Poker Day 574: Race Day

Monaco had Formula 1. Indianapolis had IndyCar. Suburban Charlotte had NASCAR. And we had our own version of racing today - at the Jack Casino poker room. In fact, several races were in the cards....

BLINDS: 600/1,200/1,200 ante (Big Blind only)

IN THE POCKET: Q of hearts-Q of clubs

The Sunday brunch poker tournament has a deep stack - 25,000 chips for early birds. We built ours to 28,200 in the early going. But then setbacks knocked us down to 12,200 at the 90-minute first break. Now we have only 7,600 left, and are looking for something to start a rally. With players to our right at this table of eight raising to 3,200, this had better be it.

"I'm all-in," we say; "76 trombones led the big parade."

This reference sparked a discussion of Broadway musicals. We performed in this one in high school. A young man to our right knew right away it was The Music Man, because he'd seen the movie on cable TV.

But oh yes, the hand: two men across from us call. But the man to our immediate right then goes all-in as well - with a lot more chips than we have! This doesn't look good. A man across from us thinks for a long time, then folds. The musical buff to the right ponders, then calls.

Now it's show-and-tell time. The big re-raiser has.... 3-3! The musical fan went for it with 8-10!

"You mean I'm in the lead?!?!" we say with surprise as we show our cards. Suddenly this feels good, but anything could still happen....

ON THE FLOP: As-6s-9c

Thankfully, no one has an Ace. But the Music Man has a straight draw.

ON THE TURN: 4s

 This is more trouble, because the opposing pair includes 3s. Can we dodge all the bullets?

ON THE RIVER: 2c

We do! The "76 trombones" turn into a full, quadrupled-up big band of 35,200 chips!

That started another of those amazing second-hour rallies for us. An all-in gamble with pocket 5's won a race. Q-7 in the Big Blind brought a 6-10 straight on the river. Add a heart flush, and we survived to the final table at 24,300!

Patiently waiting for good cards paid off there. A push with A-7 looked bad against A-K, but a 7 on the board brought a gain to 84,000. A-Q led to two pair on the flop, and he jumped to 208,000. A Big Blind win made our high chip mark 249,500!

With 28 people playing, the top three would earn money. With four players left, we still had 155,500 amid massive blinds and antes. All fours agree to pay a "Bubble Boy" $20 - and the ma who appeared likely to take that title then hit a series of big hands, to eliminate someone else.

After a few more minutes of play, that man suggested a three-way chop of the prize money. The man with a huge stack had been gunning for the win, but after some setbacks was ready to settle. Of course, we accepted as well.

After more than four hours of holiday weekend "work," all three of us took home $560. That's our biggest one-day payoff since 2015, our second cash in a row and our third in 11 tournaments this year. We praise God for the success He's providing!

MINISTRY MOMENT: We were saddened as we drove to the casino, due to news this weekend that a familiar voice from our old home area had died. Rod Bramblett of Auburn University sports was killed with his wife in a Saturday night SUV crash.

"The good news," we told a woman sitting next to us, "is that I believe in a resurrection of the dead."

The woman indicated she believes in that as well. We let it go there - but perhaps we should have probed deeper to see if she believes in Who will bring it.

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies...." - John 11:25

At the time when Jesus Christ walked the earth, many Jews (but not all) believed in a resurrection of the dead:

Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." - John 11:23-24

But Jesus went farther - declaring He was the resurrection. He did it in this section of the Bible with Lazarus (verses 43-44). And He plans to do it on a grander scale when he returns to Earth....

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. - John 14:3

Where will Jesus take the dead? Contrary to what you may have heard, it's not a place in heaven:

Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights in the day of battle. On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem... Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him. - Zechariah 14:3-5

Some believers in God had an understanding of His plan to save humankind, even before Jesus came the first time. The next time, there will be no doubt:

Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him.... - Revelation 1:7

If you're feeling down or depressed as the U.S. marks Memorial Day over the loss of a loved one, consider these Bible promises carefully. Jesus will come again, bringing a resurrection (actually more than one - check Revelation 20 for more about that). The dead will live again. What a wonderful time that will be!

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 220 final tables in 574 games (38.3%) - 48 cashes. Since we passed the 500-tournament mark in April 2017, we've made exactly half of our final tables!

Almost Kings

Pocket Kings look good to some poker players. But they're scary to others - because someone with an Ace might show them up on the flop.

