Poker Night 537: Triple-A Benefits?

Three final tables in three tournaments - quite a start to poker in our new home area! But could we make it four-for-four? We drove to Hollywood Casino Indiana Wednesday night to find out....

BLINDS: 300/600

IN THE POCKET: A-9

Things were more challenging right off the bat, compared with last week. Enough players showed up for two tables, and they disrupted our plans often. For instance, slow-played pocket Kings ran into an Ace on the flop. We were ready to accept an early exit - but then came a surprise straight and triple-7's. We ended Hour 1 where we started, at 12,000 chips.

Now in Hour 2, a couple more pots have pushed us to a high of 17,000. We can get in for the minimum with these cards, but a woman raises to 1,600. We decide to take her on; about four players are in.

ON THE FLOP: Ad-3h-Ah

Marvelous! Three Aces, and we're already laying low. We check, and the woman down the table makes a continuation bet of 1,600. We smooth-call, as they say on TV; a third player calls as well.

ON THE TURN: 7c

This card seems meaningless. We check to the raiser again, hoping for more gains - but this time she checks.

ON THE RIVER: Qh

The third player in the hand is actually first to act - and now he offers 2,100. Uh-oh. With three hearts showing, did he make something big? Or does he have the missing Ace, and has been thinking what we're thinking? We have to call to find out. So we do - and the woman who fueled the fire folds.

The man turns over.... 8-3 of hearts! Indeed, he made a flush on the river. Our effort to drain the aggressive woman allowed a relatively passive man to come from behind and win a big pot. That'll teach us to bet early with draws showing, to ensure some gains - although, of course, that man may have kept calling, anyway.

We never recovered from that big loss. Minutes later, we went all-in with K-Q of diamonds after a an across the table pushed. We thought he had less. In fact, he had A-Q. An Ace on the river meant the end of the night for us: no final table, and 17th place out of 21 contestants.

MINISTRY MOMENT: We won back some of our $70 entry fee at a blackjack table - and heard an unusual statement from the dealer when he lost a hand: "Just doing the Lord's work, buddy."

Well, what do you know! We're trying to do the same thing, and told the dealer so. Except, "The Lord's work is preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. Salvation for all, through Jesus Christ!"

Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent." - John 6:29

A woman at the far end of the table looked at us with what seemed to be a large amount of skepticism. She didn't comment, but clearly she wasn't expecting this when she sat down to play cards. Yet we pray that we did accomplish God's work in that moment....

For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. - Ephesians 2:10

The "good works" prepared by God can take many forms. Within His church, they can be works of loving service. As Jesus put it....

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you took me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.... Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me. - Matthew 25:35-36, 40

Doing it for a Christian brother is as good as doing it for Jesus Himself! Then when it comes to going outside the church....

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. - Acts 1:8

Jesus calls on His followers to "witness" for Him. We wait for the right moment to do that in poker rooms, and sometimes at other parts of casinos. But the Lord noted we need the Holy Spirit's help to do that properly.

Some church groups will celebrate the Holy Spirit's coming this weekend, with special services to mark the festival of Pentecost (called the "Feast of Weeks" in the Old Testament). This video explains the event, as well as what the Holy Spirit can do in your life. Will you allow God to do His work in you, through His Spirit?

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 195 final tables in 537 games (36.3%) - 40 cashes.

Not Playing.... Yet

The count is now at six weeks since our last live poker tournament. So does that mean we're dropping out?

No, it doesn't. The very fact that we're posting about this should be a clue of that. We've simply been in a slow-moving process of moving.

The moving truck reached our new home only today - more than a month after the process began.
We have a lot to unpack. In fact, we haven't found our decks of playing cards yet amidst all the boxes. We've also been busy with activities on the spring religious calendar. A couple of messages we heard over the weekend actually apply to what the future holds for us:

And the Lord said to Moses, "Why do you cry to me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward." - Exodus 14:15 (NKJV)

God and Moses had brought Israel to the edge of the Red Sea, after coming out of Egypt. But the Egyptian army was in hot pursuit (verse 10). Moses told the people to "stand firm" and "be still" (verses 13-14) - but God wanted action.

...and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. - Exodus 14:22

The Egyptian army tried to follow, but was swept away when the sea was restored (verse 27).

