Poker Night 534: Hungry for Jack

We now can reveal our new poker base, after walking in unannounced for a tournament tonight.

JACK Casino is located at the east edge of downtown Cincinnati. It opened two years ago, and in some ways is unlike any casino we've ever visited. We'll explain some of those ways in upcoming posts. But for now, let's see what happened in our first trip to a poker room in close to two months....

BLINDS: 100/200

IN THE POCKET: Q-2 offsuit

A $75 entry fee in the Monday night tournament gets you 15,000 chips, and everyone starts equal. We split an early pot in a blind fight, when we both played two pair and an Ace on the board. Now we're in the Big Blind with about 14,800 chips, and no one has raised. Of course we check. About four players are in.

ON THE FLOP: Q-2-4

Right on, well, Q! We have two pair. The Small Blind checks, and we're ready to go with a bet of 350. But to our surprise, a young woman to our left (apparently a poker room regular) raises to 1,100. Other players fold, and we're left with a decision. Is she playing a game of "Test the Newbie"? Or does she have something like 4-4, which led to three of a kind? We call to find out.

ON THE TURN: 4

This puts a pair on the table, and compromises our 2. If she has a 4, we've stepped into trouble. We check to be safe. Thankfully, she checks as well.

ON THE RIVER: 6

We're still not sure what our opponent has. Maybe it's pocket Kings?! We check out of caution again - and are delighted when she checks again.

"I have two pair," we say. "Well, I had two pair on the flop. Now I have three pair."

The woman says nothing.... and mucks her cards! Apparently we had her topped all along. In any case, we gain about 1,700 chips.

A big gain came minutes later, when a man went on tilt and all-in after a controversial hand. We had 10-10, dared to call - and won a race against A-Q for an 8,500 chip gain! That gave us a comfortable cushion through a period with few quality cards.

The first break came at the two-hour mark, and our high of about 25,000 chips was down to 16,500. But then we made a timely nut flush (not shown) to regain thousands. Tight play worked again - as other players dropped out, and we survived to the final table with 14,700!

Once there, we went for it all with K-Q of diamonds. But a caller with A-Q gained an Ace on the flop to eliminate us. On a night with 41 players, we finished ninth. That missed the money by three places, but we left the casino satisfied and thankful.

MINISTRY MOMENT: This tournament may go down as the chippiest we've ever played - and that includes some nights in small bars. Several players were penalized for acting out of turn. Several players demanded penalties be imposed on other players. And after one disorganized hand, a man said Jesus Christ's name out loud.

"He's my hope of salvation," we said quickly.

We're not sure he heard us or wanted anything to do with it, as he stood up to stew a bit. But this leads to a reminder of being careful with what we say....

He said to them, "When you pray, say: 'Father, hallowed be your name, your Kingdom come.'" - Luke 11:2

Jesus wanted the name of God the Father to be hallowed. That word might remind you of Halloween, but it really means to "make holy, sanctify, consecrate.... honor as holy." In other words, treat the name of a great God with great respect. And since Jesus is God (John 1:1), His name should receive respect as well.

But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned. - Matthew 12:36-37

What have you said about God and Jesus lately? Are you in a habit of saying those names in an angry way - as a curse at a poker table, or elsewhere? If so, please see the need to repent of that sort of language. Even if children aren't around to hear it, God is. And He may take it more personally than you expect.


UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 193 final tables in 534 games (36.1%) - 40 cashes. So far in 2018, we have four final tables in 12 tries.

Poker Day 532: The Slippety-Slope

Thanks to freezing rain and sleet on Tuesday, the parking lot at Kansas Star Casino had a good bit of ice when we arrived today. Thanks to careful driving and walking, we reached the poker room in time for the 12:00 noon tournament. But the careful walk needed to continue, even after the cards were dealt....

BLINDS: 25/50

IN THE POCKET: A-Q of spades

We won the first hand of the day, to gain about 150 chips from our starting 3,500. Now we're in the Small Blind at a table of nine, with no one raising. We sense an opportunity.

"I'm raising.... 225."

Three players in a row across from us call.

ON THE FLOP: Ah-5s-2s

Opportunity really seems to be knocking now. We have top pair, a very good kicker and a draw for the nut flush. Since we're first in line, we offer a continuation bet of 250. A man who arrived a bit late intrigues us by raising to 500; the other two fold. We optimistically call, thinking our opponent has a lesser kicker.

ON THE TURN: Ac

Not a spade, but a third club makes us even more hopeful. We check to the raiser - and our opponent sets out 500 more. We conclude he has the missing Ace, and we're fighting for the best kicker. But no question; we call.

ON THE RIVER: 9c

We miss the flush, but three of a kind with a nice kicker still looks great. We check to our opponent again - but this time, he bets 1,100.

