bet was too much because our cards had not paired.

"I'll be merciful toward you," we said as we folded.

"Actually, if you were merciful, you would have bet," our opponent responded.

He then disclosed he had K-Q, and his Queen had paired on the flop. And you know.... he had a point there about mercy.

"So I had mercy on me," we admitted with a sense of humor. After all, a call could have set us up for a bigger loss.

Is that how mercy works with you? Are you merciful toward yourself, and not the people around you - in a poker room or otherwise? That's not really how it's supposed to work....

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God.... We have different gifts, according to the grace given us.... if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully. - Romans 12:1, 6, 8

To borrow from a radio talk show host, God has treated us much better than we deserve. That's because....

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

We deserve nothing but death for our sins (Romans 6:23). But God had mercy on us, before any of us were born....

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions -- it is by grace you have been saved. - Ephesians 2:4-5

We become "alive with Christ" by repenting of our sins, being baptized and receiving Jesus in us through the Holy Spirit.

If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. - I John 4:15

If you haven't accepted God's mercy, there's no better time than now - by accepting Jesus as your Savior and Redeemer for your sins. If you have accepted that mercy, pass it on to others in a cheerful spirit. There's no better time to be a godly example.

The R.O.I.

"You usually don't play cash games," a poker dealer said as we passed the poker room entrance Thursday night.

"True," we replied. "But I'm here for something else."

We explained an unusual Thursday night trip to Kansas Star Casino was for a blackjack tournament. It guarantees a $20,000 prize pool with a $10,000 top prize, for a mere $35 buy-in.

Since we've had small gains at times playing blackjack and the buy-in was less than for a casino poker tournament, we decided to try it. Thursday's first night of qualifying had room for 108 players - but apparently not every seat was filled, as the Director invited late entries on the house mic before the third round.

We sat at a table of six in the first round, with a starting stack of $500 in chips. Everyone had 18 hands to build the biggest stack they could, using regular blackjack rules.

When the first count was taken after 12 hands, we had $962.50. That put us second at our table. But with the top 30 players on the evening advancing to the semifinals, would that be good enough?

Not knowing where "the cut" would come (to borrow from golf), we increased our betting in the last six hands. Ups and downs came, but a $250 payoff on the final hand gave us a final count of $912.50. That was second-best at our table, behind a man with $1,275. Two players went for it all on the final hand, and went bust.

We had to wait until 9:30 p.m. for the evening rankings to be revealed - and we were satisfied to place 19th. First place had $3,075, while the 30th-place cut was $640. All 30 of us move on to the semifinals 22 February, but we'll have to do better then. Only the top player at each table will move on to the finals, and only the top six finishers overall will make money.

"This reminds me of Jeopardy," we told a woman next to us at the table - as in how much to wager and when. We started at $25, and increased slowly from there as our stack grew.

But our 82.5% chip gain reminded us of something else. It's a parable of Jesus....

He said: "A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. 'Put this money to work,' he said, 'until I come back.'" - Luke 19:12-13

In this familiar Bible story, most of the servants put their "chip stacks" of one mina each to work. Eventually the king returned to check on them:

The first one came and said, "Sir, your mina has earned ten more." "Well done, my good servant," his master replied. "Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities." - Luke 19:16-17

A big reward for the servant who increased his stack by 1,000%! Another servant had a 500% return on investment, and received a five-city payoff (verses 18-19).

Then another servant came and said, "Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it away in a piece of cloth. I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man...." - Luke 19:20-21

As someone told us at a poker night in Georgia years ago, "Scared money don't win." It didn't win here....

His master replied: "I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant!... Why then didn't you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?" - Luke 19:22-23

Refusing to bet the $500 at the blackjack tournament would not have made the cut. The king wound up removing the mina from the scared servant (verse 24). A parallel report of the parable offers this lesson from it....

For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. - Matthew 25:29

This parable has meaning far outside the casino walls. Jesus went to heaven to become King of Kings, and He'll come back to earth someday....