Maybe your poker games have hit a rough stretch. It could be time to reassess whether God wants you playing at all, to save money - or God might want you to go forward, putting faith in Him for eventual success.

We plan to follow the "go forward" strategy in coming weeks, after we settle down from the move. We're doing it because there's a message to share in poker rooms - a message some players may have never heard before. As Jesus put it....

Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." - Matthew 9:37-38

There may be others who take a faith message into poker rooms. We're sure the number is small. But we wish them well - in the games they play as well as the messages they share. We plan to rejoin them shortly. The fact that we found a little bag of "card protectors" during our unpacking today is a step in that direction.

Home and Away

Playing at home with friends and neighbors can be comfortable and enjoyable. But we've found some of our most satisfying poker results have occurred during road trips.

We think of this because we're about to start another trip, and hope to play in at least one tournament at our destination. We're not saying where we're going yet - but we'll have one overriding goal in mind:

He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation".... Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanies it. - Mark 16:15, 20

These words of Jesus and other verses have inspired what's known as the Christian "missionary" movement. It could be a school in Haiti or a hospital in west Africa. Sometimes it has been the result of difficult trials....

...On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. - Acts 8:1

But we don't think you have to travel that far to fulfill Jesus's command. "Going" can be as simple as heading to the poker room in your neighborhood. We suspect people there need some "good news", too.

Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! - I Corinthians 9:16b

And so we hope to do that, in big and small ways. You're reading part of that right now. But we also try to do it when we enter poker tournaments.

We'll post the results of our road trip efforts as they happen. But in the meantime, as we mark our tenth anniversary of live poker, we plan to repost some memorable blog items from past years. If you've seen them before, please be patient - or invite someone new to see them for the first time.

Losing the Lead

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

With that sort of a jumpstart....

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

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

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

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

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

Our Real Story: 2016 Review

The "year in review" reports aren't quite over yet. Since we last played live poker, we'll summarize 2016 for us now.

In live tournaments, we made the final table eight times in 33 games in the last year - not far from 25 percent. We earned money in five of those tournaments (more than $650 total), and would have earned cash in a sixth if Yvie's Bar and Grill paid money for second place instead of league points. That sixth would have matched our money-win count for 2015.

But 2016 was a difficult year for poker players in our area, as police moved to shut down all "card rooms" for not operating legally. Due to our work schedule, practically the only place where we can play tournaments now is a casino south of town, and the competition there admittedly is stiff.

Yet we made two final tables (winning money at both) in 17 tournaments at Kansas Star, coming close to a third this past Friday. It was a breakthrough year for us there.

NATIONAL LEAGUE OF POKER: One "top-ten percent" finish in 17 tournaments. Grand total: 285 point wins (top 10%) in 1438 games, 93 final tables, 10 wins, 13 cashes.

We were able to get into a regular Thursday night tournament habit with NLOP this past year. So far, it admittedly hasn't gone well. But NLOP has added "ring games", earning tokens in a cash-game format. In three tries there, we've gained 140 tokens; our best night was playing Omaha.

POKER STARS: 420,871 play money chips - up 84,159 at the table

We have to specify "at the table" because Poker Stars became a much more expensive place to play in 2016. Games with 1/2 blinds are gone; the minimum now is 50/100 with a 10,000-chip stack to start. But the site also became very generous in handing out free chips; we received 225,000 due to special promotions and a "free chips" button you can click simply for logging on.

MINISTRY MOMENT: As we write this summary, we're reminded of a question that sometimes comes up when we play. It came up again Friday: Isn't gambling a sin? Something believers in God shouldn't do?

If you look strictly from the accountant's view, you might say 2016 showed we're a gambling loser. The Kansas Star tournaments cost $850 to enter, and we only won $337. Yet what we're trying to do is more than that....

He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." - Mark 16:15-16

In many ways, this is a big world. People have a wide range of interests. Jesus told His disciples to go into that world with a gospel (also known as "good news") message. Even poker players need to be introduced to that message - so we take it there, and talk about it here. We pray God will use what we do to bring people to Himself:

I planted the seed. Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. - I Corinthians  3:6-7

We know what we can afford to do, and we keep a limit on our spending on tournaments at casinos. For instance, you'll notice no live statistics for 2016 cash games - because we didn't play any. We consider the tournament buy-in an "entry fee," much as someone would pay to enter a golf tournament or pie-baking contest. If we win something back, we thank God for it.