Now we're puzzled. Maybe he doesn't have that Ace. Maybe he also was on a flush draw, and is trying to bluff us away. Well, that's not going to work - but we're baffled about what he has.

"I may regret this," we say slowly as we think. "But I'll call. I have an Ace."

"I have a full house," our opponent says. He turns over A-2!

"Wow," we say as we show. That man got in for little, and won a lot.

That hand was a crippling blow, sliding us down to 1,300. After a couple of small misses, we had 7-7 with a flop of 6-5-3. We went all-in for 800, saw pocket Aces against us.... but caught a 7 on the turn to stay alive!

We reached the first break at 2,625, then hung around in the second hour by winning all-in pots with pocket 10's (beating A-Q) and pocket Aces (beating A-K). Our chip stack hit a high of 5,300. But losses followed, leaving us with 2,100 at the second break.

The first hand of hour 3 found us with A-9. With blinds at 500/1,000, we dared to go all in again - but the man next to us called with 9-9. No Aces came, so we had to leave in 14th place out of 48 players. At least the parking lot was drier when we returned to our car.

MINISTRY MOMENT: There were several today - including our mention of the big news of the day.

"It was sad to hear Billy Graham died this morning."

Several people around us had heard the news. "Some people considered him a quack, too," one older man said.

Was that "too" a reference toward us? Maybe so. But to be honest, many people who have preached about Jesus Christ have faced skepticism. The Bible actually predicted that....

First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, "Where is this 'coming' he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation. - II Peter 3:3-4

The apostle Paul wrote with anticipation, seemingly expecting Jesus to return very soon. But the apostle Peter seemed to take a longer view; some say this letter was written about 35 years after Jesus's death and resurrection.

But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. - II Peter 3:8

Some religious groups have interpreted this verse to mean God has a 7,000-year plan - and the return of Jesus will usher in the seventh thousand years, or "the millennium" of the Kingdom of God. Whether or not that's true....

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. - II Peter 3:9

While we personally didn't agree with every doctrinal point Billy Graham preached, we share the same faith he had - that we someday will see Jesus face-to-face.

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief.... You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. - II Peter 3:10, 12

Keep in mind: Peter witnessed a resurrected Jesus. He knew Christ existed. That's how he could be filled with faith of a second coming.

But hold on.... did Peter write we can "speed its coming"? Yes, he did. What do you think he meant by that? Leave a comment if you'd like, and we'll compare notes in a future post.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 192 final tables in 532 games (36.1%) - 40 cashes. Experiment update: Down $165.

The Wize Guy

We've been playing more online poker lately, and coming across some interesting moments. Take this one the other night at National League of Poker, where two players named "Bizarro" and "Wize11" went all-in:

Dealer:  wize11 wins Main Pot ($19,180) with Two pair, queens and sixes
Me:  Wize beats Bizarro
Me:  Deep lesson there :-)

Which name describes your poker personality? Are you a "Wise" player (giving the winner of that hand the benefit of the doubt) - considering carefully your moves and actions? Or are you a "Bizarro" player, trying all sorts of styles and approaches to throw off opponents and get an edge?

We tend to take the "Wise" approach. That's more our nature, and we think it's more of a Biblical nature as well:

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. - James 3:13

Proper wisdom should lead to humility. We think that means realizing there's a God who's much wiser than us - and seeking wisdom from God every day.

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

If we're honest with ourselves, we all lack wisdom in something. It could be how to handle a big poker hand, handling the money you win, or some other aspect of life. Don't be afraid to ask God in moments like that. If we do it in humility, He can provide wisdom when you least expect it.

But what is true wisdom, really? Is it knowing "the book" on playing any two particular cards? Ultimately, no....

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

That may not seem like a standard definition. But it's a Biblical definition. Wise people humbly seek to be righteous and holy - and Jesus Christ set the example for both those traits. Doing that will lead eventually to "redemption," being cleansed from sin to serve God forever (Hebrews 9:12-14).

Taking the "Bizarro" road can lead to all sorts of wild behavior and trouble. It's better to be a "Wize11" - and follow the wisest One of all.

Poker Day 477: Passive? Aggressive?

The British vote on leaving the European Union came up during our Friday poker tournament at Kansas Star Casino. But of course, no one was there to make a "Brexit" - they wanted to stay and win:

BLINDS: 200/400

IN THE POCKET: A-10

We've made it well past the first break, as a few good pots ballooned us from a starting 3,500 chips to a high of 6,125. We start this hand with 4,900, and a player at our table of eight raises to 1,500. With some people already showing they're making desperation shoves, we sense it happening again. These cards are high enough that we call; two players are with us.

