Dennis the Menace?

Our current home area of Cincinnati is starved for sports winners. The baseball Reds haven't won a World Series in almost 30 years. The football Bengals have never won a Super Bowl. University of Cincinnati men's basketball hasn't won a single NCAA tournament game in years.

Courtesy WPT/Poker News

So you'd think a million-dollar poker win by a Cincinnati native would get big local publicity. It didn't, until this weekend. Dennis Blieden wore Bengals garb when he won the Los Angeles Poker Classic last year. The next orange he wears might be a prison jumpsuit - because he's now under indictment on embezzlement charges.

We learned from WCPO-TV about a 14-count federal indictment in California, accusing Blieden of funneling away $22 million while working as a Vice President at his regular job. He reportedly used some of that money for poker tournament buy-ins, and may have tried to hide what he did by using crypto-currency along the lines of Bitcoins.

Blieden was terminated from his day job in February. Perhaps the employer suspected something wrong was going on. We don't know if he's guilty or not. But it raises a question many poker players might have to address....

...You, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal?.... You who brag about the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? - Romans 2:21-23

"Stealing a pot" with a bluff bet in a poker room is one thing. That's part of the strategy of the game. Stealing money from your job to fund a gambling habit is wrong. In fact, Blieden could face 200 years in federal prison if he's convicted on every count.

But there are levels of stealing, you know. Do you steal time at work, by playing poker apps on your computer or smart-phone? In the eyes of God, that breaks the stealing "law" (as in commandment)  every bit as much - and despite what Jesus did for us, that law remains.

He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need. - Ephesians 4:28

Did you notice that last part? Turning from a "stealing mind" to a "working mind" should turn your thinking away from you, and toward sharing with other people.

Believe it or not, in Old Testament days people were not put in prison for stealing. Instead....

...When he thus sins and becomes guilty, he must return what he has stolen or taken by extortion.... He must make restitution in full, add a fifth of the value to it and give it all to the owner on the day he presents his guilt offering. - Leviticus 6:4-5

Stealing was against God's law then. Isn't still against the law now - both God's law and the state's. Don't let a stolen win in a tournament expand into something you'll regret.

Across the Lines

We made another discovery while working on our taxes this past week. It relates to poker directly - and it comes with a confessional.

We live in Kentucky - a state with no poker rooms, as far as we know. It's famous for "the sport of kings" (horse racing), but not pocket Kings. We cross rivers into Ohio and Indiana to play poker. And while filling out an Ohio state income tax form for another reason, we found out we must pay income tax on our Cincinnati casino winnings.

That led to a guilt cloud, then a check of Indiana's income tax rules. Sure enough - we have to pay that state as well on our casino winnings in Lawrenceburg, even though we've never lived there.

To be honest, we should have thought of this before. We'd heard stories of professional athletes being ordered to pay such out-of-state taxes, when their team goes on road trips. After all, they're working in the state of the team they're trying to beat.

But we never thought of applying this to us. And we crossed state lines to win at poker, well before moving to our current area. We're not sure if the statute of limitations has run out for those states - but we apologize to the states we may have stiffed. (Don't expect casinos to tell you about this; they never have with us.)

Why are we so concerned about this? In part, because of these words...

Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words.... "Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?" - Matthew 22:15, 17

This was a question to Jesus, whom some people thought had come to start a rebellion against the Roman leadership. What better way to do it than with a tax protest - right? Well, keep reading....

But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, "You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? Some me the coin used for paying the tax." They brought him a denarius, and he asked them, "Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?" - Matthew 22:18-20

We don't think the words "In God we trust" was on that coin. But we've heard people try to argue against paying taxes, based on the government being "un-Christian" or other such things. Yet what did Jesus say to the crowd?

"Caesar's," they replied. Then he said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's." When they heard him, they were amazed. So they left him and went away. - Mathew 22:21-22

Jesus never told anyone not to pay their taxes. For one thing, you'd be breaking the law in the U.S. if you did that. For another thing, Jesus had a disciple pay a "temple tax" earlier in His ministry (17:24-28). To us, it's about obedience....

Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king. - I Peter 2:17

That "king" has a small king, indicating a human leader. God puts those leaders in charge (Romans 13:1, KJV) - so if you say you fear God and not them, what does that say about you?

Beyond That Name

Our last post explained the name of this blog. It's called "On the Flop" for several reasons.

But to be honest, there have been times over the years when we wonder if we misnamed it - and should have mentioned the two cards after the flop instead.

The turn card is fourth out of five on the board, in standard Texas Hold 'em. If you're one card away from a flush or straight on the flop, you could make it here. A lot can, well, turn on that card.

In the same way, God wants all of us to "make the turn" in life. That advice began early in history - long before "come to Jesus moments" became a cliché:

The Lord your God will delight in you if you obey his voice and keep the commands and decrees written in this Book of Instruction, and if you turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and soul. - Deuteronomy 30:10 (NLT)

That "Book" was what Jews call the Torah - the first five books of the Old Testament. The "turn" to God should be complete, not holding back anything in our lives. And it means obeying what God says - or in our time, what He has inspired to be written in the Bible.

So a great change can happen "On the Turn." And in poker, the river card comes after that. It comes out last, but many times it's not least. Big pots and tournament titles have been decided by a dramatic river card.

The Bible speaks of rivers as well, often in symbolic terms. Consider this one....

Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice, an endless river of righteous living. - Amos 5:24 (NLT)

The prophet (and, by extension, God) was not satisfied with simply "noisy hymns of praise" (verse 23, NLT). Praise music has its place, but living "On the River" in a godly way is even better.

But make no mistake - that "come to Jesus moment" still matters. In fact, Jesus puts it all together:

Now on the last day, the great day of the Feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'" - John 7:37-38 (NASB)

The "rivers" here refer to the Holy Spirit of God working in your life (verse 39). It comes when you repent of your sin - admitting you're a "flop" in God's eyes, then "turning" your life over to Him.

All that may sound hard to do - harder than winning any poker tournament.  But we're reminded of what NASCAR pit reporter Winston Kelly said one day during a race: "It takes a pretty brave man to admit he made a mistake." May you have the courage to admit your mistakes and sins to God - then start moving toward the river.

Naming Names

People around our poker tables are speaking well of the new poker-themed movie Molly's Game. It's based on a true story - the sort of story federal prosecutors in Kansas still are writing.

Courtesy KWCH.com

An FBI investigation we first mentioned 11 months ago now has led to indictments in our area. A former state trooper is accused of lying about his involvement in an illegal "home game". Two former police officers are charged with obstructing law enforcement. One man already has pleaded guilty to "operating an illegal gambling business."

The scene of the alleged crimes is described as a place with video surveillance equipment (to spot cheaters, or thieves?), hired poker dealers and a server who provided massages.

While all the suspects are innocent until proven guilty, you'd think the three law officers would have known better. Simply playing such a game was "cheating the system." And the Bible warns against such things....

"Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord. For I am a great king," says the Lord Almighty, "and my name is to be feared among the nations." - Malachi 1:14

OK, animal sacrifices have nothing to do with our story. But take that part out, and these words remain:

"Cursed is the cheat... For I am a great king," says the Lord Almighty, "and my name is to be feared among the nations."

If you break the laws of man, you risk being broken by them. If you break God's law, you should be fearful - because you risk His judgment as well.

Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers. Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God?.... - I Corinthians 6:8-9

A lengthy, potentially controversial list of "wicked" traits follows - including "thieves" and "the greedy" (verse 10). We get the feeling from the indictment that this home game was for much more than pennies or M&M's.

We've said it before and we'll say it again: if you're going to play poker, do it legally. There are many ways to do it - online or in freeroll events, if you want to avoid casinos.

Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil. - I Thessalonians 5:21-22 (KJV)

You might not win as much money, but it still will be every bit as fun and exciting (see our most recent post for an example of that). Hopefully you'll leave not only with a clean conscience, but a clean record before God.

Rage Against the Machine

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Plug Here, Unplug There

Some people hope Scott Blumstein's win of the World Series of Poker Main Event will lead to more legal online gambling on poker in the U.S. But in other places, the exact opposite is occurring.

