Poker Night 577: Over the River and To the Whoa

"Are the rules for tournament poker different in Canada?" we asked jokingly as we sat down for a Sunday evening game. "Like, maybe, an extra card on the river?" - a reference to Canadian football having three downs, compared to the U.S. four.

"Since you're American, you get only one hole card," a man to our left replied.

We traveled about 300 miles north of our home to Caesars Windsor Casino, across the river from Detroit. Our main goal was to see firsthand how people mark Canada Day on Monday. if poker winnings can help us pay for the trip, all the better.

With a strong exchange rate, a 65-Canadian dollar buy-in ($5 more for 500 bonus early bird chips) is less expensive than our home casinos. And no, the Texas Hold 'em rules aren't really different. The only quirk was that after a few levels, the player with the button had to ante the Big Blind amount. If only we could make it that far, on the Sunday night of a holiday weekend.... 

BLINDS: 25/50

IN THE POCKET: Ace-4 of spades

An early try failed, so we start this hand with about 6,750 chips. These are suited. At least one card is high. So why not call? About four other players at the table of nine join in.

ON THE FLOP: Ad-Qh-6h (third card not precise)

There's our Ace. No one is betting. So we offer 175 at the pot. That chases most people away, except for a woman to our right who calls.

ON THE TURN: Ah

We may be in Canada, but now we're a "triple A" member. But there's one problem. Three hearts are showing. Our opponent checks to us. We raise the bet to 250. She calls. Uh-oh.

ON THE RIVER: 4h

Big-time uh-oh. It's a fourth heart! Our opponent checks again, and we have to hit the brakes and check with care to avoid a trap. She turns over Kd-Jh.

"You hit the flush," we say with a bit of disappointment. So the pot goes to....

"You've got a full house," the joking man to our left points out. Why, yes - yes we do! We never noticed it until he said it!

"You have a case of early-game jitters?" a man across the table asks. We didn't think so. We simply were looking for one thing (in this case something bad) - but the river brought an unexpected nice surprise.

That win improved our chip stack to a high of 8,800. But it was our best showing of the evening. Not many good cards came, but clever betting "stole" us a couple of pots with modest hands. We reached the first break after 90 minutes with 6,075.

Things didn't get better from there, as A-7 and A-8 were drowned by pre-flop raises. Finally with 2,300 chips left, we went all-in with A-J. That won us a split pot to stay alive. But minutes later, we were all-in for a 300 ante with pocket 2's. While we had a diamond to make a flush, another player had higher diamonds to top us. Final result: about 40th place, on a night with about 105 players.

MINISTRY MOMENT: Late in the tournament, we tried limping in for 600 with something like J-10 suited. That had unexpected consequences, as a man on our left folded a better hand.

"I had Ace-9," he explained later. "And I know you're supposed to push with that. But he [us] limped in, so I couldn't do it."

We didn't explain what we had, but we responded generally. "Thank you for having mercy on me," we said with a smile. "A famous book says mercy rejoices over justice."

We added a question to the players about what that book might be. We think a man to our immediate right knew. Regular readers of this blog ought to know - and we admittedly didn't word it quite correctly:

For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment. - James 2:13 (NASB)

It's easy to point fingers and mock new poker players who make "rookie mistakes." It's another thing to take a moment to counsel that player about what they did wrong, or how they could play better. Remember that judgment will come someday for how you handled both big moments and small ones:

And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment.... - Hebrews 9:27 (NASB)

Whose judgment? The judgment of God's Son:

But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you set at nought your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. - Romans 14:10 (KJV)

Yet here's the amazing thing: you can turn that judgment seat into a "mercy seat". It starts by repenting of your sins, seeking God's forgiveness and help in walking in a holy way.

God blesses those who are merciful, for they shall be shown mercy. - Matthew 5:9 (NLT)

What are you showing in your life - and what kind of seat do you prefer?

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 221 final tables in 577 games (38.3%) - 48 cashes.

Much More Than 50 Cent

You can tell a younger poker player from an older poker player. The younger ones pronounce "50" as "fitty."

But joking aside, there's been a big feud in recent days between rap star 50 Cent and internet poker star Randall Emmett. Mr., uh, Cent claimed Mr. Emmett owed him one million dollars from years gone by, and made violent threats if the debt wasn't paid. Mr. Emmett claimed he had health problems which prevented him from paying the bill in full. But Mr. Cent posted on Twitter Monday morning:

got my money, so I have no problem with Randall Emmett, in fact I’m wishing him and his family a very blessed day.

positive vibes now guys. LOL

So all's apparently well that ends well. But we have thoughts about both sides of this fuss - and both of them could apply to you as well.

To Mr. Emmett: How did this happen? Why would you leave a million-dollar loan unpaid for six years? A famous book warns....

The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender. - Proverbs 22:7

If you're borrowing money to finance a poker habit, we dare to say you have two problems. You might be addicted to gambling, and you're putting yourself at the mercy of other people - people who may or may not be merciful toward you.

Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. - Romans 13:8

To Mr. Cent: Why go public with a debt such as this? And make violent threats on social media on top of that? That same famous book warns....