ON THE FLOP: A-Q-J

This is a flop that can produce fireworks well before Independence Day. We have top pair and a nice kicker - and we're first to act. What would you do? We decide to move toward winning the pot right now, matching the 1,500 bet an opponent made pre-flop.

"I'm all-in," the man sitting to our left says.  He's been one of the pushers since the break, so that's not really a surprise. But then a young man with a strange-looking hairdo calls, and that concerns us. Did someone hit a two-pair jackpot - or better? Or are they both dreaming with big draws?

We don't think about this long, primarily because we started all this. "I've committed this much," we say, "so I'll call." Our last 1,900 goes into the middle, and it's time for the explosion.

The man to our left shows - K-10! He hit the jackpot, all right - a straight on the flop.

The weird-hair guy doesn't like seeing that. He has J-J - three of a kind on the flop! We moved forward with the weakest hand of all. We need a King to escape with a straight and a split.

ON THE TURN: A

A is for Arrrgh - anything but that! The three-Jack man now gets a winning full house.

ON THE RIVER: 3 (for the record)

So the bulk of the chips go to Mr. Full House. "Do I get some back?" we ask the dealer.

"No, they go to him" - as in the man who pushed first. His straight gets a consolation prize - and we simply get a walk to the door, in about 35th place.

Looking back at it, we realize some poker experts don't consider A-10 strong enough to push at a time like that. We probably should have held our fire on the flop, and checked to see what others would do. But we thought we were in a strong position - much to our sad surprise.

MINISTRY MOMENT: "What time does the game end? Around 4:00-4:30?" asked a man to the dealer's left during a break. He admittedly preferred cash games, and had entered only his second tournament.

The dealer indicated that timing was correct. It was great timing for us. "I can stick around till about 8:55. For those of us keeping a seventh-day Sabbath, it's a great time of year."

Longer days mean longer "preparation days" for people who keep the Sabbath. But the dealer seemed a bit stunned by our comment - and perhaps you are as well.

Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God... - Exodus 20:9-10

The Sabbath is one of God's ten commandments - and it's considered so important that the word is capitalized in many Bible translations (curiously not in the King James). Sabbath matters so much to God that it was part of His creation:

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

The Sabbath is a holy time - and it's supposed to be a rest time, to take a break from your work. That's why you'll never see us playing in a tournament on Friday nights or Saturday mornings. If we're trying to make money, we consider that work. Besides....

...On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. - Exodus 20:10

We admit we played "fast and loose" with this part of the command for years - going out to dinner on Friday night after sunset, or filling the gas tank on the way home from a Saturday worship service. We don't do that anymore, because we don't want other people working on Sabbath, either. That includes the staff at a poker room or casino.

Of course, we realize the dealer was probably stunned by our comment for another reason.  Can you figure out what that reason is? We'll explain it in a future post.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 177 final tables in 477 games (37.1%) - 33 cashes.

Poker Night 473: Leftover Doughnuts

Some poker players refer to pocket Kings as "cowboys." Not us. We see K-K and think "Krispy Kremes". And since last Friday was National Donut Day in the U.S., they were still fresh on our mind tonight - even if Yvie's serves burgers and fries instead of pastry:

BLINDS: 400/800

IN THE POCKET: K-K

We've won a few pots, including one with a ridiculous bluff bet. But our stack has gone up and down, and now we're at a table of six with 6,700 chips. A young man to our immediate right is doing much better, and he's first to act in this hand. He raises to 2,200. Then we see our cards, and there's little doubt of what to do. It's time to push back.

"Raise - 4,400," we say quietly, dropping down a 5,000-chip piece. A player across the table is puzzled by that number, but we note we're doubling the original bet.

The rest of the table folds, leaving that young man pondering what we might have. In a way, that lengthy thought process could have been a tell. If he had pocket Aces, wouldn't he have re-raised right away?

Finally he does re-raise, going all-in. We call for our last 2,300. But we forget something.

"Put in the bonus chip," a woman to our left reminds us. We won that chip by taking the first hand of the night - a chip you can cash in for 5,000 only if you make the final table.

"But I don't want to put it in!" we say in a joking protest like a six-year-old. But of course, we do. Then our opponent shows.... A-J! He has a higher card, but we're happy to see we have the lead. "Keep 'em low, please," we encourage the dealer. The cards come out very slowly....

ON THE FLOP: 10-8-6

Good. Very good.

ON THE TURN: 4

Still good - and no flush chance is showing.

ON THE RIVER: J

"Ohhhhh," we declare. The opponent gained a pair - but with the lower card. The Kings survive, and we double up to more than 14,000 chips (when folded blinds are figured in).