By the way, here's one final set of statistics: this blog had more than 700 views in December alone - which computes to perhaps more than 8,000 this past year. People searching for something about poker may be finding more than they expect. We pray it's a spiritual spark in their lives - yet not one person left a comment this past year. You're always welcome to offer some, either positive or negative. If we can bust out early at tournaments, we can take it. Really.

Poker Night 469: Opening the Blinds

"Blinds are UP!!!" the Tournament Director at Yvie's likes to say with a loud voice every 20 minutes - loud enough so the entire poker area can hear it.  What you see when you're in the "blinds" sometimes can impress, and sometimes.... well....

BLINDS: 100/200

IN THE POCKET: 8-6 offsuit

A couple of early tries haven't brought us success. Now we're in the Big Blind, with cards that aren't exactly inspirational. But no one at the table of six raised; in fact, most folded. So we're in a heads-up fight with the Small Blind, and were happy to check.

ON THE FLOP: 9-7-3

These cards give us some hope. But Ms. Small Blind tests it with a bet of 600. Sitting with an open-ended straight draw, we call.

ON THE TURN: A

Considering the flop, an Ace here could freeze the action. Our opponent checks - and for a moment, we consider making a bet in the hope she'll go away.  But instead, we check.

ON THE RIVER: 8

We miss the straight, but we have a pair. Is it big enough? Ms. Small Blind offers 600 again. We think she would have bet on the turn, if she had an Ace - so now we consider this a "coin-flip" bet. We call again, hoping we've won what online skeptics call "bingo poker."

"I have two pair," the woman says.  Nope, we didn't win - as she played 7-3 to victory! The only good news for us is that we didn't bet more.

We won several pots during the evening, including one when pocket Aces came in the Small Blind. But when play dropped from three tables to two, another big pair came in the Big Blind. We had pocket Jacks, and people raising ahead of us. Knowing the risk of simply calling there, we pushed for 7,200. Both big bettors called - one with A-K, another with K-9. But a King on the flop meant the end for us; we left the table in about 14th place.

MINISTRY MOMENT: We were in a quiet mood tonight, and that didn't work for this part of the game.  No one said anything to bring up a point of faith, so we didn't mention God or Jesus at all.

It led us to think as we drove home: what is a real way to "preach the gospel"? It happened that earlier in the day, we reviewed some Bible verses on preaching....

And it came to pass afterward, that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God: and the 12 were with him. - Luke 8:1 (KJV)

A classic Christian quote says: "Preach always; use words if necessary." Here Jesus Christ was "preaching and shewing" what other Bible translations call the "good news" - as in gospel. Yet the "shewing" part apparently was added by the King James compilers, to clarify a different Greek word which also means "preach."

We're led to conclude the best way to preach a gospel is to say it clearly. Can you do that simply by being a nice example, doing good works and waiting for someone to ask why you're acting that way? That would be a reactive approach - but we think Jesus wants a proactive approach. For instance....

He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation." - Mark 16:15

How will people know what the "good news" is, if you don't say to them exactly what it is? That's one of the challenges we face when we try to do ministry at a poker table - and we pray we can do it better.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 176 final tables in 469 games (37.5%) - 33 cashes.

All-Right-y, Then?

The man didn't want to talk about Jesus Christ at all, when we brought Him up at the poker table. But later on, the club's jukebox played a familiar song.

"I like that one," we recall him saying.

"See? You brought up Jesus after all," we pointed out.

The song the man heard was Jesus Is Just Alright, a "classic rock" tune by the Doobie Brothers you may have forgotten. A few "songs of faith" snuck their way onto album rock radio station playlists in the 1960s and 1970s, and that was one of them.

But of course, we'd ask a question. Is Jesus "just alright" with you?  That is, is that all He is? Or is Jesus Christ more than that?

The answer to that may show how deep your relationship with God is. For instance....

For the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does. - Psalm 33:4

That "word" can refer to the Bible. But that Bible goes on to say....