But would you like to someday be a king? Our last post examined some interesting writing that indicates you can be. But as we looked closely at it, questions arose. Here's what we read:

And has made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. - Revelation 5:10 (KJV)

But then we backtracked and saw this....

And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the 24 elders fell down before the Lamb.... - Revelation 5:8 (NIV)

So what's going on? Is the future title of "king" only for some mysterious creatures in heaven?

We found the explanation is as simple as comparing Bible translations. Since we cited the New International Version in verse 8, let's keep reading it....

And they sang a new song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, ad they shall reign on the earth." - Revelation 5:9-10

We emphasized a few key words here. The creatures and elders praise Jesus for purchasing men - as in human beings. A footnote in the New King James indicates some Greek versions of Revelation which have been handed down over time put the emphasis on humans, while others do not.

A check of numerous translations indicates most translate this section as giving the "kings and priests" title to humans. It fits better with other verses in Revelation - verses which explain how you can become a king:

To him who overcomes I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcome and sat down with my Father on his throne. - Revelation 3:21

These are words of a resurrected Jesus. He amazingly offers you the opportunity to be resurrected as well, and sit with Him! (We think Jesus would be the "Ace", overriding our King-ship.)

But as our title (borrowing from a rock band) indicates, there's something we must do. To borrow from an old spiritual, we must overcome. And....

To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations.... - Revelation 2:26

We overcome this world and our own sinful nature by doing the will of Jesus Christ. Discover that will by reading carefully through the first four books of the New Testament. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are known as the "gospels," telling the story of Jesus from conception to crucifixion to resurrection.

But we've left one question unanswered here. What about those "elders" mentioned in Revelation 5? We'll keep working on that for another post.

Memories of "Buddha"

We saw this on Facebook Saturday night, from the place where our poker-playing began....

Goodbye to a great guy and sometime a obnoxious one but he had a heart of Gold..RIP Buddha

He went by "Buddha," (center) but we never were sure of his real name. (As we recall, he hid that for legal reasons.) He was a true larger-than-life poker character - so large that he somewhat resembled a Buddha statue, and sat almost sideways at makeshift poker tables in the Columbus, Georgia area.

He also had another nickname - one we ironically remembered a few weeks ago when we quoted his mic-drop line, "I flopped it" during a poker tournament. After winning some big pots (and he eliminated us more than once), he would announce in a loud voice: "That's why they call me BIG DADDY!!!"

(By the way, that last link includes an example of why the Facebook announcement called him "sometime... obnoxious".)

We interviewed "Big Daddy" for an unusual Father's Day post on our old news-and-humor blog (the blog which led to this one). He talked there about competing in the U.S. Sumo Wrestling Championships. But we don't know if he ever did. Someone with a pro wrestling troupe might have made an interesting discovery.

If Buddha had played in Las Vegas, he could have become a regular on TV poker nights. His size and personality would have made him, well, a "character" - not unlike some pro wrestlers. And let's face it: interesting characters always make TV more interesting. It's true in poker; think about Phil Hellmuth and Doyle Brunson's personalities, which have made them famous.

But after a lengthy illness, Buddha died at approximately age 38. If he was really Buddhist, he never said so. But we shared our faith with him a few times at poker tables, and concluded he was simply not a religious person. If that describes you, consider a verse we mentioned here recently....

And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment.... - Hebrews 9:27 (NLT)

No matter what you believe - or even if you don't - death is inevitable. The big question is what happens after that. Buddhists believe they'll enter "nirvana" or be reincarnated. But the Christian Bible says there will be judgment. How will that happen?

...When the Lord Jesus appears from heaven. He will come with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, bringing judgment on those who don't know God and on those who refuse to obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus. - II Thessalonians 1:7-8 (NLT)

The judgment won't happen until Jesus returns - and it won't be immediate. Buddha will rest for quite a while....

The rest of the dead did not come back to life until the thousand years had ended.... I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God's throne... And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books. - Revelation 20:5, 12 (NLT)

Jesus is coming to judge - a judgment that includes a "lake of fire" (verse 15). But as we say in poker, you have an "out"....

...People escape from the wickedness of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.... - II Peter 2:20 (NLT)

We quoted the "good news" part of that verse; there's a warning in the rest of it for people who don't really make the effort to escape.

So our sympathies go to Buddha's family and poker friends. May they turn to Christ, not that better-known Buddha - and be able to sing what another "Big Daddy" recorded several years ago.

Poker Day 564: Going Up

The drive from our home to Jack Casino today was the fastest yet - only six minutes. But then came a jolt, and the day's first big decision.