Australia's Senate voted this week for what some news sources call a "ban" on playing "online poker legally." But one article quoted an email from PokerStars in April, that explains what's really going on:

It’s with great sadness that we have to say that if this bill is passed it means we will have to halt real money poker play for you and all other Australian players,” the email read.

We think this is about "real money" poker play - as in online cash games. That's because there are plenty of sites in the U.S. where you can play poker, and even win prizes. But they're free to enter.

Australian officials made it clear their concern is about stopping "problem gambling" - as in addictive behavior. Our dictionary defines "addict" as "to have or give (oneself) habitually or compulsively." Based on that, religious anti-gambling groups can sound like they're encouraging a swap of one "addiction" for another:

Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long. - Psalm 119:97

All day?!?! Does that mean a believer in God should lock himself in a room and only read the Bible (especially the first five books) from sunrise to sunset? Well....

Rejoice always; pray without ceasing.... - I Thessalonians 5:16-17 (NASB)

So are we supposed to only speak to God all day as well?!

Those seem like very extreme views to us. And the Bible tries to balance out that thinking....

For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: "If a man will not work, he shall not eat." - II Thessalonians 3:10

Time by ourselves with God is good. He established a Sabbath day for that (among other reasons). But people who cloister themselves non-stop and don't do anything else might be surprised when "manna from heaven" stops.

People can become addicted to all sorts of things, from poker games to religious cults. We think the key is to have a balanced approach in life - and add God to that balance, if He is missing. That's where we think many people go astray:

"For in him we live and move and have our being." As some of your own poets have said, "We are his offspring." - Acts 17:28

Without God, you wouldn't have life - much less a brain to make decisions at a poker table. Plug Him in to your life agenda, even if it means tossing a few things away.

Even Steven

We'd planned to address a different topic in this post. But we're a journalist by trade, so breaking news always takes top priority. Especially when it's about arguably the most famous poker player in our city.

No, it's not us.

He's Brandon Steven, a Wichita businessman who's had some success in major poker events. Steven disclosed Tuesday he's the target of an FBI investigation - and he thinks his high-stakes poker games are part of the reason.

A lot of rumors are swirling about this case, but we're going to stick to what's on public record. Steven has cashed 13 times at the World Series of Poker, earning close to $2 million. He almost made the November Nine at the Main Event in 2010. And as for high-stakes: he's had two top-ten finishes in the WSOP "One-Drop" - the game with a buy-in of more than $100,000.

But is Steven playing high-stakes game in our area? In a newspaper interview Tuesday, an attorney had these telling words:

Around Wichita, Joseph said, “It’s not a big secret” that large poker games have been going on.

Read more here: http://www.kansas.com/news/local/crime/article132777274.html#storylink=cpy

And that could be the problem. We documented here the Wichita police crackdown on poker rooms last winter. They're all out of business now. And those tournaments were small; we could play on a Thursday night for less than $20. If large games are happening these days outside a casino, they're against the law.

This is why in our state, we only play in tournaments that are above-board - either at casinos, or freeroll tournaments either in person or online. We're reminded....

Everyone must submit themselves to the governing authorities.... it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience. - Romans 13:1, 5

We must emphasize here that we don't know if Brandon Steven broke any laws. That will be up to a prosecutor and a jury to determine. But no one is above the law - not even Steven. And that's true in more than a local legal sense:

...For there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted.... - Romans 13:1-2

A song from the last decade encouraged people to "fight the powers that be." But God made those powers "be" by putting them in place. It's far better to stay under them, whether you like them or not:

Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid.... - Romans 13:3-4

An old movie had the title Do the Right Thing. (A friend of ours who saw it told us it was mostly about doing the wrong thing.) Doing what is right not only pleases God, but usually keeps you away from investigations.

We'll keep tracking the Steven case. But in the meantime, as those "gambling help" brochures say, play responsibly - not to mention legally.

The Biggest Blind

Newcomers to the game of poker learn right away what a blind is.

It's a bet put on the table before any cards are dealt, to start a pot. A typical tournament has a "small blind" immediately to the left of the dealer or button, and a "big blind" to the left of that. Many cash games require new players to post a big blind on their first hand, no matter where they sit.