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.... The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us... - John 1:1, 14

The "Word made flesh" was Jesus Christ. His first appearance on earth didn't seem to end "alright" at all - as He was put on a stake and killed. But God resurrected Him after three days, and took the next step in a process to make a world filled with wrongs right after all.

It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God - that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. - I Corinthians 1:30

Jesus wants to be more than "right" in your sight. He wants you to make Him your righteousness - and it's better Him than us:

All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away. - Isaiah  64:6

Go beyond having a "just-alright" passing contact with God and Jesus Christ. Look to heaven for righteousness - and a relationship that can lead all the way to eternal life.

P.S. We did a Bible study on "being right and being righteous" several years ago. Click here to dig deeper into the topic.

What's the Good Word?

A man across the table said something about God (we don't recall now exactly what) - so we asked him if Jesus was his Savior.

His answer was yes, adding: "I read the good book every day."

Those words may reveal the man's age.  Not many younger people refer to the Bible as "the good book" nowadays -- and that phrase is not in the King James Version.  But we would note a few things about the Bible along these lines....

1. The Lord who gave it is good.

You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you. - Psalm  86:5

2. God's creations are good.

For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving. - I Timothy 4:4

3. The Bible offers good news.  That's what the word "gospel" means.

He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation." - Mark 16:15

4. The Bible helps define what is good.

He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humble with your God - Micah 6:8

What other good things can you find in the Bible?  Probably much more.  But you need to take time away from the poker table to open, read and study it. Only then can you learn how good a book it really is.

Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. - Psalm  40:8

All-American Game?

We glanced at the World Series of Poker Main Event leaderboard moments ago, and marveled at what we saw. With 183 players remaining, the top eight chip leaders are all U.S. residents - with a Canadian in ninth. None of them are exactly poker "household names," but they're leading.

This is unusual, because Main Event final tables have featured players from a lot of different countries in Europe and Latin America.  But then again, they're playing Texas Hold 'em, aren't they? After some people competed in Pot Limit Omaha - which we don't think refers to the beach stormed on D-Day?

If you want to root for an all-U.S. final table, that's your choice. But we'd like to note poker has become an international game. And if U.S. residents aren't careful, they can start thinking everything revolves around their country - even God.

There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. - Galatians 3:28

Long before there was an America or a Great Britain, the message of the gospel began with a Jew in the Middle East.

Then one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals." - Revelation 5:5

The rest of this chapter shows it's referring to Jesus Christ. Some religious groups claim He went to the Americas after He was resurrected. We don't see proof of that in the Bible, but certainly Christ's gospel spread far and wide. Jesus Himself said it would:

And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. - Matthew 24:14

Just as U.S. poker players ask for trouble by thinking they're better than players in any other country, so U.S. Christians ask for trouble by thinking they're "exceptional" in the sight of God.  That's because God is working with believers and hearts everywhere. He truly is a God of every nation.

Poker Day 421: Ladies' Day?

"Happy Mother's Day to all you...."  Well, we'd better stop the quote there.  The manager of River City Poker Room was talking to a room full of men.  One young woman showed up later, but otherwise the Mother's Day crowd for Sunday poker was all-male.

Since our mother died years ago and we have no children, we were not neglectful as we went to the table.  But perhaps we should have asked if our parents would have been pleased with our decisions....

BLINDS: 100/200

IN THE POCKET: Q-Q

We're in the Small Blind at a table of six, on a two-table day.  We've claimed one small pot already.  The blinds go up next hand.  No one has raised ahead of us.  These are cards worth exploiting - so we raise to 700.  A couple of players call.

ON THE FLOP: J-10-2

We have an "overpair," so a continuation bet clearly is in order.  We bet 1,200, and get one player to fold.  But a man two seats to our right doubles to 2,400.  This gets our internal alarm bells ringing, but we call.

ON THE TURN: A

Now this is the card which concerned us more on the flop.  We choose to "check to the raiser," and he now tosses out 4,000.  The logical voice in our head screams that he has two pair -- maybe with J-10, which is why he raised in the first place.

"I think he's got it," we say -- and fold, with cards face down.

Our opponent wins the pot.  And while he doesn't have to do it, he now turns over his cards.  It wasn't two pair -- but a third 2.  He bet big because he had a big hand.  The dealer wonders if the man who folded on the flop might have hit it big.