"That's $120," the cashier said.

The normal price for a morning tournament is $80. So we wondered if this was a special New Year's event. Sadly, no. Without any advance notice (it's not yet posted on the casino website as we write this), Jack started a new 2019 poker schedule today. Morning tournaments will cost either $100 or $120, based on the day of the week.

"The price of playing poker just went up," we told a man sitting to our left as we reviewed the schedule. And this time, we did not mean higher blinds. But we paid the buy-in, anyway - and suddenly found ourselves in one of those higher-priced Jack tournaments. Could we make it worth the trouble?

BLINDS: 50/100/100

IN THE POCKET: Ace of clubs-Jack of spades

Oh yes - the rules for the morning tournament have changed as well. Now it's a "Big Blind Ante" game, with the player in the Big Blind paying an extra ante. In this hand, that's us. A few early feelers have failed, but this game also lets us start with 25,000 chips and 20-minute blinds.

So we can be patient - but not with these cards. No one raises, so we go up to 500. Three players at the table of seven call.

ON THE FLOP: Jc-9c-6s (last two cards may not be precise)

Top pair + top kicker = green light. "I'll bet the big one," we say - as in 700 chips, borrowing from a legendary Cincinnati radio station. Two men across from us call, but the fourth one folds. We think they're speculating, and we're in front.

ON THE TURN: 7c

This puts three clubs on the board. But we still have top pair, and one more club would give us the nuts. So why wait? We bet 1,000. The other guys call again.

ON THE RIVER: 2h

Are the flush-chasers happy or frustrated? We need to know, so we bet another 1,000. A man across from us calls; the other opponent folds.

"He has a Jack," we say as the other man shows.... J-10. "And I have a Jack." But our kicker is superior, and we win several thousand chips.

A few big gains in the first period (now one hour, 40 minutes) brought us to a high of about 30,500. But we reached the break at 24,625. Then a couple of all-in wins kept us going in the second term, including an A-10 which beat A-7. But we had a precarious 18,100 at the second break.

The third term brought a dramatic win over a man with a huge stack, as our K-K beat his Q-Q. That allowed us to reach the final table at 29,600. But then we pushed again with A-J of hearts. That same man had pocket 7's, and they won the race.

We finished in tenth place out of 33 players, with money only going to the top four. We left thankful to make a final table against what we consider quality competition. But if Jack is going to keep the poker prices high, we'll be making many more drives to the competition in Indiana.

MINISTRY MOMENT: One awkward part about the Big Blind Ante format is that the ante doesn't always match the Big Blind. That requires a lot of shuffling of chips among players to make correct change.

After one such shuffle in our Big Blind where we lacked change, we told the dealer, "To borrow from an old song: 'From whence, from whence shall come my help?'" In this case, another player provided the change. "But ultimately," we added, "my help comes from the Lord."

"That's where my help comes from, too," the dealer said. Hooray - someone else who looks to the Lord! But is that where your help lies? If not, consider this....

I look up to the mountains - does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. - Psalm 121:1-2 (NLT)

This world teaches a self-reliant spirit - that you should take charge of your own life. Poker games reinforce that, because no collusion or tag-team action normally is allowed. But there's a problem with that. We can't live forever.

It seems so tragic that everyone under the sun suffers the same fate.... The living at least know that they shall die, but the dead know nothing.... - Ecclesiastes 9:3, 5 (NLT)

Life can look very helpless - but it doesn't have to be that way. Believers in God and Jesus Christ should have a hope that help is coming....

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. - Romans 15:13 (NLT)

The believer's hope is in a resurrection to eternal life when Jesus Christ returns. May that hope fill you in the months and years to come. What other hope beyond this life do we really have?

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 213 final tables in 564 games (37.8%) - 45 cashes.

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.

Poker Night 554: Jack 360

Have you ever played a poker tournament where someone made the final table twice? We saw it happen tonight at Jack Casino. So few players entered the Sunday night tourney that at least one eliminated man was able to re-buy his way into the final table before the first break. That wasn't the only memorable part of the night for us....

BLINDS: 1,200/2,400

IN THE POCKET: Queen-Jack of clubs

While others kept spending $80 a seat for a second chance in this game, we earned our way to the final table. After winning several pots, we've built a chip stack of about 19,000 after starting with 15,000. Now with eight players left, we have strong suited connectors. No one raises, so we limp in. Two other players are with us.