Do not exploit the poor because they are poor.... - Proverbs 22:22

Roommates ran up big debts toward us many years ago. (This was before we started playing poker, and before the internet became common.) We didn't broadcast their names and amounts to the general public. If you're going to pronounce a "blessed day" on someone, maybe you should follow this advice:

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. - Matthew 5:7

So we've found no winners here. There's fault for both sides, if they wish to claim it. Do you agree or disagree?

Mercy-Me

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

About That Name....

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Poker Night 556: Mercy-Me

What do poker players do when their local football team has a big game on TV? We've been in places where they showed up to play, and tracked the game between hands. In Cincinnati, they don't. The poker room at Jack Casino cleared out tonight, as kickoff approached for the Bengals and Kansas City.

That means our poker trip was well-timed. We put on a Chiefs hat (since we're from that area), entered the evening tournament - and found ourselves in a game with a grand total of 10 players. Our job was to make the money, and avoid being harassed by Bengal supporters....

BLINDS: 150/300

IN THE POCKET: 9-10 of clubs

Good cards have been scarce for us so far, and we've scarcely seen any flops. But because we've played patiently, two starting tables already have been combined into one "final" one at the third level

We're one of seven players right now, with about 12,000 chips out of a starting 15,000. This is a Big Blind hand, and no one raises. So we're happy to get in cheap with suited connectors. About four players take part.

ON THE FLOP: J-8-4 (not sure of suits, but one is a club)

We have an open-ended straight draw, so the clubs aren't really an issue. We check. So does everyone else.

ON THE TURN: Q

Bingo! The straight is ours. The Small Blind checks. We think about betting - but then notice four different suits are on the board. So we slow-play again by checking. A man across the table rewards that, by betting 700. Of course we call; other players fold.

ON THE RIVER: 2

A meaningless card. So should we bet now? We decide against it, checking to the aggressor. He responds by tossing out 1,000. Now it's time.

"I'll raise - 3,000," we say.

Then our opponent surprises us. "I'm all-in." For a lot more. This is a simple call for us.

"Did you hit the straight?" we ask.

"Two pair," he says as he turns the cards over. We never saw what the cards were. They didn't matter.

"I did hit the straight," we reveal. The opponent is surprised - and out of the running. A huge win puts us above 20,000 chips.

We kicked out a second player when we called an all-in bet with A-10. Those cards won a race over K-J, and we reached a high of 25,075 chips. The grind was on from there - reaching the two-hour break at 23,000, with only three players scheduled to earn prize money.

With four players left, we won an all-in bet with 6-6 over a skeptical man who had 6-7. Then we saw 8-8 and pushed again - but a man called us with two pair. He won that race, and we finished one slot away from....

Well, hold on. Then we made a parting humorous comment to the dealer, as we shook the other players' hands. "You'll notice no one offered to pay 'bubble boy' money" (for the player one out of the official money).

"I can do that!" said a man to our right. The other remaining players agreed with him! They reached into their wallets and gave us $20 bills! So from an $80 buy-in, we received an unofficial consolation prize of $60. Our second "bubble boy" finish at Jack Casino this year is as good as a cash win to us. So thanks to God, for three "moneys" in a row!

MINISTRY MOMENT: The man to our immediate right said at the end of one hand, "Lord, have mercy!"

Of course, that called for a reply from us. "I think God has more mercy on us than we know."

And you know.... that's what we received at the end of tonight's tournament. The three remaining players had mercy on us for hanging in there more than three hours. And it's something God is famous for giving....

Remember, O Lord, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old. - Psalm 25:6

Poker can seem like a cut-throat game at times. But we've found many players leave that attitude at the table, as they play hands. They can be very giving at other times - in fact, sometimes putting us to shame. Are you like them? We think Jesus wants you to be:

But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back.... Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. - Luke 6:35-36

If God truly gave us what we deserved, Earth would be a barren place. That's because we've all sinned (Romans 3:23), and God punishes sin with death (Romans 6:23). The Lord Jesus who said those words was a walking example of God's mercy, because His life paid the penalty of our sins. That's a Lord worth following, and a God worth worshipping.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 208 final tables in 556 games (37.4%) - 44 cashes. We have no control over how many players show up for a tournament, so a one-table game is still a "final table" to us.

Poker Day 533: Donut Bites

Our current situation (which we're not really comfortable posting here right now) presented us with a wide-open Sunday afternoon. And the pricey "deep stack" tournament at Kansas Star Casino might be our only opportunity to play all week. So we drove down the turnpike today, to be amazed by how packed the place was - in the poker room and outside.

BLINDS: 25/50

IN THE POCKET: King of hearts-King of diamonds

Even though we arrived 20 minutes before the starting time, we were third on a waiting list to play. We've barely sat down with our 12,000 starting chips, but clearly the stacks and small blinds have the full table in a betting room. So with K-K (which we call "the donuts"), we raise to 400 in late position. Three players call.

ON THE FLOP: 9d-4h-5h

So far, so good. The players check to us, so we bet another 500. As we remember it, two players call.

ON THE TURN: 6h

Now hold on here. Three hearts in a row open the door for all kinds of trouble. A man across the table seems to stir up some, by betting 800. Did he make a straight? A flush? Or both? We suspect the real answer is "none of the above," and he's testing the newcomer. So we call, since we have an overpair and our own flush draw. We're now heads-up.

ON THE RIVER: Ac

No flush, but not much more comfort. We're pleased when our opponent checks. So do we.