ON THE RIVER: 3d

That certainly would not have helped us.

We won a couple of other moderate-sized pots, and held on to make the final table with 12,000 chips.  Once there, we were dealt an Ace to start with the dealer button - maximizing our chances of staying in the game.

Then with seven players left, we went all-in with A-J.  But another man pushed with much more, telling us we were in trouble.  Sure enough -- he had 8-8.  The higher cards didn't come for us, and we bowed out in seventh place; only the top three won money.

MINISTRY MOMENT: We wore a hat with the words "Panama City Beach," and noted to a dealer we'd played at the main poker room in that area a couple of times.  We did not mention how well we did.  But we made an admission.

"I couldn't tell many people about it, because I was at a church convention."

Most people attending that convention probably would consider us wrong to play in a poker room -- especially during that annual event.  But, we'd point out in response, we do not spend specially set-aside "festival tithe" money in those rooms; we make sure we spend our own.  And we were reminded in Bible study the other day of Jesus's example....

Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them.  But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and 'sinners'?" - Luke 5:29-30

Some ministers say when you convert to Jesus and Christianity, you have to drop all your old friends because they'll be a "bad influence" and drag you back into worldly sins.  Yet Jesus let His disciples (apparently not yet filled with the Holy Spirit) hang around "sinners."  Why?

Jesus answered them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.  I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." - Luke 5:31-32

Jesus's mission was to spread the gospel to sinful people, in order that they might repent and accept Him as Savior.  That means going to where the sinful people are.  (And by the way, the Pharisees were every bit as sinful; they were more self-righteous - and may not have even entered the banquet room.)

In more than 400 trips to poker games, we have not been tempted to indulge in drunkenness or carnal lusting.  Why not?  We give God the credit for it, and recall these words about the Holy Spirit:

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. - I John 4:4

We must add a disclaimer: everyone's tolerance level is different.  What is easy for us to resist might be difficult or impossible for another.  So pray about what God would have you do, before taking steps which might be daring or "tempting God."

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 149 final tables in 421 games (35.4%) - 25 cashes.

Paid Off At Last

Almost three years after the poker world's "Black Friday," some people who lost money when online sites were seized by the U.S. government finally are getting repaid.

The first distribution ordered by a judge involves more than 27,000 "customers" (interesting wording) of Full Tilt Poker.  We did the math, and found the average payout to them is about $2,764.  But apparently others who had money in Full Tilt's till still have not received refunds.

This struck us from the beginning as a questionable arrangement, in terms of legality.  The 2011 crackdown came when we were almost tempted to invest some money in it.  But it's always better to remember Biblical advice....

Abstain from all appearance of evil. - I Thessalonians 5:22 (KJV)

This is why we avoid cash games for real money, outside casinos.  We think most law enforcement agencies would consider them illegal -- and given a choice, we'd rather not go to jail.

I am sending you out like sheep among wolves.  Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. - Matthew 10:16

Jesus went on to warn His disciples some people would plot to punish them, or even have them arrested (verses 17-22).  Arrests happened more than once after Jesus went to heaven -- but not for sinful conduct.

The disciples were punished essentially for preaching Jesus was the Christ (Acts 5:42).  May that be the only blemish on your record.

The Price to Pay

We return to our recent chat during a National League of Poker tournament.  The discussion delved into matters of the Holy Spirit -- and then came this:

kingkupkake: 　repentence isnt cheap
Me: 　True.
Me: 　It cost Jesus His life.
kingkupkake: 　poker witness lol
Me: 　amen
We don't recall exactly what happened at the table to bring up repentance -- but it's something we all need to do.

After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God.  "The time has come," he said.  "The kingdom of God is near.  Repent and believe the good news!" - Mark 1:14-15

Jesus gave us two things to do.  Believing the "good news" (called the "gospel" in other translations) sounds rather easy.  Repenting sounds a little scary.  Yet Jesus also said....

....But unless you repent, you too will all perish. - Luke 13:3, 5

What does it mean to repent?  A study Bible we have offers this definition: "Make a radical change in one's life as a whole."  Our lives tend to be sinful.  But Jesus came to pay the penalty for our sins.