But the blinds go up quickly at Yvie's, and we were down to.11,000 at the first break. Then three tables were combined into two, and we had a Small Blind which the cards wouldn't let us defend. Finally with 2,000 chips left, we pushed with Q-10. Two players called, including that young man who was doing well.  His A-3 did very well when 3's came on the flop and the river. 3x3=2 knocked out - including us, awarded tenth place.

MINISTRY MOMENT: The beggar's corner was occupied again as we drove home - this time by the man who was happy to get a bag of food a couple of weeks ago, while another beggar grumbled.

"HELP" read his little cardboard sign. He said he needed about everything. "This is humiliating," he admitted to us. Yet it's seemingly become a way of life for him.

We gave the man a business card for the local Homeless Outreach Team. Then he said, "I know somebody named Jesus, and I think he's coming back. He's a good Daddy!"

We answered with a line from a recent hit Christian song - but as we walked away, we wondered if we should have corrected his theology. You see, Jesus technically is not a believer's Father.

Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers. - Hebrews 2:11

Jesus Christ can be your brother if you're willing to let Jesus make you holy - but that's not really our focus tonight.  Let's consider the "Father" Jesus mentioned:

My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one. - John 10:29-30

With all respect to fans of the late Muhammad Ali, the real "greatest of all time" is God the Father. After all, He's the creator of life - and the One who provided Jesus Christ as a sacrifice so we might have eternal life.

No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also. - I John 2:23

It's a package deal. - or perhaps better put, a family deal. Will you acknowledge God as your Father, admitting belief in His holy Son as you do?


UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 176 final tables in 473 games (37.2%) - 33 cashes. After a good start to 2016, we've now missed six final tables in a row.

State of Mind

Some people say big-time poker is in decline in the U.S. But there's at least one place where it's growing - Russia.

An article we read shows Russia is #2 in the number of players on PokerStars, behind the U.S. Even top Russian chess players are crossing over from 64 squares to 52 cards - even though online poker for money is as illegal there as it is in most of the U.S.

There's now a proposal to add poker to the "International Mind Sports Association."  We never knew there was such a thing - a union for everything from chess and checkers to contract bridge.

Whether or not poker joins this union may depend on whether poker is considered a game of skill, or simply chance. You're welcome to debate that classic question in our comments. But in the meantime, may we interest you in a different kind of mind game?

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.... - Philippians 2:5 (KJV)

Well, maybe we shouldn't call this a "game." It's a challenge to keep your thinking as pure and holy as that of Jesus, the Son of God.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. - II Timothy 1:7 (KJV)

The word "sound" here is translated in other Bible versions as "disciplined."  Jesus kept a disciplined mind, so He would not cave in to the sins all around Him. Those same sins remain around us today, albeit in different forms.

....Many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.... Their mind is on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ. - Philippians 3:18-20

Keeping your mind on godly, heavenly things admittedly isn't easy. But we think the challenge is worth it. Being a friend of God (as opposed to an enemy) can pay off ultimately in eternal life, and a place in God's Kingdom.  So, if we may ask - what's on your mind these days?

Making the Saints

We asked a question in our last post about saints. Who is one? How do you define one? Is it as easy as bringing drinks for a poker home game?

Let's see what a New Testament apostle wrote about this:

To all in Rome who ae loved by God and called to be saints: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. - Romans 1:7

Being a saint is a calling from God.

Greet all the saints in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me send greeting. - Philippians 4:21

Saints are "in Christ Jesus." We're led to think that means they've accepted Jesus as their Savior and Lord - and the commitment doesn't stop there:

Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne. - Revelation 8:3

Based on verse 2, saints offer prayers toward God in heaven.

...(Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.) - Revelation 19:8b

Saints also perform acts of righteousness. We think that goes beyond buying two-liter bottles of soda for the poker group. It means living a righteous life, in obedience to God.

Our last post quoted I Corinthians 1:2, about being "called to be holy." Here's how another Bible translation has that verse:

To the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints.... - I Corinthians 1:2 (KJV)

So saints should believe in God and Jesus Christ. They should pray. And they should live holy, righteous lives.

Can you do all that and still play poker? We think so - if what you do at the table reflects a saintly conduct in the rest of your life.
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Call or Be Called

We're still thinking about the online player who told us last weekend, "I don't do church."

In our last post, we noted churches can be groups that sit in judgment of disputes.  (Yes, we know - sometimes they also pass judgment on people and events.)  But a church can be other things....

I am writing to God's church in Corinth, to you who have been called by God to be his own holy people.... - I Corinthians 1:2 (NLT)

Players "call" at the poker table all the time.  It's the minimum requirement for getting into a hand.  (You might get in trouble if you call someone else on the phone during a hand, but that's another topic.)

But a church is filled with "called" people.  The Greek word for church (the New Testament was primarily written in Greek) means "calling out."  Our verse shows God calls people out -- and unlike our modern slang, that's not a negative thing.