ON THE FLOP: Ac-Kh-10s (Suits might not be precise)

We hit the jackpot! And we want or straight to pay off right now. So after the first player checks, we go all-in. When a man to our left also goes all-in, we smell a big payday.

But first, there's a man to our right - someone who rebought four times to reach this point. "I've got you all beat right now," he declares. (If he's trying to draw a tell from us, we're trying to avoid it.)  "Unless you've got Queen-Jack...."

"I could have a lot of things," we admit in a non-committal way.

Then the man to our right turns over his cards! They're K-10 offsuit.

"Can he do that?" we ask the dealer.

"I can," says our opponent. "I'm last up, either way." The dealer doesn't confirm that view, so the opponent goes back into the tank. Finally he chooses to fold.

"By the way, I do have the straight," we say as we show our cards.

But what about that man to the left? He flips over.... Q-J! His are in spades. So this hand isn't quite settled yet.

ON THE TURN: 8s

Uh-oh - he's one spade away from a winning flush.

ON THE RIVER: 8h

A sigh of relief from us. A fist-bump for our opponent on the left, and an overall gain from a split pot.

Big cards came in spurts for us throughout the evening. A-K was strong enough to eliminate two players at the final table. Then we went dry, as the remaining players started grinding toward the money. Three players would be paid, out of 24 total entries.

We scored timely wins with A-J and 9-8 in the Big Blind. A man to our left clearly seemed to be gunning for us, but we were cagey and refused to over-commit.

Finally, four players were left. That man refused to accept a "chop" of the prize money. But after several setbacks impacting his huge chip stack, he finally accepted the split at around 10:00 p.m. At last - we really made the money at a tournament in our new area!

The four-way split gave each player $360. And because the Tournament Director filled out the names of winners from the bottom up, being last in line gained us the unofficial position of first place. We don't really think we were the chip leader at the end. But boy, that looks good!

We thank God for finally getting a breakthrough to "the money" after a strong final-table record in the Cincinnati area. (We had a "bubble boy" game in June.) It's our third cash win of 2018, and the biggest since Thanksgiving week of 2017 - just in time for Canadian Thanksgiving on Monday.

MINISTRY MOMENT: At one key final table moment, a man to our right exclaimed, "Jesus Christ!"

"He's my hope of salvation," we said - something that's become a common response for us.

"He's the only hope I've got!" the man surprisingly replied. "He's the only one you've got, too."

This was a talkative man who had downed a few beers. Yet we agreed on that key point. If you think you can save yourself by a long list of good deeds, we point you to the apostle Peter:

After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them.... "No! We believe it is through the grace of the Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are." - Acts 15:7, 11

The words "just as they are" may bring back memories of an old Christian song. The context here is that "Gentiles" can receive salvation, as well as members of the tribe of Judah (the "they" and "we" of verse 11). How does this happen?

But because Jesus lives forever.... Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. - Hebrews 7:24-25

We all sin in one way or another, violating God's rules (Romans 3:23). But if we repent of our sins, Jesus Christ the Son can intercede at the throne of God the Father to grant us forgiveness.

Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. - Hebrews 7:27

To go back to that song, it can start right where you are. It officially did for us on a cold January night years ago. Salvation will become final and complete when Jesus returns and the saints of God are resurrected. But we're trying to walk in that path now. We hope that man at the poker table is as well - and we hope the same for you.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 206 final tables in 554 games (37.2%) - 42 cashes.

The Patience Is In

Poker references can come up when you least expect them. We caught one last week, while watching the Emmy Awards.

"If you wait long enough, the chips come to you," a winner said during his acceptance speech.

Regular poker players might take issue with that. Hours of grinding at a cash game still can end with losses. Tournaments filled with weak cards and rising blinds can lead to early exits.

But we think the point of that quote is being patient. We've found patient play has helped us reach many final tables. And it's a good Biblical concept....

I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. - Psalm 40:1 (NLT)

If patience is a problem for you at the table, here are some ideas that could help. First, resist the urge to go "on tilt" - playing any two cards you see, because you felt wronged or robbed moments before.

Fools vent their anger, but the wise quietly hold it back. - Proverbs 29:11 (NLT)

There could be more time to make a comeback than you first think.


Our second idea relates to that. Tell yourself quietly (or in your brain) to "wait for the moment." The late rock singer Tom Petty declared, "The waiting is the hardest part." But it's good to wait with anticipation....

As for me, I look to the Lord for help. I wait confidently for God to save me, and my God will certainly hear me. - Micah 7:7 (NLT)

We sometimes say this more bluntly: "Don't do anything stupid."