But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Christ would suffer.  Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.... - Acts 3:18-19

Some ministers say you should radically change away from playing poker.  We wouldn't go that far -- but we should repent of harmful destructive things often associated with poker.  Addictions such as smoking, drinking and gambling come to mind.  So do the points listed in God's Ten Commandments (Exodus 20 or Deuteronomy 5).

Look over your own life carefully.  Are there things you regret doing or saying?  Is it time to confess them before God - and then walk in a repenting way, instead of simply talking about it?

The Book on You

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Howl-No-We Won't Go

"Are we having poker here next Wednesday night?" we asked the Tournament Director last Wednesday at Soho Bar and Grill.  We had noticed a sign on the door the Director had not, promoting a cover-charge Halloween party at the club.

It turns out Soho's party will override live poker tonight.  That's too bad, because we wanted a place to escape from the crowds of Halloween-keepers -- from children begging for candy to grown-ups acting like children with scary costumes.

The essence of Halloween involves things such as witchcraft, haunted houses and zombies - things which lean away from God, and toward God's arch-enemy.

The great dragon was hurled down -- that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. - Revelation 12:9

Read the verses around that one, and you'll find Satan lost a "war in heaven" against angels (verse 7).  The devil's dream from ages past (we don't really know how long ago) is to usurp God.  Note these words from God....

You said in your heart, "I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God... I will make myself like the Most High." - Isaiah 14:13-14

God did not allow that (verse 15) - yet Satan has been looking for a following on Earth ever since.  Maybe you've joined Satan's ranks, without realizing it.

The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. - II Corinthians 4:4

Demonic influences are frequently connected to Satan -- and Jesus had several encounters with demon-possessed people.  But in a recent Bible study, we were surprised to learn that's not always the case:

Now the Spirit of the Lord had departed from [King] Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him.  Saul's attendants said to him, "See, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you." - I Samuel 16:14-15

Huh?!  An evil spirit from the Lord?  Yes, the Bible indicates Saul's servants had it right.  You can read another example of God sending evil spirits in Judges 9:22-24 -- in both cases sent in punishment for a leader's sins.

So if you're bogged down in sin or overzealous for things of "the dark side," this might be a day to avoid feeding that habit -- and even break free from it.  The devil has nothing worth celebrating.

Submit yourselves, then, to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. - James 4:7

Where's the Evidence?

Let's head back to Thursday night's lively discussion with an admitted skeptic of religious things.  Among other things, the woman declared, "I wake myself up every morning."

If this woman has power over her own sleep, we find that amazing.  We're more inclined to believe what the apostle Paul said before an audience of skeptics:

For in him we live and move and have our being.... - Acts 17:28

One man pointed to life itself, as a proof of God's existence.  We know of no scientist who's been able to accomplish this feat....

The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. - Genesis 2:7

In a tournament, poker players can fulfill a cliche and "come back from the dead" -- except they do it through "re-buys" or multiple double-ups.  You don't see actual corpses playing in tournaments.  Someone would have to give their bodies life to do that.  While CPR can save lives, it can't resurrect truly dead people.

It was fascinating to watch other people at the poker table take our viewpoint when it comes to the existence of God, while we sat back and waited for a moment to comment.  (In fact, it was a lot like the poker strategy of those players that night.)  One man noted how he rescued someone years ago by picking up a car, through some sort of "superhuman strength."

"That's adrenaline!" the skeptical woman countered - contending "Jesus" didn't pick up the car.  Yet note these words of Jesus from Scripture:

I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing.  He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. - John 14:12

We do not take this as a guarantee faith in Jesus will turn you into Superman or Wonder Woman.  Jesus's primary mission was to preach the gospel of the coming Kingdom of God (Mark 1:14-15) -- then live out the Bible's message by becoming our Savior.  Believers might accomplish things Jesus never did.  (Perhaps even blog about Him on the Internet?!)

Another man finally brought up the words of that great (ahem) U.S. philosopher, D.L. Hugley.  The stand-up comic once said if you believe in God and nothing happens after you die, it's no great loss.  But if you don't believe and wake up in a judgment, what will you say then?