For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done. - Matthew 16:27

Among other things, Jesus will check to see what you've done with the "talents" (to use King James English) that God has given you. It's called the day of judgment:

...The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. - Revelation 20:12

You may think your "chip stack" in life is small. But God has given each of us the breath of life. What are you doing with that, to provide an "ROI" for what the "royal original Immanuel" has provided you?

Luck, or Something Like It II

We're considering whether your success (or lack of it) in a poker room is the result of "luck." Recalling this segment from a article our Pastor wrote for a national religious publication five years ago....

When blessings come upon an individual, they typically are linked to physical and/or spiritual obedience and good works. God plainly tells us that blessings are a result of our actions.

Clearly smart and careful play can be "actions" which lead to a big stack of chips. But let's face it - there are times when other players simply give their chips away. They go "on tilt," go all in pre-flop and walk right into your pocket Aces.

Our point is that gifts are blessings, too - and God gives even better gifts:

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast. - Ephesians 2:8-9

We mentioned in our last post God sometimes gives blessings to everyone in an area. Salvation is a gift God wants to provide. The question is whether you'll accept it - or think something's fishy about it, and fold.

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. - Romans 6:23

Never dying? Now that's quite a gift! Yet the Bible also shows God doesn't really hand out that blessing to everyone right now....

Peter replied, "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  2:38

Here's another "gift" - but in this case, as the Pastor wrote, it's "a result of our actions." And in this case, folding can be a good thing. We need to....

....Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. - Ezekiel 18:30b

Turn to God, to live a life free of offenses and sins. That action can indeed lead to blessings from Him - and luck truly will have nothing to do with them. We'll have one more thought from this article in a future post.

You Bettor, You Bettor, You Bet

Some newcomers can look at poker as a very simple game. You fold the bad hands. You play the good hands. And you push on the best hands of all.

But if you've played for awhile, you know there's much more to it than that. Several different strategies can win pots - including sometimes pushing when your hand is lousy.

We found an article online this week which promotes a pretty simple poker strategy, and applies it to investing.  Part of it recommends....

Poker players, however, know that good hands don't come around that often. You need to bet every round to build the pot and maximize your income.

That's a nice idea if you're investing (well, except for world stock markets in this first week of 2016).  But the analogy can break down in a hurry in a poker room. If you use the "bet every round" approach on a regular basis, wary players will catch on to you and adjust their games. They might fold early. They might make "I-dare-you" raises. You might have other ideas to offer.

There's one "betting strategy" that you may not have considered, which is promised to bring victory and a reward. It's hidden at the end of the Old Testament....

"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the Lord Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it." - Malachi 3:10

God challenges you to bring a "tithe" (defined as ten percent) to Him. We should realize God isn't really going hungry, and needs food for supper. But giving a tithe to His "storehouse" (we think that means church and ministries) is promised to bring abundant blessings.

We've done this for decades, even with money we've won playing poker. There have been lean times, to be sure. But our blessings have grown - and what happened to us at the table in 2015 may be a great example of that.

But just as you excel in everything....see that you also excel in this grace of giving. - II Corinthians 8:7

Do you have the "gift" of giving? Maybe it's time to invest in the things of God, and find out.

Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. - Psalm  34:8

Poker Day 458: Down, But Not Out

The original plan was to drive up the turnpike today to see a relative. But the weather seemed too risky for that, with cold rain and a chance of icy precipitation. Instead, we went to Arrowhead Poker - where, of course, danger can lurk around every turn in a tournament as well:

BLINDS: 100/200

IN THE POCKET: A-J of clubs

Early chances have not worked for us, but these are the best starter cards we've had so far today. No one's raising at this full table of ten, so we bump it up to 700. About half the table gets in.

ON THE FLOP: 3-7-5 (don't recall suits)

This flop seems fairly innocent, but the Small Blind jumps out with a bet of 600. Other players are folding.