But are you sitting "in the blind" right now, as you read this - whether you're playing poker on a second screen or not? If you don't believe in God and Jesus the Son, you very likely are....

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

This is a spiritual "big blind." And the "god of this age" (or "world," as the King James Version puts it) is not God in heaven....

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

Satan wants to steer you away from God, and into spiritual darkness. But....

This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him is no darkness at all. - I John 1:5

This leaves you a choice. Would you rather be in the "big blind" of darkness, or in God's light?

And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. - John 3:19 (KJV)

If you're playing high-stakes poker illegally - sorry, you're not getting any sympathy from us. Most cases of law-breaking are evil, even if you consider them fun and games. It's time to come out of that darkness - and most importantly, come out of spiritual blindness and "the condemnation." Instead, walk in the warm light of God's love.

One Game or Another

The bet on the river was substantial - 600 or more, as we recall. And we missed our shot at the best hand.

"As they say on that show," we said pointing at the giant TV screen across the table, "'That's too much!'"

A man to our left knew what we meant right away. We were in a mid-morning poker game where for a change, the casino did not show talking heads discussing sports. They put The Price is Right on the big screen - a game show we admitted in advance would make things awfully distracting for us. (Although, come to think of it, some of the sound effects on The Price is Right would make poker games more entertaining to watch.)

For many big-time poker players, the key to success is staying focused - getting locked in on every hand, including your cards and your opponent's tendencies. An event nearby with people jumping up and down over winning "A new!!!! CAR!!!!!!" certainly doesn't help.

But if you think about it, our lives are full of distractions. Sometimes players even bring them to the tables, in the form of smartphones (even if they have their favorite music loaded for their earbuds). We need to follow some timeless advice along these lines....

Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. - Joshua 1:7

A new leader named Joshua was receiving guidance from the Lord (verse 1). While the focus of this "pep talk" was about having courage, Joshua was advised against going off-course in his life. The key to that was in obeying the "law of Moses" - a law really given by God years before.

Be very strong; be careful to obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, without turning aside to the right or to the left. - Joshua 23:6

 Joshua clearly remembered the lesson, because he repeated God's guidance in his farewell address. The world is filled with things that can take you off-course, away from a focus on God (I John 2:15-16). That's why, even today....

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

Jesus stayed focused as well - on His purpose for coming to Earth, and for eventually rejoining His Father in heaven.

We hope you focus well - on the cards and conditions as you play poker, and on God's ways as you walk throughout the week. But before you do that, please comment for us. What's the worst distraction you've ever faced at a poker tournament - and how did you deal with it?

Poker Day 480: One Expensive Trip

One of the first places where we played live poker for money was Harrah's Casino in North Kansas City. There have been times when every table was full for a weekday tournament. But with competing casinos now in the area, the Friday midday game can't even fill two tables. The better for us to make a final table while on a weekend road trip.... right?

BLINDS: 200/400

IN THE POCKET: J-9 offsuit

Well, maybe not so right. We were given 10,000 chips to start the day. After winning a small early pot, we lost a large one to a man with three 5's. Now we're in the Big Blind, starting this with only 4,500. No one raises at this table of eight, so we check and hope something big is about to break.

ON THE FLOP: J-3-2 (two cards are clubs; we don't recall which ones)

That's certainly a good start, and we're optimistically encouraged to see the Small Blind (first to act) betting 600. We call to tag along. A player to our left calls as well.

ON THE TURN: 9s

Even better! And now Mr. Small Blind bets 1,000. The play for us seems obvious.

"The bundle," we declare - and our last 3,500 comes forward.  But then the man to our left does the same thing - and he has 3,500 as well!

"Maybe great minds think alike," we say - because even a split would look good now. But the Small Blind calls, too! We could triple up!

But then the Small Blind shows.... 2-2! We're in "trip trouble" again. The man to our left shows A-5 of clubs; he has both straight and flush draws. It all comes down to one card....

ON THE RIVER: Qc

The flush hits. That man is relieved. We miss; we're not. On a day with only 17 players, we finish 17th. But at least the poker room had free donuts and cookies.