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

We're not finished with this discussion, and we'll have more in an upcoming post.  But in the meantime, we found an online article offering several proofs of God's existence.  Do you agree with them?  If not, why not?  And how would you answer our table skeptic?

One or All?

Whether we play poker in person or online, "English-only" rules seem to dominate.  It's the only permissible language at the table.  The wrong words in French, Japanese or Swahili could lead to your removal.

 

As it happens, last week's poker-table discussion of the things man can do led to a place where one language dominated.  A man predicted humans someday will be able to fill the hole in the ozone layer -- and based it in part on the tower of Babel.

 

"Why did God confuse their languages," a man asked, "saying nothing will be impossible for them?"

 

We didn't remember the Bible putting it exactly like that, and another man at the table agreed.  So when we walked home, we opened a Bible and checked:

Now the whole world had one language and a common speech  As men moved eastward they found a plain in Shinar and settled there.... Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens...."  The Lord said, "If as one people speaking he same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them.  Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other." - Genesis 11:1-7

Our man at the poker table actually had it right, based on the New International Version.  Our mind was more on the King James Version of verse 6: "....now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do."

So was God really afraid of what humans might do?  Does this passage show God is against team efforts and working together -- and really for "self-reliance" and individualism, the sort of thinking that can dominate the minds of poker players?

We know believers on both sides of this issue.  One side laughs at any mention of the "It Takes a Village" philosophy.  The other supports and encourages a sense of community and togetherness.  But we think there's a middle ground here -- with God bridging the two sides.

Why was that tower built at Shinar, anyway?  We left out one key section which answers the question....

Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth." - Genesis 11:4

The crowd wanted self-promotion -- and to get it, it was resisting God's instructions to "fill the earth" (Genesis 9:1).  So God really responded to selfishness and disobedience.  By comparison, one person obeying God can do amazing things.  For instance....

For no one has ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of all Israel. - Deuteronomy 34:12

And Jesus wants believers today to join together in a project which proclaims "good news."

And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.  He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned," - Mark 16:15-16 (NASB)

(NOTE: We have more to say about this discussion of Babel.  Watch for it in a future post.)

The End Game

Our last post mentioned we're in what many ministers call "the end time" -- the time just before Jesus's second coming. How can they be so sure of that?

We noted the phrase appears five times in the book of Daniel. Especially note this one:

But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, [even] to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. -- Daniel 12:4, KJV

If you're reading this blog, you're part of the "increased knowledge" part. We read an article the other day saying the world's storehouse of knowledge is doubling every two years or so. Speaking simply about poker, the Internet has brought information to a wide audience in the last two decades -- and even made it possible for players from around the globe to get together online for tournaments.

Many preachers have warned of "the end of the age" since Jesus's disciples asked Him about it. Notice what the Lord said one of the signs would be:

And the gospel must first be published among all nations. -- Mark 13:10

To go to "all nations," knowledge again has to increase. The apostle Paul thought that had occurred during his lifetime (Romans 10:18), yet Internet access and other means make that even more possible now. This blog desires to play a small part in publishing that gospel, albeit in an untraditional way.

But for your knowledge to increase about something -- whether poker or the gospel -- it takes a little effort on your part. It takes study, and then practicing the things you study. So we would ask: are you studying the Bible, to see what God wants you to do? And if so, are you putting that knowledge to use in your life? Jesus would say you should:

If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them. -- John 13:17

The "end game" phrase in our title usually is applied to chess, not poker. But if you don't finish well, you can't win a poker tournament. And if you don't finish life well, you might be stunned and disappointed when you see Jesus in judgment. We think He'll be every bit as interested in what you did as what you knew.

Poker Night 154: Better Late Than Early

The night started well for us at Lil Kim's Cove. After we were moved twice in the first ten minutes, we landed at a table where nice cards came. We won three of the first four hands. But as someone once said in sports: It's not how you start, but how you finish....

BLINDS: 500/1,000

IN THE POCKET: A-Q offsuit

After the early success, not much has come our way. We were moved to a table with a big bettor who rolled up a huge score, then decided to give up the game and abandon it all. Thanks to the distribution of his 31,000 chips among the remaining six players, we're at 7,000. Now five people are playing -- and there's little to think about here.