"That seems small enough," we say as we call.  We're now heads-up.

ON THE TURN: J

"I guess I'd better raise the stakes a little," our opponent says. He now bets 1,100 - right into the top pair and top kicker we've made.  We probably could raise, but we decide to trap a bit and call again.

ON THE RIVER: 10

"Looks like it's now safe to bet 5,000," our opponent says - and that's exactly what he does. We're not convinced he has anything.  So, still with top pair and top kicker, we call.

"I've got Jacks and 5's," he says.  Ouch! We both benefited from the turn card - but he did more. He takes the pot, and we take a noticeable loss.

Yet this was a day when the old advice to "never quit" proved true for us more than once. With our chip stack around 40,000 out of a starting 62,000, we were dealt pocket Aces. They held up in an all-in moment against Q.Q.  Pocket Aces came again later, to bring us a double-up against a player with K-K.

But with our stack up to 165,000, a man went all-in for 130,000. We had A-K, and had little choice but to call. He had A-4 - but caught a 4 on the flop and an Ace on the turn! He survived, and we drooped to a lowly 35,000 with rising blinds and six players to go.

But again, we resolved to not quit - and were rewarded for it. A couple of good hands allowed us to push pre-flop and scare other people away. Our stack rebuilt to the 100,000 mark. Then we won an unlikely race against a man by making a straight on the river, to eliminate him and make the money in the top three.

We wound up heads-up against that man who escaped with an A-4. "You want to play it out?" he asked.

"If you want to chop the money, that's fine with me," we said.

"I'm not chopping nothing."  It was all or nothing - and he had a big chip advantage.

With little to lose, we chose to play on - and pushed with K-5 in the very next hand. He had something like Q-7. But he made the Queen to win the contest. He won $100 for first place; we settled for $65 in second - still better than our $35 buy-in.  We praise God for allowing the "second option" of the day to make us money! We're now at five cash wins this year in 20 live tournaments.

MINISTRY MOMENT: "I could use a miracle," one man across the table said as he called a big pre-flop bet.

"Miracles can happen," we told him. (We were out of the hand, so it was easy for us to say that.)

But after the flop, that man folded. "Those cards aren't my color," he admitted when his turn came.

"Sometimes they happen," we told him. He smiled at that.

Have you ever wondered why that is? Why do miracles sometimes happen for people - whether it's a physical healing or running cards for a flush - while they sometimes don't?  Is it simply a matter of luck?

We don't claim to know the full answer to this question, but we went to the Bible for some guidance.

You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples. - Psalm 77:14

The writer of this psalm wrote words of faith. Asaph knew God can perform miracles. Yet we heard a preacher on Christian radio this weekend point out even many church-going believers don't expect miracles these days. If you're not looking for any, should God even bother providing one?

And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those with gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. - I Corinthians 12:28

Did you realize God has put people in His church with the ability to do miraculous works? Not everyone has that gift, as verse 29 points out - but some apparently do. While some people say the "age of miracles" ended when the original apostles died, why should we assume that - especially if the other "spiritual gifts" are still evident today?

God also testified to it [salvation] by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will. - Hebrews 2:4

So God performs the miracles, as people allow themselves to be used by Him to provide them.

What do you think, when it comes to miracles? We're interested in your comments; please leave one, and we'll return to this topic in a future post.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 172 final tables in 458 games (37.6%) - 30 cashes.

If You're Slumping

So you say you're about ready to give up on poker.  You've played some tournaments and sat down at some cash games, only to leave with an empty wallet and a burned feeling.  The bad beats are beating you up and wearing you down.

Well, we can relate to that.  We've had runs over the years where we missed final tables for months at a time, and failed to win money for even longer.  Yet we still play when we're able and time permits.

If you're mired in a big poker losing streak, there are several things you can do:

1. Stop the bleeding and leave.  It's possible poker is not the right pastime or career move for you.  After all, a wise man once wrote....