"I have Kings," we say. To this moment, we don't know what the opponent had. He folds, so we're left to guess it was a bluff. We win a nice pot of more than 2,000.

We won a couple of other hands, to hit a high of 14,800. Then we took our own chances with small blinds and a big stack, but they didn't work. We were 25 above our starting total at the first break.

Then in the second term, everything went wrong. A-Q missed the flop for us twice, and raising players made us fold. Pocket 8's lost as well. We endured the entire 80-minute period without winning a single hand! Our stack deteriorated to a lowly 900 at the break, leaving us one remaining hand. We tried with Q-5 of hearts, but diamonds showed up and a flush fight knocked us out.

We ended the day around 44th place, out of 79 entries. But at least we followed up on our blackjack success of Thursday night by going to a table and recovering $20 of our $95 entry fee.

MINISTRY MOMENT: "I'm an honest man," a young man said as he turned over his cards to end a hand.

"Not to mention humble," we added. This brought a few chuckles from our end of the table.

Then we remembered a story we'd heard on Christian radio. "A congregation gave a pastor a trophy for being the most humble man in town. He brought it to church the next week.... and they fired him."

That's the funny thing about humility, isn't it? The Bible says we're supposed to have it....

Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands. Seek righteousness; seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the Lord's anger. - Zephaniah 2:3

....and yet the seeking of humility can turn into a trap. Jesus told His own story about that:

Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: "God, I thank you that I am not like other men - robbers, evildoers, adulterers - or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get." - Luke 18:10-12

The Pharisee prayed, thanked God, fasted on a regular basis and tithed to the temple. Those are all good traits. But Jesus continued....

But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, "God, have mercy on me, a sinner." I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. - Luke 18:13-14

Translation: the Pharisee prayed with a sense of pride - even arrogance toward the despised other man in the temple. The tax collector humbled himself before God, admitted his sins and pleaded for God's mercy.

It's easy to get a "big head" in a poker room when you win a tournament or make a lot of money. We should thank God for whatever blessings come our way - but be careful to do so in a humble way. Give God the glory from start to finish. The result could be even greater blessings than you expect.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 192 final tables in 533 games (36.0%) - 40 cashes. Experiment update: Down $260.

A Waiting Game, Part 2

Let's return to that 75-year-old man at the poker table who admitted he's still trying to figure out what to do about God.

Dawdle too long with a big decision in a hand at a tournament, and another player can ask the director to put you "on the clock."  Sooner or later, the choice must be made: call, raise or fold.  In the same way, all humans are on a clock.... God's clock:

For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. - I Corinthians  15:23

The odds of people dying are as high as a royal flush winning a poker hand - 100 percent.  But the good news from the Bible is that "all" will be made alive after that.  Even you.


But hold on, you might be asking - what if I don't "belong" to Christ?  That's an important question....

And as it is appointed to men once to die, but after this the judgment.... - Hebrews 9:27 (KJV)

Everyone will be judged.  Who will do that?

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

Jesus Christ will have much more power than those judges on TV shows:

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

Do you see how important it is to "belong" to Christ?  Being part of Him is important for escaping the lake of fire, which is the second death (Revelation 20:14). It's necessary for being part of a "first resurrection" to eternal life (Revelation 20:4-6).

If you wait for the clock of this life to run out, we think you take a big risk.  Christ might show mercy in a resurrection, and grant you extra time to learn about His ways and understand Him.  We think some people will receive that -- especially those unable to know about God and Jesus at this time, such as people with mental disabilities.

But if you've heard and read messages and warnings about God and Jesus (maybe even this blog), we think it's also possible that Christ will find you guilty of rejecting Him.  That's an ultimate "showdown" you won't win.

So as we said to the man at the table, don't wait until it's too late to make a decision. After all, you don't really know when the clock of life will run out.

Poker Night 391: Leading Ladies

The news of this week includes the resignation (forced, some say) of a New York television news anchor.  Police say he strangled his wife (also a news anchor) in a rage, attempting to kill her -- except he wound up with an arrest and a bloody nose.  We bring this up here because ladies also can be lethal in poker at times.    Check what happened tonight at Lil Kim's Cove....

BLINDS: 200/400

IN THE POCKET: Q-Q

Our table has been a bit like the TV series The Office -- a place with a lot of characters.  A quiet young woman across the table is playing like a newcomer, but winning large pots.  The Tournament Director next to her is having trouble remembering who's dealing -- even when it's her turn.  And a man to our immediate right is being what one player calls controlling, with provoking pre-flop and post-flop raises.

Because of him, we've folded a couple of promising hands which would have wound up winners. This time he's at it again, raising pre-flop to 1,400.  Then we see our big pocket pair and decide it's time to fight back.  Starting this hand with 5,250 chips, we re-raise to 3,000 -- a move which clearly surprises him.  He calls; the rest of the table folds.

ON THE FLOP: 10-2-2

This is where it helps to pay attention to what other players are saying.  They've hinted our opponent likes to bet big with any Ace.  There's none showing here.  He checks.  So the next step seems only logical.

"I'm all-in for 2,250," we say -- and we feel confident about it.  But after a moment, the man quietly calls.  Then we show our Queens.  He keeps a poker face, and says nothing.