And you are included among those Gentiles who have been called to belong to Jesus Christ. - Romans 1:6 (NLT)

Belonging to Jesus might sound boring.  But if you heed it, that call results ultimately in something remarkable:

In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus.... I Peter 5:10 (NLT)

You can live forever with Jesus -- and it starts with a call.  It's a call from God, to be part of what Jesus is doing.  It's a call to a church containing "his own holy people," as our first verse noted.

...Don't slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn't know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. - I Peter 1:14-15 (NLT)

God may well be calling you to give up selfish desires for something bigger and better. If He's calling, it's your turn. How will you respond?

Poker Day 422: And the Rockets, Read....

It's a big day for car racing fans -- with famous events in Monaco, Indianapolis and Charlotte.  Poker is known for "races" as well.  And we knew we'd have to win some to succeed at River City Poker Room.  It always helps to have a good engine....

BLINDS: 2,000/4,000

IN THE POCKET: A-A

It looked like we were doomed to an early exit, as several promising hands fell short.  But then things started to turn around, with K-Q turning into a winning Queens-8's two pair.  Now we've survived to the final table on a two-table day, with eight players remaining.  And believe it or not, we've been dealt pocket Aces for the second hand in a row!

We went all in for 22,000 on the prior hand in middle position, and had no takers (never showing what we had).  Now we have 36,000 in rather early position, so we change the strategy a bit.  We raise only to 14,000.  Most of the table bails out, but two players call.

ON THE FLOP: Q-J-7 (third card may not be precise)

With no flush risk, it's a green-light flop for us.  So we go all in again -- as it happens, for 22,000 once more.  One man folds.  A young man across the table gives it a great deal of thought.

"I'll call," he finally says -- and shows K-Q.

'You can call me Houston, because I've got Rockets," we say as we turn the Aces over.  Our opponent has 6 outs to beat us -- only about a 13% chance.

ON THE TURN: Q

The dealer clearly doesn't watch poker on television, because she doesn't even give us time to say Nooooooo....

ON THE RIVER: 5

Our opponent caught a third Queen on the turn, and our "rockets" crash like North Korean missiles in the sea.  We're eliminated in eighth place -- and as we leave, we hear our opponent saying he thought we might have a King.  It turns out we had better, but not enough to win the race.

MINISTRY MOMENT: The dealer at our table was female. while all the players were male.  At one point for some reason, one of them referred to her as a "heifer."

"I'm insulted," she said.

"There are places where a heifer is a good thing," we pointed out.  "In Israel, a red heifer is a very good thing."

This seemed to stump the table, as we figured it would.  A man at our left asked about it.  "Check it in your Bible," we suggested.

We're not sure if he will.  So let's show it to you....

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron: "This is a requirement of the law that the Lord has commanded: Tell the Israelites to bring you a red heifer without defect or blemish and that has never been under a yoke." - Numbers 19:1-2

Not just any ol' heifer - but a red one.  It was slaughtered and burned (verses 3, 5).  And then....

"A man who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer and put them in a ceremonially clean place outside the camp.  They shall be kept by the Israelite community for use in the water of cleansing; it is for purification from sin." - Numbers 19:9

So this heifer's ashes had a special specific use: cleaning ancient Israel's sins.

Some religious people in our day still consider a red heifer a big deal.  We've heard stories of U.S. ministries sending them to Israel -- dropping a hint that it's time to rebuild a temple in Jerusalem and hurry the second coming of Jesus.  So let's ask: what do you think of all this?  Offer a comment, and we'll offer our thoughts in an upcoming post.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 150 final tables in 422 games (35.5%) - 25 cashes.  We are a perfect five-for-five in making final tables so far this year!

Whom To Root Against

One interesting twist about the casino trip mentioned in our last post was that it occurred during the opening weekend of the NCAA men's basketball tournament.  The day we went included a shocking upset, as the Mercer Bears beat the Duke Blue Devils.

"I'm a Christian," we told our table, "so I can't root for any team called the Devils."

We recall one high school where we used to live, where the girls' basketball coach actually changed her team's nickname.  Instead of "Devils," they became the Angels.  Why would someone do that?  Because the Bible warns against the devil....

Be self-controlled and alert.  Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. - I Peter 5:8

The devil offers people all sorts of interesting temptations, pretending to be your friend.  But the Bible shows Satan wants to "devour" you -- eating your life away through things such as over-gambling at poker.

You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him.  When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. - John 8:44

 Jesus said these words -- and Jesus battled against the devil's temptations several times (Matthew 4:1-11).  Yet the Lord prevailed, and so can we.

Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of suffering. - I Peter 5:9

Resisting the devil isn't easy.  That's why God offers help, through 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

With all due respect to graduates of Duke, Arizona State and other schools, the "devil" is not one to support.  God plans to remove Satan eventually.

And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven.... He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. - Revelation 20:2

God created all the "chips" of the universe, and He eventually will hold them all again.  Including you, if you allow it.

Poker Night 330: Of Flush and Flesh

While one of our relatives played for millions of dollars in Las Vegas tonight (still in as we write this), we played in the poker tournament we could afford.  In fact, we saved a couple of dollars at Uptown Wings -- because another player generously paid for our soda.  So this really was free poker, and blessings seemed to keep coming....

BLINDS: 50/100

IN THE POCKET: J-10 of spades

We won a pot early in the game.  Now we have suited connectors at a table that's playing relatively on the quiet side.  We limp in, with no one raising.

ON THE FLOP: 4h-5s-8s

A flush draw looks nice to us.  The fact that everyone around the table checks is even better.  "That got all the way around?!" a surprised woman right before us in the order says.

ON THE TURN: 9s

Don't worry -- the checking wave won't get all the way around this time.  We not only make a flush, but we have an open-ended straight flush draw.  So when the checks come to us, we bet 500.  Several players fold in response, but a man across from us raises to 1,000.

The woman who was surprised says -- well, several of us thought she said "fold."  We call the raise to 1,000 and see....

ON THE RIVER: 8

But hold it -- the woman now objects.  She declares we called out of turn, and this card should not count.

"I thought you said fold," we explain.

"I said, 'Flushy flushy,'" the woman clarifies -- and she said a couple of other things as well, which we apparently never noticed.  But she still held her cards (something which happens often in local tournaments, even after folds).  Eventually she decides to call, and the 8 is placed back in the deck for a reshuffle.  That's OK, though; we have a second chance at that huge straight flush.

ON THE RIVER II: 5

Oh well -- when our turn comes, we'll bet anyway.  We offer 1,200.  A man to our left calls, while the woman folds.

"Flushy flushy," we repeat as we show our spades.

"That's good enough," the opponent says.  We wind up gaining several thousand chips -- but are reminded of how importance it is to double-check what other players say during a hand, especially when they're next to us in the order.

It was a night of big hands for us, but also big chances missed.  A lowly 2-5 in the Big Blind led to a winning straight.  A-J brought top two pair on the flop, which we converted into a gain of more than 4,000.  Yet we folded 10-10 after raising 500, when players around us decided to go all-in.  A man who did that with 7-4 was busted by a man who simply paid a pair of 3's.  And we folded K-K at the one-hour break with an Ace on the board and two players all-in -- only to find they both had pocket Queens.

We reached the second hour with 12,500 chips -- but the stack dropped from there.  The big push for us came at the semifinal table with A-Q.  It brought two pair on the flop -- but a man across from us wound up with a winning straight.  He took another player out along with us, and we finished tied for 14th place.

MINISTRY MOMENT: Uptown Wings has a full bar, but it's technically considered a restaurant.  That means no smoking is allowed under state law -- and the woman we misunderstood longed at one point for a smoke.

"It's better that way," we said.  "The air is clean."

"Who needs clean air?" she answered.  "It's just a bar."

"Wouldn't you rather have a clean bar than a dirty bar?"

"Naw -- I expect a dirty bar.  You obviously have never been to...." The woman then named a nightclub with a history of nude dancing.

"I never have been there," we admitted.  "And I never plan to."

Why do we draw this sort of boundary line?  Because the New Testament reminds us:

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. - I John 2:16 (NASB)

Why do clubs offer women (or for that matter "Chippendale" men) dancing in the nude?  In our day and age, it's not because of hot and humid summer weather.  It's designed to appeal to desires.and longings which need to be contained to a marriage relationship.

Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. - II Corinthians 7:1 (NASB)

God made humans originally out of dust (Genesis 2:7).  But He wants a people which is clean in every way -- not muddied and defiled by sin.  People who spend all day sweating in the summer sun should be able to appreciate cleanliness.  Or do you really think "mud runs" are better?


UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 117 final tables in 330 nights (35.45%) - 19 cashes.

Poker Night 225: King Day Special?

Blame the end of Monday night football games. Or Martin Luther King Day. Or a cold rainy night. Whatever the reason, barely enough players showed up at The Red Barn tonight to fill two poker tables. That should have worked to our advantage - but when a poker game starts, you never know....

BLINDS: 100/200

IN THE POCKET: K-Q offsuit

We've barely played any hands so far, because the cards have simply been lousy. The sight of familiar faces gives us hope, so we call. Several players at the full table do.

ON THE FLOP: K-7-10 (rainbow suits)

We're third in line to bet. When the man to our right checks, we put 400 on our top pair. Two players call - the big blind and that man to the right.