And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles.... Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles?.... But eagerly desire the greater gifts. - I Corinthians 12:28-31

The apostle Paul writes here about a group of believers called a "church."  There are top-ranking positions (at least that's how some read these words) - but not everyone can attain them.  It's good to desire them, but not everyone will in this life.

If you don't have the "gift" (for lack of a better word) of playing winning poker, God may have given you a gift in some other area - perhaps an area where you can accomplish much more:

To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit to another miraculous powers.... - I Corinthians 12:8-10

2. Learn and grow.  We heard a speaker at church this weekend urge us to turn bad experiences into good ones.  Analyze where you went wrong at the table, then figure out how you can change things for the better.

Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves...  - II Corinthians 13:5

These words again are written in a spiritual context - whether you're in sync with God and Jesus Christ.  But examining your actions in a hand is the best way to determine whether you handled things properly, and what could be done differently to bring a more successful result.


(NOTE: We'll have more on this topic in an upcoming post.)

Focus Point

This blog had a record number of page views this past week, because of what we wrote about a U.S. Senator playing online poker during a hearing.  Thanks to everyone who paid us a visit -- and have inspired us to go deeper into what that Senator did.

Giving Sen. John McCain the benefit of the doubt, he was listening to testimony about Syria while playing poker.  In our day, that's known as multi-tasking -- and it's something we all do to some extent or another.  You may play poker in a room which has sports events on a big screen above you.  Or you may have a job where you type information while answering phone calls.

Did you ever consider God made us with the ability to multi-task?  You can see people and hear conversations while tasting food in a restaurant.  But how well can you do all these things at once?  We suspect utilizing a combination of senses reduces all their effectiveness a little.

When it comes to our lives, we think Jesus would agree:

No man can serve two masters.  Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve both God and Money. - Matthew 6:24

How interesting that the New International Version capitalizes "Money" -- since it can become a god to many people.  But Jesus made it clear that you must choose between God and money as your "master" in life.

If you're living for nothing more than a poker payday, we think you have the wrong master:

Peter answered: "May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!" - Acts 8:20

God's gifts, such as the Holy Spirit and eternal life, are priceless.  That is, you can't buy them.  They require a commitment to serve God, above all else.

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

If you focus on the televised game above you in a poker room, you might miss something at the table and foul up a winning hand.  In the same way, if you focus on things other than God in your life, you might miss a moment when God wants to draw near to you and help you with a big problem or dilemma.

Hebrews 12:1 advises us to throw away everything that hinders or entangles us.  We're to focus on what matters most.  In poker, that can mean your cards.  And in life....

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. - Hebrews 12:2

The Gift of Gold II

We've read speculation online that the world "gold bubble" is about to burst.  But at our local poker tournaments, a gold chip remains valuable; it's worth 5,000.  So let's go back to the Tournament Director's offer of a gold chip to everyone at the Director's table -- and only that table.

We mentioned in a previous post that deal didn't seem fair.  So the Director offered to give a gold chip to everyone in the tournament, to compensate for it.

"Since you're doing it as a gift...." we answered a bit reluctantly.

Call us selfish if you wish (or perhaps practicing "Roberts's Rules of Supreme Court Health Care Decisions"), but we accepted the 5,000-chip offer for our own table.  The key word in our answer was gift -- and it actually ties in with U.S. Independence Day, and the man who told us about bigotry earlier this week.


You see, the concept that "all men are created equal" is a nice concept -- but it's not reality.  Any mother who's given birth to a disabled child probably would confirm that.  So would anyone who worked as a slave for the writers of the Declaration of Independence.  The New Testament puts it in a spiritual perspective....

We have different gifts, according to the grace given us.... - Romans 12:6

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit.  There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. - I Corinthians 12:4-5

Paul goes on in those two chapters to list the various gifts God grants to believers -- everything from the interpretation of languages (or "tongues") to healing.  But he adds:

Are all apostles?  Are all prophets?  Are all teachers?  Do all work miracles?  Do all have gifts of healing?  Do all speak in tongues?  Do all interpret? - I Corinthians 12:29-30

(To which we would dare to add: are all cut out for playing poker successfully?)