ON THE TURN: 5

Good.  One more....

ON THE RIVER: 8

Now our opponent shows his cards -- A-10.  Our read was correct, and we double our holdings to 11,000.

History repeated itself a few hands later, when we were dealt Q-Q again.  A King came on the flop, and we played it cautiously.  But the Queens combined with 7-7 on the board to give up a winning two pair, and a gain to about 30,000.

Like Monday night, those two big wins were enough to get us to the final table -- only on this night, there were only enough players for two tables.  Probing bets failed us there, and we wound up going all-in after the two-hour break with 9-9.  That "Ace-anything" player caught an Ace on the flop, and wound up eliminating three players in all.  We finished tied for seventh (eighth in points).

MINISTRY MOMENT: An Ace on the flop in one early hand was not what one player wanted to see.  He folded before the flop, and cried: "Lord, have mercy!  JESUS!!"

"Jesus truly is merciful," we told him from across the table.

We suspect he was more focused on the Ace he folded than the advice we gave -- but we meant what we said about Jesus....

For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. - Hebrews 2:17

Who is this "he"?  Someone who became flesh and blood as we are, yet was a minister serving God -- and somehow was able to be our atoning sacrifice through His shed blood.  This chapter of the Bible leaves no doubt who this is:

But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. - Hebrews 2:9

Jesus's death opened the ways for "bringing many sons to glory" (verse 10) - as in eternal life.  Believers no longer are in bondage to "their fear of death" (verse 15).  Have you accepted the offer of freedom which Christ provides?

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 136 final tables in 391 nights (34.8%) - 20 cashes.

NATIONAL LEAGUE OF POKER TOTAL: Full tournaments - 283 point wins in 1,375 games (20.6%), 92 final tables, 10 wins, 12 cashes.  No-River Hold 'em - 25 point wins in 100 games (25.0%), 20 final tables, 1 win, 2 cashes.   One-table Sit-N-Go's - 8-13-10-4-4.

A lot has changed at NLOP in the last week or so, and we need a separate post to explain it all.  But the big news is that Wednesday afternoon, we won money in a biweekly No-River Hold 'em Championship tournament!  We finished fourth out of 141 players (the top six win money) -- and had big gains along the way when we hit quads on the flop, not once but twice!

POKER STARS.NET TOTAL: Pretend cash games - $85,819, down $1,019.

Poker Night 381: Te'o-ing?

"So the question of the night is this," we said as we shuffled the cards for dealing at Lil Kim's Cove tonight.  "Who would make a better bluffer at a poker table - Lance Armstrong or Manti Te'o?"

The Tournament Director standing over our table was the only one who offered a comment.  He chose Armstrong, because the cyclist lied about using performance-enhancing drugs for years.

In local poker games, we've never seen any drugs passed or received offers of any.  In fact, the only "illicit substances" we face are tobacco and alcohol -- and we don't think the latter really enhances your play at all.  But bluffing?  That can happen anytime, from anybody....

BLINDS: 100/200

IN THE POCKET: A-J offsuit

We won one early pot and split another, bringing us to this hand at about 12,000 chips.  These are nice cards, but at this table of seven with occasional raising we don't see a need to hurry here.  We call, and no one raises.

ON THE FLOP: 8c-5c-5s

This "toll-free flop" doesn't seem to thrill anyone.  The play checks to us, so we try a "please get lost" bluff bet of 400.  It runs most of the table off, but two men call.

ON THE TURN: 8s

Two pair on the table makes things intriguing.  A man wearing lots of orange stares at us for a couple of seconds.  We stare back.  He checks.  We're not sure what's up here, but we realize he might have a full house.  We also realize if he doesn't, we have the top kicker.  We also check; so does the third man.

ON THE RIVER: 7c

A third club on the board complicates matters, especially a mid-range card.  The Orangeman (who says his trim is black, as opposed to Syracuse University's blue) pulls out 3,000.

"No one's going to call that, man," a player out of the hand says.  "You bet too much."

"Someone's going to call it," the bettor insists.

"Well, it's not going to be me," we say.  There are too many potential hands which top our Ace kicker, so we fold.

"It's not going to be me, either," the third man says.  He also folds.

The pot winner then shows his cards -- Q-6 offsuit!  His bigger bluff worked, where our modest bet on the flop did not.

We scored a big pot at the one-hour break with two pair to jump to 10,500.  But the Orangeman outplayed us again after the break, not once but twice.  First we limped in "under the gun" with pocket Aces, hoping for a big score -- but two Queens came on the flop, and he held a third.  His betting and our calling dropped us to the minimum 500.

Then forced to go all-in at the Big Blind with 4-6, a 4 landed on the river.  But this time, the Orangeman held the pocket Aces.  Our best-laid plans might as well have been tossed in a juicer; we finished 20th, and became the first elimination at our table.

MINISTRY MOMENT: We don't remember what cards came out, but one early flop made a young man to our right say, "Oh!  Lord!  Jesus!  Have mercy!"

"Jesus is a merciful Being, isn't He?" we said to the man -- and he sounded like he agreed with that.

Have you ever had the notion that God the Father is a mean "law enforcement officer", while Jesus the Son is loving and merciful?  That idea isn't really accurate.  Find a Bible, and check a few verses which show why....