Which leads to a third idea: determine in advance when "the moment" will occur. If football and basketball teams can devise a strategy before the game, so can you. Which cards are "must play" for you? Which are “must avoid”, depending on the situation?

Believe it or not, God is a planner. And He’s patiently working out a massive one right now on Earth - one which affects you:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” - Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT)

Give your plans to God. Plans for the day, the poker tournament.... everything. If they don’t match His plans, trust God that His plan is better. It may not seem like in the heat of a poker moment, but they really are.

Poker Night 550: The Ace Looks Familiar

"Aces only win 30 percent of the time," a man told us Wednesday night at Hollywood Casino Indiana. We learned that the hard way on our last poker night there. So imagine what might happen if history repeated itself....

BLINDS: 75/150

IN THE POCKET: A-A

We won an early pot with K-5 when two 5's came on the flop. Now we've been moved to a newly-formed table on this two-table tournament night - and look at what we've found on the very first hand! In mid-position at a table of six, we modestly raise to 300. A man across the table calls, but the rest aren't interested.

ON THE FLOP: A-2-Q

An auto club flop for us - as we have A-A-A. But the other man is first to act. He checks. We make a modest continuation bet of 500, and he calls. If this is like our last tournament and he has pocket Queens, the tables truly will turn.

ON THE TURN: 7

We can't imagine that helped our opponent at all. But he pulls a surprise, by betting 2,500. There's no straight or flush threat here - yet we pause for a moment simply because we're baffled. Why is he betting so much, especially considering what we have? We conclude there's nothing to fear, so we call.

ON THE RIVER: 9

"I'm all-in," our opponent says. Now we're convinced he was trying to bluff us away. That won't work, though; we take less than five seconds to call.

The opponent shows.... A-4. (We believe they were suited spades.)

"You've got an Ace. That's good," we say. "But I've got two Aces."

The opponent groans. He overbet, and his night is finished. Our chip count jumps to more than 24,000 in only one hand. Talk about a "turbo" tournament.

We tried to play carefully from there, and reached the first break at 24,750. Pocket Aces came twice more (once unshown), and we used them to knock out a second player. Despite some second-hour efforts which didn't pay off, we cruised to the final table at 22,300.

But then the cards started drying up for us. At the second break, we still had 18,100. But rising blinds were our undoing; we finally were forced to go all-in with Q-J, and a caller with pocket 10's won the race when the board didn't pair for us. At least we improved to sixth place out of 13 players, after the last early bust.

MINISTRY MOMENT: "Let the Big Blind Special shine its light on me...." a large man sang when his turn in the Big Blind came.

"I think that was originally a gospel song," we said to him. We checked later, and must admit that's not true - although there is a gospel version of the Midnight Special tune (which some of you may know best from an old Friday night concert series on TV).

But our comment sparked a discussion about Christianity, and we found the man knew a number of Bible verses. At one point, he quoted this....

Death and life are in the power of the tongue... - Proverbs 18:21 (KJV)

"I'm 'speaking life' over my chips," the man added.

At that point, he turned from sounding like a believer to sounding irreverent and far-fetched. Some Christian preachers admittedly say if you pray hard enough or faithfully enough for something to grow, the growth will happen. And in fact, the man's chip stack improved from about 2,300 to the 10,000 range after we joined his table.

We'll save what happened from there for another post - but let's get back to that Bible verse. The man only quoted part of it....

….and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. - Proverbs 18:21b (KJV)

What does that mean? Doctors know if you swallow your physical tongue, you're at risk of dying. But we think a good Biblical explanation is found one verse earlier:

From the fruit of his mouth a man's stomach is filled; with the harvest of his lips he is satisfied. - Proverbs 18:20

The words we say (or write on social media) can cause a big impact. They can bring insight to other people. They also can incite them to anger, and even violence. And at the end of the day (or better put, our days), God is keeping track of it all.

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

Our final table turned for a while into a comedy hour, with several people sharing jokes and stories. Sadly, most of them would be rated R or worse at the movies. So what are you saying when you play poker? And more importantly, how would Jesus judge it?

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 203 final tables in 550 games (36.9%) - 41 cashes. Since hitting the 500-game milestone in April 2017, we've made 20 final tables out of 50 (40%).

Face: Up to It?

"That's why I don't play poker," a young man said at our regular job the other day.