Paul leaves the answers to his questions open, but they seem obvious -- no.  Different people have different gifts.


That "gold chip gift" may have helped us reach the final table last week.  So be thankful for whatever gifts God has given you -- even a gift of playing poker well.  If you're not sure what your gifts are, ask God in prayer to reveal them to you.  Also consult some friends you trust, as they might have noticed them a long time ago.


And here's an important P.S.: Turn to God, and seek the greatest gift of all -- a gift He wants to give everyone:

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. - Romans 6:23

The Gift of Gold

A man stayed in the hand with weak cards, but caught the exact right card on the river to take a nice pot.  The Tournament Director was playing at the table, and was stunned.

In response, the Director pulled out gold chips worth 5,000 -- and proceeded to give one to everyone at the table except the big winner.  "This is for sucking out," the Director explained.  "Don't tell the other tables I'm doing this."

We were playing at this table, so we received one of the valuable gold chips.  But something didn't seem right about this.  "This doesn't seem very fair," we noted to the Director with an innocent-sounding voice.

"If you'd like me to give a gold chip to everyone at the other tables, I will," the Director offered.

Talk about a sudden ethical dilemma.  This Director was offering us (along with about four others) a competitive advantage over the rest of the tournament field -- a "leg up" we seldom have, since the other players tend to outspend us for bonus chips, in terms of food and drinks.

How would you have responded to this situation?  Before we share our answer, let's get some Biblical guidance.  Would Jesus pull this kind of stunt?  There are plenty of Scriptures to indicate He would not....

For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. - Deuteronomy 10:17

We fear there are some believers who think they gain special favor or protection from God because they give more than ten percent of their income to a church, or attend services every week for years.  But the Bible record suggests otherwise:

....Your Father in heaven.... causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. - Matthew 5:45

And yet there are times in the Bible when God clearly selected a few people for doing something special.  It occurred in the Old Testament....

Then Moses said, "Now show me your glory."  And the Lord said, "I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence  I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion." - Exodus 33:18-19

God also chose to speak "face to face" with Moses -- a privilege not granted to his siblings, even though they complained about it (Numbers 12).  What makes the difference in these cases?  The New Testament offers a clue:

Then Peter began to speak: "I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right." - Acts 10:34-35

In this week of U.S. and Canadian patriotism, is it simply a case of "God Bless America"?  No - it's more about God blessing the worshipful and obedient, no matter where they live.  Peter grasped this concept long ago, because Jesus accepted him back after denying the Lord three times at a crucial moment (John 21:15-19).

So what did we finally decide to do, regarding that 5,000-chip bonus?  Read the answer.... in a future post.

Poker Night 317: Fool Me Twice

"This is going to be an interesting table," one of the players to our right said at Lil Kim's Cove tonight.  He was right about that, for reasons he probably never expected.  The beginning of the evening especially interested us....

BLINDS: 25/50

IN THE POCKET: Q-Q

This is the second night of the night.  On the first one, a man to our immediate left raised to 250 pre-flop.  We were the only player to call, to "humor him".  We had K-6 of spades, missed the flop and folded when he bet after that.

Now we have more promising cards, but we limp in early position again.  The man to our left raises to 250 once more.  This time several people call.  "I'll humor him again," we say as we join in.

ON THE FLOP: 10-J-3

This flop gives us an "overpair," and we decide to exploit it right away.  We bet 400.  The raiser next to us is unfazed, and calls.  As best we recall, one or two other players stay in.

ON THE TURN: Q

Nice -- now we have three of a kind.  So turning up the heat some more, we bet 800.

"Raise," the man to our left says.  He doubles to 1,600.  Uh-oh -- did he raise with A-K to make a straight there?  Or is he bluffing to "play tough" and push us away?  The other players bail out, but we feel compelled to call.