For the Lord your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your forefathers, which he confirmed to them by oath. - Deuteronomy 4:31

 These are words from the "farewell address" of Moses to the nation of Israel.  Even though he saw God punish many people with death (read Exodus 32 for one example), he still called God merciful.  But Who was this God that communicated with Moses, anyway?

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning. - John 1:1-2

Verse 14 explains this "Word" walked the Earth as Jesus Christ, but was eternal in origin.

For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea.  They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea... they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. - I Corinthians 10:1-4

Do you grasp what the apostle Paul is saying?  Jesus was with Moses and the nation of Israel during their wandering in the wilderness!  We can conclude from this that the "God" who interacted with Moses was God the Son, who became Jesus.

So if Jesus was merciful thousands of years before appearing in the flesh, why would He be any different in the New Testament?

On hearing this, Jesus said.... "But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.'...." - Matthew 9:12-13

If you have questions about this, read our complete Bible study about the subject of mercy.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 131 final tables in 381 nights (34.4%) - 20 cashes.

NATIONAL LEAGUE OF POKER TOTAL: Full tournaments - 280 point wins in 1,321 games (21.2%), 90 final tables, 11 cashes, 10 wins.  No-River Hold 'em - 22 point wins in 87 games (25.3%), 17 final tables, 1 cash win.

A change of computers reduced our online action in the last week.  But we finished eighth in a 324-player late-night tournament early Wednesday, after placing ninth out of 111 in a No-River Hold 'em game last Friday.

POKER STARS.NET TOTAL: Pretend cash games - $86,394, down $3,200.

Hamilton Downs Cash Game: Undressed to the Nines

It sits 11 miles from the nearest real city, Live Oak.  But the Hamilton Downs poker room in north Florida seems better positioned for card-playing travelers -- as it's less than one mile from Interstate 75 and about seven miles from Interstate 10.

A road trip this past week allowed us to stop at Hamilton Downs, hoping at least to win some gas money.  But there was no crowd at all on a Friday afternoon -- no jai alai action, and only one poker table with what we assumed were "the regulars."  We took that to mean we'd have to be very careful with our play.

You officially need $60 to take a seat at the 1/2 No Limit table.  We only had $56 on us, but the staff showed some mercy and let us in.  At least the sodas were inexpensive, at 50 cents for a cup.  Playing for a pot would cost a lot more....

BLINDS: $1/$2

IN THE POCKET: 9-9

We've tried to nibble our way in with marginal hands, only to miss the flop and get run off by players making large bets.  Showdowns at this table have been the exception, more than the rule.  Our opening $56 stack has dropped quickly to 28.  But this pocket pair is the hand we've been waiting for -- so when a man raises to six, we call with optimism.

ON THE FLOP: 7-5-4

Our overpair gives us more optimism.  So we make a lead-out bet of five -- only to see the pre-flop raiser raise again to 20.

We draw two possible conclusions from this.  Either he has a higher pair (maybe Kings) -- or he has nothing, and he's testing the willpower of a "newbie."  Other players at the table have been making bluffing bets against each other, so we decide to take a stand.

"I have to do it," we say as we call.  This leaves us two $1 chips.  Everyone else has folded.

ON THE TURN: 3

Before we can act, our opponent makes a mistake in our favor.  Apparently thinking we're all-in, he turns over pocket Aces!  The dealer quickly puts his hands over the cards, but we see them.

"Oh, I'll check," we say with an approach that indicates our answer is obvious.  That man has us seriously beaten.  To his credit, he checks as well.  We need a 9 to win, or a 6 to put a straight on the board and get a split.

ON THE RIVER: 10

We show our losing 9's, and announce we're leaving with our two-dollar consolation prize.  We might need emergency cash for the drive home (although thankfully, we didn't have to spend it).

We realized a walk into this format was dangerous ground.  We needed the income from a gain at the cash game, but took the risk of losing a lot in the process.  It's way we prefer limit cash games at the 1/2 level, because you have more time to get a feel for the table and play more hands.  At least we didn't take our entire "envelope of blessings" on this trip.

MINISTRY MOMENT: The regular players seemed intrigued by the coin protector we brought, depicting the Lord's Supper.  One of them apparently thought it was from a casino, and flipped it over to show the picture of a long-haired Jesus.

"I really don't think he looked like that," we explained to the players at our end of the table.  We noted the advice of the apostle Paul:

Does not he very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory?  For long hair is given to her as a covering. - I Corinthians 11:14-15

One man then speculated about the culture of New Testament times.  He said sheep farmers tended to roam the desert, and "they couldn't cut their hair very easily."

"But they'd have to shear the sheep," we responded.  "Couldn't they cut their own hair as well?"

That admittedly was speculation on our part -- so we did some checking on this.  After all, Jesus was a "traveling evangelist" in the Middle East.

Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." - Matthew 8:20

Yet the Old Testament law actually contains some instruction about haircuts....

Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard. - Leviticus 19:27

One study Bible notes this approach still is taken by modern-day Orthodox Jews -- but read the gospels and you'll find Jesus's approach was anything but Orthodox at times.