MINISTRY MOMENT: We didn't take a good "card protector" on the trip, so we grabbed a packet of artificial sweetener from a casino restaurant and improvised.

"I picked this up to remind me," we said to a man at our left, "that the word of God is sweet."

The man chuckled a little at that - but we hope at some point he thinks over what we said:

How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! - Psalm  119:103

We don't think sugar cubes were around in Old Testament times. Packets of "Equal" certainly were not. So honey was the standard of sweetness for people. And it applied to more than simply the words God said....

The fear of the Lord is pure. enduring forever. The ordinances of the Lord are sure and altogether righteous.... they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. - Psalm  19:9-10

An "ordinance" of God is a rule He establishes for us to follow; it could refer to the "Ten Commandments" law, but not necessarily. So His rules can be sweet as well. But here's the amazing extra:

Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. - Proverbs  16:24

Are these God's words? They can be - but we think it can apply to human words as well. The right comment at the right time can uplift and encourage other people. So be thankful for the sweet words God provides, in the Bible and in other ways - and see if you can stir something sweet into what you say at a poker table.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 178 final tables in 480 games (37.1%) - 34 cashes.

Free to Be

Happy Independence Day, to readers in the U.S. The country marks 240 years of independence from Britain. But how "independent" should we be.... really?

We mentioned in a recent post about how we probably stunned a casino dealer with comments about keeping a seventh-day Sabbath. He may well have wondered why someone inside a casino would care (much less talk) about doing anything religious.

For us, it comes down to a series of key Bible verses....

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.... - Galatians 5:1

Does that verse surprise you? It could, if you think of God as simply a tough disciplinarian. Yet the apostle Paul goes on to write some words even more stunning:

You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. - Galatians 5:4

Some have "fallen from grace" not into sinful living, but into the exact opposite - trying to earn their way into God's Kingdom by keeping laws as perfectly as possible. It's nice to keep those laws if you can. But keep in mind:

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

If you know the right people at a poker room, they might give you a discount on buying in to a tournament or cash game. They've shown grace toward you. And the only way humans can achieve salvation and a life beyond this one is through the grace of God. So....

You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. - Galatians 5:13

Some might say we're "indulging" that nature by playing poker. We've posted thoughts about that elsewhere on this blog. But we try to be careful enough with our play not to bring it up to people who might consider it a stumbling-block to their faith. That's how we try to show love for them.

So celebrate freedom today - but with care. If you're entering a big holiday poker tournament, don't go overboard in a sinful direction to do it. Keep in mind the often-overlooked words of a patriotic U.S. song: "Thy liberty in law."

Free, Indeed?

"I've noticed a couple of you come here and don't buy anything," the Tournament Director at Yvie's said before Monday night's game began. He was in a mood to give some people a lecture.

"If you're not going to spend money, don't bother showing up," he continued bluntly. He went on to explain his point - that bars such as Yvie's host poker nights because they expect players to buy food and drinks.

The Director's point is only logical. And as long as we've played in "free poker" situations like Yvie's, we've made it a point to buy at least a soda. It's simply the courteous thing to do - not to mention Biblical:

For the Scripture says, "Do not muzzle the ox while it is treading out the grain," and "The worker deserves his wages." - I Timothy 5:18

But on the other hand, that Tournament Director had better watch what he says - especially considering what's happened to poker rooms in our city in the last four months. Places expecting a "chair rental" buy-in either were shut down by police, or closed before the police showed up.

For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. For he is God's servant to do you good.... - Romans 13:3-4

The Director put it this way: buying food and drinks on poker nights benefits Yvie's. But buying a Platinum WPT League membership benefits him. We trust he's telling the truth about that distinction. Whether police see things the same way could be another matter. We'll see.

Safe at Home?

The shutdown of poker rooms in our city this year probably has NOT ended poker games completely. They've simply moved to quieter, more private places.

One website offers to connect poker players with home games. In our city, someone is trying to organize games once or twice a week. If they're kept secluded, they can become a habit. But the key word is if - because if real money is being used in cash games, we'd think police would raid them for being every bit as illegal as what the poker rooms did.

Secret law-breaking is still law-breaking. That's true with the laws of God, as well as the laws of man....