ON THE RIVER: A

That's just about the last card we wanted to see.  A straight now is a strong possibility, but we don't want to appear weak.  So we reduce the bet to 500.  Our opponent doubles to 1,000.  We fear the worst, but we call.... and the man turns over K-J!  We had the lead on him, until he finally caught the straight on the river.

That big loss cost us a lot of chips, but we regained about 2,000 later in the first hour when we went all-in with.... uh, er.... the other players concluded we made a club flush.  (We never revealed what we had.)  But then we went on a big "chase" with a potential nut flush late in the first hour, but missed for another major drop.

A strange disqualification (a topic for another post) allowed us to improve during the one-hour break from a meager 2,000 chips to 6,000.  When 9-9 came our way in the second hour, we went for it and pushed again -- but a Queen on the flop gave another man a better winning pair.  We walked home fifth at our table of eight.

MINISTRY MOMENT: We've always been good with mathematics - so when we figured out the difference between 5,000 and an all-in bet of 2,325 in mere seconds in our head, a man joked: "You should be an accountant.... I plan to win Mega Millions tomorrow night, and then I'll hire you as my accountant."

"If you do," we answered, "you'll have to call me Monday.  I'll be busy all weekend.  It's Pentecost."

"Pentecostal?  I used to be Pentecostal," the man said.

"I'm not Pentecostal," we clarified.  "The feast of Pentecost is Sunday."

When we explained what the day involves, the man remembered some of the Biblical story about Pentecost.  In fact, he recited a few details from the book of Acts....

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.... All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.  Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven.  When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. - Acts 2:1, 4-6

The disciples of Jesus became filled with something their Lord had promised in the preceding days and weeks:

For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. - Acts 1:5

The man at our table said he believes in the Holy Spirit.  But we should emphasize if the Holy Spirit enters you today, there's no guarantee you'll start speaking in tongues as the disciples did long ago.  Some Pentecostals might disagree with that -- but consider what the apostle Paul wrote:

Are all apostles?  Are all prophets? Are all teachers?  Do all work miracles?  Do all have gifts of healing?  Do all speak in tongues?  Do all interpret?  But eagerly desire the greater gifts. - I Corinthians 12:29-31

The implied answer to all of Paul's questions is no.  Not everyone in the church is an apostle or prophet.  So not everyone is able to speak in tongues (or languages).  Read through all of chapter 12 to see what gifts Paul considered most important.  And if Pentecost is a new concept to you, this article explains the deeper New Testament meaning behind all the festivals introduced by God to Moses.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 112 final tables in 317 nights (35.3%) - 17 cashes.

NATIONAL LEAGUE OF POKER TOTAL: Full tournaments - 227 point wins in 957 games (23.7%), 73 final tables, 7 cashes plus one other win.  No-River Hold 'em - 5 point wins in 28 games (17.9%), 4 final tables, 1 cash win.

Next week will be a big NLOP week for us; we've qualified for two monthly championships, and might enter a third.

POKER STARS.NET TOTAL: Pretend cash games - $79,146, up $2,300.

Where Seldom Is Heard....

"It's nice to be popular," we said jokingly as we shifted from one poker table to another the other night.

A man at our new table specifically asked for "the player behind the dealer," even though someone else offered to go.  We were that "player behind" -- and that man may have seen us as an easy target.

"He'll be out of the game in a minute," the man told the Tournament Director after we sat down.  We simply smiled at that, prompting him to laugh a little.

"Thank you for those words of encouragement," we finally said quietly -- and admittedly a bit sarcastically.

You do hear such words from time to time at poker tables.  It's especially true when someone makes a huge hand, or newcomers take their first large pot.  But to be fair, some people are better with encouraging words than others.  That's true with believers in Christ as well....