We found a detailed online analysis which indicates Greeks and Romans preferred clean-shaven appearances, and speculates "Temple barbers" existed at the time of Christ.  Remember Jesus appeared on Earth at a time of Roman rule, and Paul wrote I Corinthians when the Romans were in charge around 55 A.D.  Paul concludes his writings on the topic this way:

If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no other practice -- nor do the churches of God. - I Corinthians 11:16

In other words, short hair for males and long hair for females was the standard practice.

"I never thought I'd be getting into a religious discussion at a poker table," a man across from us said about all this.  That's part of our plan, sir -- part of our plan.

(The religious chat didn't stop there.  Watch for more in an upcoming post.)

CASH GAME COUNTER: 2 gains, 5 losses, 1 even in 8 sessions - down $96.

Caught in a Trap?

The talk around a poker table often centers on the game.  But sometimes it can be wide-ranging -- and as we mentioned in our last post, last Thursday night's discussion turned to marital infidelity.

 

We noted the Old Testament of the Bible declared adultery a capital crime, and Jesus expanded the definition of the term.  Yet there was a time when a group of people brought an adulterous woman before Jesus -- and His reaction was quite unexpected.

 

Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they?  Has no one condemned you?"  "No one, sir," she said.  "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. - John 8:10-11

 

Why didn't Jesus condemn this woman?  Because he sensed what was behind the entire situation....

 

They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.... - John 8:6

 

Jesus sensed traps as well as any experienced poker player.  The accusers may have been right, but their motives were wrong.  They wanted to make that woman a "sacrifice" for finding fault with a perfect Savior - when Jesus had come to be the perfect sin sacrifice for them.

 

We can gain many lessons from this passage.  One is to be wary of potential traps -- not only from people slow-playing pocket pairs, but people trying to compromise your integrity.  (Going back to last week's discussion, that can include married people pretending to be single and flirting with others.)  There's another lesson in Jesus's response to the woman.

 

....Jesus declared.  "Go now and leave your life of sin." - John 8:11b

 

Jesus showed mercy -- but he wants the sinning to stop.  In other words, don't be like these guys....

 

For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you.  They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord. - Jude 4

Whether you fall into sin or someone pushes you into it, seek God's mercy and forgiveness.  Then remember the classic advice of Dungeons and Dragons - and keep checking for traps.

 

Poker Night 222: At the Controls

We've learned from watching poker on TV that the first player to bet in a hand usually "controls the pot." The earlier in line you are, the easier you can do that. We think it worked to our advantage tonight at Lil Kim's Cove....

BLINDS: 50/100

IN THE POCKET: J-8 of spades

We're in the big blind, and lost a big early pot. So we have about 5,000 chips. The woman to our immediate left raises to 200. A couple of players call, and we decide 100 more isn't too much to ask.

ON THE FLOP: 4-J-2 (suits inconsequential)

We make top pair, and are first to play. We bet 200 -- in part to send a message, in part to probe for what everyone else has. The woman who doubled simply calls; everyone else folds.

ON THE TURN: 7

This seems like a meaningless card to us. We have a hunch our top pair is best, but we're wary of something bigger -- so we bet 200 again. The woman calls again.

ON THE RIVER: 10

Still acting cautiously, we bet 200 again.

"I was chasing," the woman admits as she folds. She shows "big slick" A-K.

If we had checked our top pair, our opponent could have followed with a big scary bet which might have run us off. But small betting (perhaps combined with our reputation at the table) worked to our advantage.

We gained a larger pot after that when 3-3 brought a third 3 on the turn. But after reaching a high of 11,075 chips, the hands went dry for us. We advanced to the semifinal table, then was forced to go all-in with A-6 of diamonds with blinds approaching -- but we fell one diamond short of a flush, and lost to a man with two pair. We matched last Thursday night's outcome, finishing 14th.

MINISTRY MOMENT: "Lord, have mercy," that woman to our left said at one point in the evening. We forget exactly why she said it, but we remember our response.

"May the Lord have mercy on us all. I hope He does." But stunning as it may sound, the Bible indicates God might not have mercy on everyone.

For he says to Moses: "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." -- Romans 9:15

This quote by the apostle Paul goes all the way back to Exodus 33:19. Events in life show us God sometimes shows mercy on people in distress -- but at other times, He seems very distant. It's the stuff that can make some people angry at God. But at those times, we need to examine where we stand compared with God.

Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. -- Hebrews 4:16

We think it's vital to approach that throne in prayer early and often -- even before the trials come which call for God's mercy and compassion.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 91 final tables in 222 nights (41.0%) - 15 cashes. (We're approaching six months since the last time we won money in a local tournament.) Heads-Up: 8-15.

NATIONAL LEAGUE OF POKER TOTAL: Full tournaments - 104 point wins in 554 games (18.8%), 40 final tables, 2 cashes.

POKER STARS.NET TOTAL: Pretend cash games - $33,952, down $557.

The mercy rule

We asked what you thought of Matthew 9:13, where Jesus advises: "But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.'"

Jesus actually quoted there from the Old Testament book of Hosea (6:6) -- and He used it to explain why He ate with local "sinners" (Matt. 9:11). Jesus added to His statement about mercy: "For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

A few churches have started "poker nights" for men, to build bonds of fellowship in a wholesome atmosphere. We think that's a great idea, and wish more churches would do it. But let's face it -- a lot of poker is played in smoky bars, where "sin taxes" are collected from sales of cigarettes and alcohol. The people most likely to gather there are the people Jesus came to call.