"What do you think the next two cards will be?" asks a woman out of the hand.

"I'll say a 6 and a 3," someone else predicts. OK....

ON THE TURN: 6

Pretty good for the predictor -- and for us. The big blind checks. The man to our right offers 200. We still have top pair, but we modestly call. So does the big blind.

ON THE RIVER: 2

A little groaning occurs around the table - close, but not quite. But the big blind is betting, not groaning. He puts out 800. The player between us folds, and we're left to wonder. Our first guess is one of two things. Our opponent could be "stabbing" - trying to steal the pot while holding nothing. Or....

"That looks like a two-pair bet," we say. The big blind says nothing. But we lean on the side of a stab, and we call.

"I do have two pair," our opponent says -- showing K-6. He bided his time on the turn, and struck on the river. By the way, the pot-winner noted he was getting "eight to one on my money" since he had top pair on the flop.

We won a small pot a few hands later, but we never recovered completely. After the one-hour break, we went all-in with Q-Q in the big blind. A third Queen came on the river -- but the board also had J-10-9, and the man who beat us before had a King for a winning straight. We drove home frustrated, with only 14th place.

MINISTRY MOMENT: We don't remember what cards came out, but one flop tonight prompted a woman to say "Holy...."

Then she stopped. So we tried to fill the gap: "Holy is the Lord God Almighty."

We're not sure if anyone heard us complete the sentence, but we borrowed it from Scripture....

And they were calling to one another: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory." -- Isaiah 6:3

Who's calling here? Verse 2 says they're "seraphs.... with six wings." They were stationed above "the Lord" (verse 1), in what seems to be a vision experienced by Isaiah. But holiness isn't merely for God:

But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy." -- I Peter 1:15-16

If you're not sure how to be holy, read verses 13-14. If they still leave you puzzled, leave a comment -- we might be able to help.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 91 final tables in 225 nights (40.4%) - 15 cashes.

Lessons from Four Aces

Language issues can happen in online poker, every bit as much as in live tournaments. Take what happened today at National League of Poker....

Dealer: cher67 wins Main Pot ($740) with Four of a kind, aces
Me: wow excellent
cher67: holy sh

Cher may have stopped short of finishing the second word, because NLOP seems to have a language filter. (At least it does for us; profanity shows on our screen with asterisks.) But the first word was enough to get us thinking....

omajor: nh
cher67: too bad there wasnt more money on the table
Me: What makes that stuff holy, anyway? :-/

Exclamations beginning with "holy" have been around for a long time. We remember "Robin the Boy Wonder" uttering them all the time on the old Batman TV series. We avoid them because a Biblical warning:

Above all, my brothers, do not swear -- not by heaven, or by earth or by anything else.... -- James 5:12

So we had a little fun with the exclamation, in hopes of making a larger point. The fun stuff continues with this response....

cher67: oxidation
Me: Ohhhhhh.
Dealer: suarez801 wins Main Pot ($630)
cher67: didnt think i knew the answer didja
Dealer: stolen wins Main Pot ($1550)
Me: I was expecting more of a Biblical answer than that.
cher67: lol
Me: Something like "Be ye holy, for I am holy."

That quote comes from I Peter 1:15-16 -- but it's really based in Leviticus 11:44-45.

cher67: well i guess if you say grace before u eat
cher67: jk
Dealer: mjgtlc wins Main Pot ($1210) with Straight, ten to ace
Me: Welllll - that's always a good idea.

It's a good idea because Jesus did it, to perform a great miracle:

Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke them. Then he gave them to the disciples to set before the people. -- Luke 9:16

Matthew 14:21 indicates more than 5,000 people were fed by that small donation. (In fact, we heard radio preacher Chuck Swindoll claim the other day the fish were little more than sardines.)

The "holy chat" ended there -- but we hopefully made others at the table think a bit. Holiness really doesn't come from exposure to the air, you know. It comes from exposure to God -- by "breathing in" the Holy Spirit, as God speaks to you in Bible study. The best "meat" to enjoy is the meat of God's word.

NLOP Senior Championship III: Break, Then Broken

We joined 836 other players tonight in the January National League of Poker Senior Open Championship -- and we stayed out in the open quite awhile! Here are the highlights:

:00 IN: We're dealt A-4 on the opening hand. The table is quite tight, and a 4 on the turn allows us to bet with a pair in win right off the bat.

:04 IN: After winning another pot, we have A-J of clubs in the small blind. A pair of 7's come on the flop, followed by A-J! We bet big on the river, face an all-in opponent -- but he has A-J too. Splitsville.

:29 IN: We have Q-J of diamonds. The flop is 3d-Kd-10h. The table checks. The turn is a 9, giving us a straight! Our $570 bet puts an opponent all-in, and A on the river gives us "Broadway" for a $1,370 pot!