We have different gifts, according to the grace given us.  If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith.... if it is encouraging, let him encourage.... - Romans 12:6, 8

We've faced our own personal trials away from the poker table over the last few years.  So we use this post in part to thank the fellow believers who have offered us encouraging words, when problems have arisen and things looked tough.  And if you don't have the gift of saying those words, set a living example instead:

See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.  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 3:12-13

Our title for this post comes from a line in the state song of our home state: "Home on the range.... where seldom is heard a discouraging word...."  May your words and life encourage others - especially to bring them nearer to God.

Why Did You Do That?

Admittedly, we felt a little desperate. Our budget for a two-week vacation which included a church convention and a quick cruise was tight from the start. Then our car rental plans had to change at the last second, requiring us to spend twice as much as we'd planned.

So when we boarded a ship in Palm Beach, Florida for Freeport, Bahamas two Sundays ago, the on-board casino was more tempting than usual. Amidst hundreds of slot machines and plenty of blackjack, there was one poker table in the corner -- and we knew it was our chance to balance the vacation budget.

Trouble was, the Texas Hold 'em table had a cash game format -- not the tournament style we feel more ethically comfortable playing. It was real gambling; plunk down some bills in exchange for chips, and you could win more money or lose them all.

ON THE SEA

We were aware of the risk to our limited budget -- and we were aware playing a cash game might hurt other travelers' budgets as well. (But then, do you think they'd admit it if we asked them?) And the stakes were small: a $2/$3 pot limit format. So we handed over $30 to give it a try.

On the first night at Wynmore Casino, our stack jumped to $80 within an hour. Good cards came several times early, and we think our experience in careful play helped. On top of that, we took the "Jesus as your Savior" coin to the table -- and two people sitting around us agreed with the message about Christ.

At the one-hour mark, we left to cash out -- probably to the delight of several players at the table. One couple openly discussed cutting their losses and quitting, before we did. We don't know if they applied the advice of Jesus before sitting down:

Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to finish it? -- Luke 14:28

We told ourselves several times before the trip: "If you can't afford to play poker, you shouldn't play poker." But the risk certainly paid off for us in this case. The dealer kept two dollars for a tip (we admittedly hadn't thought about handing that over after winning hands), so we departed with $78 -- more than doubling our money.

(Then we promptly lost five of them in one "make-or-break" try at blackjack, helped by a casino matching bet offer.)

On night two, the gambling crowd was markedly smaller. Only two women (and for a short time three) played poker. We wanted to "go for it" and win a lot more money -- but our opponents were clever and good. After three hours, our $30 investment stood at $31.

"I'm going to quit while I'm on level ground," we announced -- thankful for a mere one-dollar gain. We were growing internally frustrated, and probably would have gone "on tilt" had we played much longer. Professionals such as Michael Mizrachi get nicknames like "The Grinder" for a reason; this was a grind, feeling more like hard work than play.

A DAY WITH NO RACES

Then last Sunday, we used "Family Day" at the church convention we attended to play at the Daytona Beach, Florida Kennel Club and Poker Room. We checked the room's website in advance, and hoped to get into a $40 "sit-and-go." But the only tournament announced during the afternoon had a steep $275 buy-in -- much more than our tight budget could afford.

So we settled for another cash game, at the $1/$2 table. With a gain at sea of $44, we invested 40. A couple of good hands helped us climb to $62. But this sort of low-stakes game invites players to stick around until the river with marginal hands. Enough players did that to drain away our stack. The final blow came when a 9 of spades on the river gave us a straight -- but a man to our left a straight flush.

(We should note that man with the straight flush had a look at our "Jesus coin." We'll mention his response to it in another post.)

With that loss, we decided our poker playing for the trip was finished. Our cash game profit was all of four dollars, and we didn't dare risk going into the red with a tight budget.

THE LARGER ERROR

Yet here's the amazing thing: we figured the travel budget incorrectly! Only on the final night of the trip did we realize we were counting our "emergency fund" line as part of the actual expenditures. We thought we were limping home with a skimpy eight dollars left to spend -- but the final surplus was more than $150.