"All in," we declare after the first player in line calls. A man to our left calls the 7,000. Then a man to our right pushes in all his chips, and he has something around 25,000. The man to the left surrenders.

"I've got al-Qaeda," we say showing our cards. Our opponent, as usual at Lil Kim's Cove, keeps his cards face down.

ON THE FLOP: 7-5-3

It would be nice if we paired something here.

ON THE TURN: J

As we say, it would be really, really nice if a big card came.

ON THE RIVER: 7

Remember what we noticed about the Heads-Up Poker telecast Sunday -- that overcards won races over pocket pairs? Trouble is, pocket pairs were shown on NBC's computer as a slight statistical favorite. And in this case, our opponent had 10-10.

"His blog is called Losers-Are-Us," a skeptic across the table jokes as we record the hand, finishing in about 15th place. With friends like that at the poker table....


MINISTRY MOMENT: "You know who invented that?" the Tournament Director asked when he saw our small bottle of Liquid Paper which was used as a card protector. Nope, we didn't know.

"Remember Mike Nesmith of the Monkees? His mother invented that." We fact-checked as we wrote this -- and he's absolutely correct. Nesmith wound up a multi-millionaire as a result of his creative mom.

"You know why he brought it, don't you?" that skeptic across the table said. He knew the answer, because we discussed it with him weeks before. But now the Tournament Director was stumped.

"It reminds me that Jesus can wash my sins whiter than snow," we said. The Director thought that connection was clever.

"What did you say?" the skeptic asked. We were glad to repeat that answer for the entire table.

"You're kidding," a young man to our left said -- the same young man who told us Wednesday night he reads this blog, and wanted his pair of 9's mentioned.

"No, I'm not kidding. Jesus can wash your sins whiter than snow" (Isaiah 1:18).

We think the young man's statement really involved our using that bottle as a religious witnessing tool. He eventually admitted he believes in Jesus.

A message of Jesus pleases some, while annoying others. It's been that way since the apostle Paul stood before a crowd in Athens nearly 2,000 years ago.

"When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said: 'We want to hear you again on this subject'.... A few men became followers of Paul and believed" (Acts 17:32-34).

By asking us to repeat the explanation, the skeptic actually opened the door for us to present a quick message about Christ. But we have to ask in light of Acts 17: which group are you in when it comes to Jesus?

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 60 final tables in 154 nights (39.0%) - 11 cashes. It's our lowest percentage in a long time, but does that mean we're a loser?

NATIONAL LEAGUE OF POKER TOTAL: Heads-up games: 6-4. Full tournaments - 32 point wins in 205 games (15.6%); 13 final tables, 0 cashes.

For the second time in ten days, we came in second at a big tournament this week. Wednesday's game had 212 players -- and it's an amazing story to be told in another post.

POKER STARS.NET TOTAL: One-table sit-and-goes - 2 wins in 10 games. (We had a win there Tuesday, in our first tournament there since February.) Pretend cash game total: $12,543, down $2,260. (If not for the tournament, things would have been much worse.)

Sunday Rewind: This Important Message

During our Thursday night poker tournament, we had a chat with a man about messages. He said there's no other message than the one about Jesus. We said there are many messages out there. We're actually both right -- but looking at things from a different perspective.

The way you play a poker hand sends a message. You could "limp" with a big hand -- simply calling other people's bets as if you don't have much, but laying low until the time is right to strike. We were burned on this in an online game Saturday night. We kept betting with Aces and 2's for two pair, while a man kept calling with a third 2 hidden away.

Or you could bet big right away. Sometimes that's setting up a bluff, but sometimes not. This burned us Saturday night as well. We bet into a pot with Q-Q, then someone pushed all-in before the flop. We called it in hope -- only to discover our opponent had A-A, and our game was over.

So there can be true messages and false messages in poker. It's that way when it comes to God as well. Paul warned the Galatians against "turning to a different gospel -- which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ." (Gal. 1:6-7)

That gospel is THE one and only real message. "You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news [or gospel] of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all." (Acts 10:36)

For whatever reason, many people don't want to hear that message. Yet Paul declared, "....the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." (I Cor. 1:18)

So it's a message vital for your salvation. Are you listening to it? And if you've heard it, are you living in obedience to it? After all, the way you live actually sends a message to others as well.