(Matthew 9:9-10 shows Jesus met the sinners at the home of a tax collector named Matthew -- one who had recently become a follower of Him. We know of no verse specifically saying Christ went into a bar or nightclub. But we're honestly not sure those things existed 2,000 years ago.)

Our point is this: Jesus was willing to step outside the synagogue walls to meet people who needed Him. The Lord was perfect at all times, yet was willing to sacrifice a little "perfect atmosphere" to interact with the imperfect who needed a Savior.

Eugene Peterson's paraphrase The Message puts the last part of verse 13 this way: "'I'm after mercy, not religion.' I'm here to invite outsiders, not coddle insiders." That's what we try to do at poker tables. And in the process, we encourage those who show aspects of godliness. As James 3:17 says, "The wisdom that comes from heaven is.... full of mercy and good fruit...."

Poker Night 140: Flip This House

The way things began at Lil Kim's Cove Thursday night, it was not going to be our night. We played promising hands such as 9-9 and A-8, only to see them come to nothing. A player raised ahead of our 10-5, and after we folded a 10's over 5's full house showed up. We bet too big when 5-5 on the flop gave us a set, and our gains were minimized.

On top of all this, we were in the big blind after the one-hour break -- hoping for anything good to happen. Simply hoping....

BLINDS: 500/1,000

IN THE POCKET: J-2 of diamonds

Ugh. That's not much. But thankfully, no one at the five-player table raises. We get in by checking.

ON THE FLOP: 2-6-8 (no diamonds)

Yes, it's a pair -- but it's the bargain basement of pairs. So we check, and so does everyone else.

ON THE TURN: 2

The small blind checks. Our decision is automatic -- "all-in," we announce. A woman to our left calls.

"Not just no -- but L-no," the small blind says as he folds.

ON THE RIVER: 8

Remember the full house that eliminated us earlier in the week? It looks like what goes around is going to....

"I've got a boat."

Huh?!?! The woman to our left says she has one? We have 2's over 8's. But she shows A-8, and the river gave her 8's over 2's. She built a bigger boat, and we wash out in 24th place.

MINISTRY MOMENT: A nice word came up several times at our table. A woman said it first, after a big bet was made.

"Lord, have mercy!"

"I hope he has mercy on us all," we said as we folded.

Then we called a bet of 1,000 on the flop, holding two clubs while a third was showing. When the turn card failed us, our opponent across the table started stacking chips by the thousands.

"You don't have to unload the whole truck," we pleaded with him several times. Yet he almost did, making a bet in the 9,000 range which we didn't dare call.

"I decided to have some mercy on him," the pot winner said to someone else.

"Thank you for showing mercy," we said to him moments later. "Mercy is a good thing."

Jesus would agree with that. "But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.'" (Matthew 9:13) Do you think that's a good idea -- in poker or otherwise? We'll comment more on that in a future post.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 57 final tables in 140 nights (40.7%) - 11 cashes. Online play is suspended for now, due to two road trips and a busy overall schedule.

Sunday Rewind: Mercy, Me?

We asked a friendly, yet direct question to a player at Thursday night's live tournament: "Do you believe Jesus is merciful?"

We say Jesus is -- and it was shown in how He treated a woman who supposedly was caught in the act of adultery. Check the first part of John 8 for details.

A crowd brought the woman before Jesus, pointing out how the Old Testament law called for such women to be stoned -- and this was for the most part an accurate quote of the Lord (Deut. 20:10).

But the crowd apparently didn't realize a couple of things. Jesus could have told them the law required the "adulterer and the adulteress" to die -- both of them. (Perhaps He wrote that in the sand in John 8:6, 8; we don't really know.) Jesus also could have told them He was the Lord who spoke the command to Moses in the first place.

The accusing crowd eventually left -- and Jesus told the accused women: "I do not condemn you.... From now on sin no more." (John 8:11, NASB)

At that moment Jesus showed mercy -- and He reinforced it elsewhere by saying, "I desire mercy, not sacrifice." (Mt. 9:13)

Poker can be a "take no prisoners" sort of game. The goal is to claim all the chips from everyone else. But when a moment of mercy makes itself available, don't be ashamed to show it. Click on the "mercy" label below for some examples we've noted at poker tournaments.

Poker Night 111: Slow and Steady Wins the Race

Some poker players seem intent on getting a fast start at a tournament, by making big bets right away. In some cases that works. At Lil Kim's Cove tonight, it didn't....

BLINDS: 25/50

IN THE POCKET: 10-9 offsuit

We lost the draw for dealer, so we sit in the big blind for the first hand of the night. A man across the table raises 250, and we join a couple of players in calling.

ON THE FLOP: 10-5-3

Top pair is nice to us. We modestly bet 100, but the man who raised a moment ago raises 800. Does he have a higher pocket pair?

"I'm probably asking for trouble," we say -- but we call, as does another man.

ON THE TURN: 10

Three of a kind is even nicer to us. But now we play coy and check. Emboldened player #2 (not the one who's been raising) throws out 3,500 -- a huge sum, considering players start with a base of 5,000 (plus bonus chips for purchasing food and drinks). Player #3 goes mano a mano and calls. So do we -- but what do these guys really have?