In addition, we didn't figure on other people at the church convention being giving to us. A long-time friend invited us to his condo, which led to two nights of free meals. Another friend peeled off a 20-dollar bill for us outside the meeting hall when we explained our Family Day plans, advising us: "Don't spend it all on one hand." (We didn't; that bill stayed in the wallet for days.)

A gift opens the way for the giver and ushers him into the presence of the great. -- Proverbs 18:16

May this Scripture come true for everyone who helped us during the road trip. And yes, we did some giving of our own during the vacation -- providing items for church charity drives in the community. Oh, and we gave back most of our poker profits to total strangers.

The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised. -- Job 1:21b

Sunday Rewind: Knowing For Sure

The man to our left at Thursday night's poker game made a very perceptive comment about the Holy Spirit. "If you need to be reminded you have it, you don't really have it."

How many times have you seen someone look at their cards during a hand -- over and over again? "The cards didn't change," someone else at the table might point out.

"I can hope, can't I?" we like to say in response.

Part of that looking could be an acting job, to "sell" uncertainty about making a play. But a player also could be making sure he has the winning hand he thinks he has. Believers can't really do that with a invisible Holy Spirit -- or can they?

"For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit," Paul wrote in Romans 8:5 -- not long after writing in verse 2 that the Holy Spirit "made me free from the law of sin and death"(KJV).

Paul added the Holy Spirit empowered him to perform "mighty signs and wonders" (15:19). This could range from inspired preaching (I Corinthians 2:4) to speaking in completely different languages (Acts 2:4).

If you want to be sure the Holy Spirit is in you, here are some good Biblical guideposts to use in examining yourself:

1. Do you believe Jesus Christ has come in the flesh? (I John 4:2-3)

2. Do you display fruit of the Holy Spirit? The fruit mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23which should be growing in believers.

3. Do you show gifts of God (I Corinthians 12:8-11)? Keep in mind not all Christians have every gift (verse 4).

But don't be misled here. The Bible also indicates you do not have the Holy Spirit unless two vital things are done first: "Repent, and be baptized.... in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins...." (Acts 2:38) If you need guidance with those key steps, e-mail us and we'll be happy to assist you.

We've concluded the man at the poker table was correct in his thinking about the Holy Spirit, based on these words of the apostle Paul. "Know you not that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?" (I Corinthians 3:16)

(P.S. We admitted to the man that little power plug is also a way for us to spread the word about the Spirit -- not only to be reminded we have it.)

Remember as you play....

The object of poker is to take all the chips. The object of life should be something else.

Some give and take

"Jesus Christ" someone wrote at a Yahoo poker table we visited recently.

"He's my hope of salvation," I wrote in reply. (Rom 10:13) A short reply, more factual than preachy.

An actual discussion about Jesus then followed, which is rare for online games. Someone else wrote the first writer had best be careful with that name. And that led to this comment:

"He giveth and he taketh away."

Downright King James -- and Biblically accurate. It's what Job said in the Old Testament (Job 1:21), after Satan took away much more than a tall stack of poker chips.

Job lost all his belongings, then most of his family. Yet his initial response was one of worship toward God (verse 20) -- and the Bible notes he did NOT sin in what he said (verse 22).

Read on in Job, and you'll find his frustration slowly seems to build. But that first reaction was quite impressive -- and as they say in government these days, faith-based.

How do you respond when a bad beat or a big bust-out happens? It's only natural to say something you'll later regret. Yet it's better to be like a spur-of-the-moment Job, instead of the one who starts sulking the more he thinks about what happened.

But back to the table. I answered the quote from Job by writing God has given me a lot. I did NOT write, but could have added, that we should focus on what God gives more than what He takes.

By the way, Job ends with him receiving greater blessings than he had before (42:10-15). So God can give again, even after He takes. The ultimate hope of the believer is that God will do that, in the form of eternal life.