His eyes are on the ways of men; he sees their every step. There is no dark place, no deep shadow, where evildoers can hide..... He [God] punishes them for their wickedness where everyone can see them. - Job 34:21-22, 26

You can try to run from God. But ultimately, it won't work. You might get away with illegal card games now, but God promises a day of judgment:

For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil. - Ecclesiastes 12:14

You may think your private home game is a good time. But if it's against the law in your city or county, we think God will consider it evil - and subject to judgment someday.

Are we being killjoys? Some might say so. But we're trying to say the joys of life should be legal ones - with the laws of man and God. Keep it clean, and you should have no reason to hide.

What Price Freedom?

The end of this week will mark a major anniversary for some people -- and not because it's the traditional U.S. "Tax Day."

Next Friday will be five years since "Black Friday," when the U.S. Justice Department shut down several leading online poker sites. They were shut down in essence for the same reason several poker rooms in our city closed earlier this year - requiring money to play cash games or tournaments.

Some people are led to greatly exaggerate what happened. We found one columnist who declared:

Tens of thousands of Americans lost a basic freedom that day – while others lost their livelihoods.

We agree that some people lost a lot of money, when their online bankrolls fell into government hands.  But really now -- did people "lose a basic freedom"?  Absolutely not.  There are still plenty of websites where people can play poker.  They can do it for free, and even win money doing it - although admittedly the stakes usually are much smaller.

We're going to guess the lost "freedom" referred to by the writer is the ability to gamble online. While we've entered live tournaments and won some money for nearly nine years, we would ask: do you really need to gamble?

And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 4:19

We believe God created everything, so He ultimately owns it all.  And we believe God is loving enough to supply people's needs. But do you have enough faith to believe God will do that without gambling money on it?

The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land.... - Isaiah 58:11

Some poker players might interpret this verse to mean a big-money tournament in Las Vegas.  But seriously: God is willing to provide for you. But it may require taking the biggest risk of all - even bigger than going all-in with pocket 3's. It could mean giving God control over all aspects of your life.  We'll dig deeper into that in our next post.

The Adventures of Narco-Cop

We've documented here over the last three month how police have cracked down on poker rooms in our city, putting practically all public games out of business.  But not all law officers are killjoys, when it comes to poker.

This weekend's Heartland Poker Tour telecast featured Michael Younan -- or, as he asked the announcers to call him, "Narco-Cop." Younan really spends his work days with a police department narcotics division. (No, we won't spoil the outcome.)

Would you be afraid to play against someone you know works in law enforcement? If so, that probably says more about you than it does "Narco-Cop."  Maybe what you need is a change of thinking, to become more law-abiding:

Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as man who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden.... - Hebrews 13:17

We realize big-time poker gained a lot of fame from people walking on the edges of breaking the law. But the modern-day game offers plenty of opportunities to play legally for fun - and, under the right circumstances, you can enter tournaments to win money.

We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. We also know that law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful.... - I Timothy  1:8-9

The apostle Paul goes on to list many more people for whom the "law is made." While "gamblers" is not there, it's not a pretty list.

So as basic as this may sound, the law is good. Why some poker players and rooms wanted to cut corners with it, we don't know.  But isn't it better to play games that are legal and above board - so "Narco-Cop" doesn't send his co-workers after you?

Three Down, One to Go

We were planning a Sunday trip to our most familiar local poker room. We hoped to play for the first time in several weeks.  But after what we learned during the Friday evening news, we didn't bother.

Arrowhead Poker has joined the list of closed rooms in our city. We documented here in recent weeks what it hoped to do: become a private club, hoping to get around the city police crackdown because no liquor was served.

But in a Friday TV interview (full disclosure statement: a TV station where we work), the manager of Arrowhead said he decided to shut down on the advice of his attorney - before police showed up and, well, forced his hand. The Arrowhead website already was unplugged before the interview appeared.

Gary Dorrell struck us as a nice guy. We could talk with him easily about faith topics, and his personality was easy-going. But as he put it: "I've never been arrested in my life. I don't need to find out what it's like now."

Given what's happened in recent weeks, we don't blame him. And it's a good lesson for all of us, extending beyond poker....