:33 IN: Pocket Aces show up! Someone bets ahead of us, allowing us to simply call. The river brings a third Ace, and we gain $2,570.

At the first break, we have $3,900 -- good enough for 42nd place, with 323 players left.

:53 IN: We play J-4 of clubs. The flop is a hopeful 10c-7c-9s. The turn disappoints, with a 4s. The river really disappoints, with 3d. Yet somehow, our pair of 4's takes the $2,580 pot!

:59 IN: We're dealt 10-10. The third 10'er comes on the flop with 5-J, and we bet $900. That puts a player all-in, and 4-3 follow to raise our total to $5,490.

1:02 IN: K-J comes in the big blind. A King on the flop with no other pairs allows us to bet on the river, with an opponent folding. Up we climb to $6,565.

1:08 IN: We have K-7 of hearts. No hearts come after that, but a 7 shows on the turn. That's good enough to give us a $3,450 pot, putting us in 12th place at $8,940!

At the second break, we're in 35th place out of 90 with $7,140. But sadly, the pool starts draining from there....

1:40 IN: We have K-10 of diamonds. The flop is 6h-Qc-5d. A player bets with the blinds at 600/1,200. We're not comfortable with that dare, and fold.

1:55 IN: Antes and poor cards in the blinds have lowered us to a measly 340 chips. We're forced to go all-in with J-8 -- and a Jack comes on the flop. But a Queen on the river gives someone else a higher pair.

Final score: 43rd place out of 837. In a casino tournament, that would be well in the money -- perhaps earning us double our buy-in. But in NLOP, only the top three seniors get paid. This makes Social Security a much safer option.

MINISTRY MOMENT: Not only was the early table tight in terms of betting, most of the players were tight-lipped all night. When a player named Animal was eliminated, we tried to spark something by writing "Animal sacrificed" -- but it went nowhere.

But we can be thankful animals no longer have to be sacrificed to pay the penalty for our sins. That was the norm in the Old Testament, God eventually provided something much better.

"It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins," Hebrews 10:4 says. But Jesus came to Earth to do His Father's will.... "and by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." (vs. 9-10)

Have you applied the sacrifice of Christ to your sins, to become holy in God's sight? It's a lot less messy, but a lot more meaningful.

Poker Night #59: The Bad Beat Blues

OK, maybe we should recall that post two items down -- about rather being good than lucky. These days, we don't fit either category. A two-day online tailspin led to an ultra-fast exit tonight at Lil Kim's Cove -- last place, out in less than 15 minutes.

We walked to the club reminding ourselves against getting suckered into big pots. For a couple of hands, we did that. But then holding an A-7, we had two pair at the turn and looked good. But a club on the river brought a 2,000-chip bet from the player to our right. We suspected a bluff. He had a flush.

That was a major pain. Then came the next hand....

BLINDS: 25/50.

IN THE POCKET: A-3 of clubs.

Standard bets are made, and we join in a full table. We're one off the button.

ON THE FLOP: Qc-5c-Qd.

A man in the lead position bets 100. A couple of people call. Given our weakened chip stack, we call and hope.

ON THE TURN: K of clubs.

The audacity of hope, indeed. But the man to our left nonchalantly bets 300.

We've played together many times at Lil Kim's Cove, and I know this man tries to bluff his way into pots as often as not -- especially heads-up, as he might think I'll get cold feet and bail out. But here I have a superior flush. That trick won't work this time -- right?

"I'm all in," we announce -- adding 1,550 to the 300. Our opponent calls with little hesitation. We feel good.

"I think you have a 9-10 of clubs," says the man to our right. He had those cards last hand, and thinks he's found the "hot cards" of the night.

We turn over our A-3 of clubs. "That's even better," he says. But our opponent then quietly turns over a Q-5 off-suit.

"It is over," a woman sitting between us declares. After a puzzled moment, it hits me. He hit a full house on the flop, and was sandbagging it with moderate betting.

ON THE RIVER: An 8, which doesn't matter.

For the second tournament in a row, our potential powerhouse hand turns out to be our demise. It's time to regroup -- and our annual Serious Spring Cleaning will allow for that. Thursday night tournaments are NOT guaranteed over the next few weeks.

MINISTRY MOMENT: Someone showed up for poker night with a hole in his jeans. "Those are his church pants," a man joked. "Holy."

Then another player asked how everyone was doing. "Trying to be holy," we respond. "The other kind." We'll talk more about that another day.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 24 final tables in 59 nights (40.7%) - 7 cashes.

YAHOO POKER TOTAL: $11,539 - down $273 in two weeks. We were at $11,982 two days ago -- but that tailspin happened.