ON THE RIVER: K

That's a bit concerning. If one of the other players had pocket Kings, they now have us topped. We check again. Player #2 goes all-in. So does Player #3. We've come this far by faith (to borrow from a Christian song), so we call -- which somehow leaves us with about 650 chips to spare. We're not sure why.

"I have a 10," we announce.

Player #2 apparently doesn't hear us. "I have TWO PAIR!" Yes, he does -- 5's and 3's. But that's not good enough. Player #3 also had two pair, but he's eliminated as well. One hand down, two players out -- and our chip count above 17,000 already.

It was the start of another hot night for us. We claimed another big pot in the second hand with A-Q, and kept building from there. After one hour, we had 49,500 chips. After two hours at the final table, we had about 90,000.

But then some losses came -- and despite a furious three-way fight where we kept rallying, a man went all-in against us with two hearts and caught a flush with a heart on the river. That hurt big, and we were eliminated minutes later. But by finishing third (one away from winning money), we were the only person to make the final table two nights in a row.

MINISTRY MOMENT: We bailed out of one big pot late in the first hour -- a pot which prompted a woman to our right to say, "Have mercy, Jesus."

"May Jesus have mercy on us all," we answered quietly -- probably too quietly for anyone to hear it. But then we turned to a man on our left and asked, "Do you believe Jesus is merciful?"

That man gave no answer. What would yours be? Ours will come in another post.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 47 final tables in 111 nights (42.3%) -- 10 cashes. We've made the final table at Lil Kim's Cove in four of our last five tries!

YAHOO POKER TOTAL: $13,816 - unchanged (no games played)

NBC SPORTS POKER TOTAL: Five-player sit-n-goes: 31-36-10-6-9. Full tournaments: 25 final tables in 216 games (11.6%), 2 cashes.

While the Sunday night championship tournament was strong for us, we missed earning points by one position three separate times in the last week! (And we had one monumental bust, but that's a story for another day.)

NATIONAL LEAGUE OF POKER TOTAL: Five-player sit-n-goes: 2-1-0-0-0. No full tournaments yet.

Shot Down the Street

It was disturbing to learn on the news tonight of a shooting at our usual Thursday night poker spot.

A man was shot in the parking lot of Lil Kim's Cove at around 12:30am Sunday. The club has Saturday poker tournament doubleheaders (at least according to its web site), but much earlier in the day -- at 2:00 and 5:00 p.m.

We've had a couple of successful poker nights at Lil Kim's, which stretched past midnight. On one occasion, a man stopped us as we hurredly walked home -- but the man claimed to be homeless and hungry. He gained a can of Vienna sausages at our door, but no more. We did this based on Matthew 25:35; he stated the food need first, so that's what we provided.

Now we're thankful Lil Kim's is starting Thursday night poker doubleheaders. You'll hopefully understand if we play only in the first one this week, at 7:00 p.m. ET.

Even the pros do it

Did you watch Poker After Dark this past week? I tend to watch only the "Director's Cut" on Saturday nights, while finishing the other blog -- but there was something unusual there this weekend, which ties in with a recent post here.

The Poker After Dark format has six players buying into a "winner-take-all" game, at $20,000 each. This past week, one player went all-in on the very first hand -- and LOST!

But then the unusual thing happened. The other five players agreed to let him have a second "buy-in" for another $20,000. It increased the total payout to $140,000. And perhaps the players were merciful because the invites to this table have a tendency to be "jam up" big gamblers.

Hey, did you catch that word -- merciful? Even big shots on the pro poker circuit showed it here. They included well-known winners such as Howard Lederer and Mike "The Mouth" Matusow.

No, the player who bought back in did NOT win the top prize. (David Williams did.) But I think everyone showed a winning spirit there.

"Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy." -- Matt. 5:7

Sunday Update: Mercy Said 100

We wanted to play Yahoo! poker late Saturday night -- but somehow lost the connection on the river, and couldn't get it back. Oh well, a $4 (pretend) loss.

Unable to restore the connection, we spent a few minutes at Yahoo! blackjack. How addictive -- and as we recall mentioning here before, how risky.

We were betting $5 a time, and breaking even a bit. Then we decided to go for a "big finish," by making $1,000 maximum bets.

Amazingly (or was it really?), we started having a massive losing streak. We went from $6,000 to zero in no time. We should have wound up at about $-7,000, and with Yahoo pretend bankrolls that's possible.

But something even more amazing happened. Several times when we bet $1,000 with only $100 in our bankroll, Yahoo did NOT put us in what they used to call on Jeopardy the "minus column." Instead, we were restored to $100 and allowed to try again -- not once, but about eight times!

After being shown such incredible grace, we rallied to regain our $6,000 -- and there we stopped. Try THAT stunt at a real casino, and see if it happens!

We went to bed thankful the Yahoo account we SHOULD have had wasn't on display. And we were reminded of mercy -- shown by the blackjack computer, and by God toward us.

"I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy...." (Rom. 9:15)

Sometimes at the poker table we have that option, too. Perhaps a show of mercy with an opponent's chip stack might make you a friend, and open a door. But be ready, in case other players consider it a sign of weakness on your part. "There is a time for everything...." (Ecc. 3:1)

YAHOO POKER TOTAL: $6092 (Up $350, but only +12 in poker). Blackjack giveth, and blackjack taketh away.