If anyone turns a deaf ear to the law, even his prayers are detestable - Proverbs 28:9

This statement comes at the end of a section about "law". It most likely refers to the law of God (as in the Ten Commandments) - but if you're breaking laws of the city or state that do not go against the law of God, why should God cut you any slack?

Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. - Luke 16:10

In other words: yes, we should "sweat the small stuff" - when it comes to matters of law, as well as other things. They're hints to God about how you'll handle larger responsibilities.

So we'll miss Arrowhead Poker - the place where we started playing buy-in tournaments on a regular basis. We even won a few, from our first trip in May 2013 to our last trip a few weeks ago.  This leaves only one active poker room in our area - and the one inside Kansas Star Casino is very legal, since it's state-run.

Two Down

Well, well - only days after we wondered here about possible favoritism in a local poker crackdown, the other shoe (well, OK, that's blackjack) officially has dropped.

The Facebook page for Nilla's Poker Room normally is updated several times a day. It's been idle since Friday night.  A couple of comments left on the page suggested why: police raided that room, as they did Nikki's a few weeks ago.

Nilla's planned to host a "memorial benefit tournament" for a deceased poker player Saturday - with money to help pay for his gravesite. But that apparently never happened; a comment asking about the anticipated turnout Saturday was answered with "0", as in zero.

We called Nilla's twice in the last 36 hours to ask if the online claims are true - but the phone simply rang, with no one answering.  Then came the confirmation on the late-afternoon TV news: a raid Friday night not only closed the room, but led to seven arrests.

So Nilla's is closed - for how long, we don't know. Given what a woman said on the night we went there in January, that only seems fair. And to expand on what we said last week regarding Nikki's....

My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism.... But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted of the law as lawbreakers. - James 2:1, 9

If police are going to cite one poker location for breaking laws, police should cite them all. Perhaps what happened here is a matter of personnel and timing; we have no idea. But this looks like a case where the proverbial "wheels of justice" moved slowly - but still moved.

For the Lord is righteous; he loves justice.... - Psalm 11:7

We'll comment more about this in upcoming posts - but in the meantime, we invite you to leave a comment with your thoughts about what's happened.

One Down

The big poker crackdown in our city may be over. But there's still an aftershock, as one of the more familiar poker rooms in town indicated this past week it's closing for good.

"As i lock the door , all i can think is how the city of wichita has failed me and my family," reads the latest Facebook post from Nikki's Poker Room (copied as written). "We gave you 13 years of are life and you couldn't give us a fair shake ?" 

The question of fairness surrounds the owner's decision. A Facebook post one day earlier added: "We gave it our best , but feel was set up for failure by the law not being enforced all at once on every place at the same time by the city."

This seems to be aimed at Nilla's Poker Room - which seems to be conducting business as usual, and is even adding midday games. How can they do it, while others receive tough scrutiny?

We haven't been to either Nikki's or Nilla's in several weeks, so we're left to guess what the reason might be. But we know what the city and local prosecutors should do - and that's be fair to all:

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

You might pay tithes and offerings to God. But if you don't live in a righteous way, that will not "buy Him off" when it comes to judging you.

Peter answered: "May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!... Your heart is not right before God." - Acts 8:20-21

Some may have wondered over the last several weeks if the operators of local poker rooms had their hearts right. But the going-away complaint from Nikki's leaves us asking: Do local law officers and prosecutors have their hearts right? Are they enforcing the rules in an evenhanded way?  Especially considering some of the things we've posted here about the crackdown?

Poker Night 462: Nilla Folders

"So what's the difference between this game and 'Cards for the Cure'?" we asked at one point during Saturday night's poker tournament.

"They haven't shut this one down yet," a woman down the table answered. Perhaps sarcastically - but perhaps with a grain of truth.

"You'd better show us your ID," another woman said jokingly.

But then she gave us a break, as we had admitted it was our first time at Nilla's Poker Room. It's close to a main highway in our city, but a bit hard to find - hidden behind a rather notorious nightclub.  We found a nicely set-up place, with a full bar and a few food items.  Room for cash games were secluded behind walls in corners, while the main tournament was out in the open.

We went to Nilla's this weekend, even though Nikki's Poker Room is open again.  Nilla's cost $30 to play, so we theorized the prize pool would be better than the Nikki's "totally free" approach. And as a side issue, we might learn more about the current poker crackdown by Wichita police.

One woman at our table put the two recent shutdowns together, declaring Nikki's led to the end of Cards for the Cure. "They applied to renew their liquor license, and said up-front: We are a poker room."

"They didn't have to be so honest," another woman said - and that's a topic for another day. Now let's get to the action....

BLINDS: 25/50

IN THE POCKET: King of hearts-King of diamonds

Nilla's is easily the busiest poker room we've visited in Wichita - with four full tables playing in the tournament on a regular Saturday night. We haven't won a pot yet, despite a couple of feelers.

Now we have "the donuts" (K-K) in lead position, holding about 9,900 chips (starting with 10,500, including a newcomer's bonus) - so we limp in. A man across from us raises to 500, and we call. As best we recall, about four players are in.

ON THE FLOP: 10d-7d-6d

The jewelry store is open, but we're thinking more about our overpair. We bet 700 on it. That chases a couple of people away, but not the man who raised pre-flop. He calls.

ON THE TURN: Qc (may not be precise)

Not a diamond - but not a rib-sticking Ace, either. We increase the bet to 1,000, and get called again.

ON THE RIVER: Jd

We hit the diamond flush - but one card beats us. Does our opponent have it? We bet 1,000 again to find out. We're not really sure if he calls or not - but he flips over pocket Aces! Thankfully, they're both black Aces! The flush is a winner, and we gain more than 3,000 chips.

Another pot win brought us close to 14,000.  But then the third period of blinds brought disaster - as our A-K brought an Ace on the flop.  But 2-3 showed up, and a man with 4-5 hit a straight which severely hurt our stack.

We staggered to the one-hour break at 5,500 chips, and couldn't recover from there. We went all-in with A-Q of spades (as best we remember) - but the board brought only two spades. It also brought three clubs, which a woman used to make a winning flush.

While two players were "eliminated" at the table ahead of us, they took a re-buy option. We did not, walking to the bar to finish our soda in roughly 30th place - and wondering if we should keep going to a place which seems on the edge of breaking city law.

MINISTRY MOMENT: A couple of women at our table were quite talkative. One of them mentioned how "God gave me such good looks...."  We think she was making fun of herself, but we responded to it.

"You should be thankful to God for your good looks," we said. "We should be thankful to God for every blessing."

The woman didn't respond to that. But perhaps we made her stop and think for a moment.  The Bible describes several beautiful women, even in ancient history....

..The sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose. - Genesis 6:2

But there's a different kind of beauty that God ultimately is seeking:

Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. - I Peter 3:3-4

Outward beauty is "fleeting" (Proverbs 31:30) - but godly character from a proper spirit never goes out of style. If you're a woman who plays poker, what sort of beauty are you trying to develop?

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 174 final tables in 462 games (37.7%) - 32 cashes.

Shutdown #2

You can walk for a cure. Swim for a cure. Maybe even tap-dance for a cure. But you can't play poker for a cure. Not in our state.

The evening news tonight (on the station where, for purposes of full disclosure, we have a job) revealed the Kansas State Poker Tournament has been canceled - only 10 days before the event. It was a fundraiser for the Susan G. Komen Cancer Foundation.

Things changed so quickly that the event's website was only updated today to change the location. There was a plan to move it outside of Wichita, because the city attorney ruled the tournament violated state gambling rules. (It should be noted the venue would have been a hotel owned by the city.)  But the alternative site north of town apparently developed cold feet, too.

A "Cards for the Cure" VIP Party can go forward, because there's apparently no poker game. People buy tickets, then join in a silent auction.

After five years of a state tournament, apparently with the blessing of local prosecutors, police determined state gambling laws were violated with Cards for the Cure. We suspect it's probably for the same reason Nikki's Poker Room shut down last week: people had to pay to play. (An update on that is coming later tonight.)

We'll offer our thoughts on this in a future post - bur for now, please offer your comments. The Wichita poker crackdown seems to be real. What do you think of it?