His reason had nothing to do with money or ethics. "I don't have a poker face," he explained. He added he tends to let his expressions and feelings come forward - so if he's dealt pocket Aces, the rest of the table probably would know in an instant.

The "poker face" has become such a common cliché that Lady Gaga made a hit song with that title (albeit with questionable lyrics). We think some people who have trouble maintaining one in club games try to make up for it with big talk - boasting about winning hands they might or might not have.

Believe it or not, there are times in the Bible where people are told to have a "poker face" of sorts. One case occurred when a leader lost two sons due to their disobedience....

Then Moses said to Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, "Do not let your hair become unkempt, and do not tear your clothes, or you will die and the Lord will angry with the whole community..." - Leviticus 10:6

No obvious signs of grief were allowed, because the fire that killed the other sons had come from God (verses 1-2). The victims simply received what they deserved. Perhaps that carries over to some ministers today. To be honest, we've seen modern TV preachers with "poker faces" so grim that it's hard to believe they consider the gospel "good news".

So how do you develop and keep a good poker face? One idea we have is to think about the worst thing that could possibly happen, such as the Bible scene above. Or if you see two Aces on the flop and you have pocket Aces, pretend someone else is on a royal flush draw.

But when the hand is over and a pot is won, it's OK to show some emotion. That's true with any blessing God gives, too:

The Lord is my strength and my shield.... My heart leaps for joy, and I will give thanks to him in song. - Psalm 28:7

A good "poker face" indeed takes some practice, but it can help make you a good poker player. We've offered our suggestion for developing one. If you have a better one, please leave a comment.

Cynn City

Soccer fans will be focused today on the World Cup finals in Russia. The event might last three hours, if it winds up in a penalty kick shootout. But imagine an event where determining a world champion came down to a showdown even longer than that - practically lasting all night.

Courtesy Joe Ginn/WSOP.com

That's what happened this morning at the World Series of Poker's Main Event. The final two players battled from Saturday sundown until nearly 5:00 a.m. Las Vegas time - and it ended with Indiana native John Cynn (right) outlasting Florida's Tony Miles to take the "title belt" and $8.8 million.

The lead in heads-up play went back and forth several times, so we give credit to both men for playing hard and well. But in the end, this Main Event probably will inspire a lot of clever headlines (like ours) - and maybe even a few sermons from preachers.

For instance, Miles wore a Tim Tebow college football jersey to the final table. Tebow is known as a  believer in Jesus Christ. We're not sure where Miles stands on that - but his challenge for more than ten hours was, well, overcoming Cynn. It's your challenge, too, only with a different spelling....

...for everyone born of God overcomes the world.... Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. - I John 5:4-5

Louis Armstrong sang years ago, "What a Wonderful World" - and in some ways it is. But it's also a world filled with sin:

For everything in the world - the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does - comes not from the Father but from the world. - I John 2:16

This endurance contest isn't only for one night - it's a lifelong "main event." So how can you overcome these more common "sins"? We skipped over part of chapter 5, which offers an answer:

This is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith. - I John 5:4b

The late George Michael sang it correctly: you've got to have faith. But it needs to be in the right things - or better put, the right Ones. It means believing in Jesus as God's Son, and turning to Him to cover your sinful life.

...For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. - Revelation 12:10-11

That "accuser" is Satan, the devil (Job 1:6-9). The blood of Jesus can pay the penalty for your sin, and give you freedom to testify of the good things God does in your life.

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. - Romans 12:21

On this Sunday in Las Vegas, Mr. Cynn came out on top. It's a victory he earned. In your life, "sin" doesn't have to win. Put your faith in the Son of God who can help you overcome it.

Flop Friday Funny

We created a new song on the spot recently, during a tournament in Indiana. You can probably guess the music for it...

You put your hole cards in.
You put your hole cards out.
You put your hole cards in - and you fold them, bowing out.

You do the hokey poker, as the turn card comes around.
That's what it's all about!

(OK, your turn.... verse 2?)

Poker Night 543: Bunker Mentality

In our first-ever ten live poker tournaments in 2007 in Georgia, we made three final tables. In our first ten in southern Kansas, we made seven and cashed three times. Wednesday night marked tourney #10 in our new home area. Could we keep succeeding at Hollywood Casino Indiana?

BLINDS: 200/400

IN THE POCKET: J-J

It's another small, late-arriving Wednesday night crowd. The tournament started with six players, but now has a full table of ten. We took a loss betting A-Q early, and still are a bit below the starting 12,000 chips.

This nice high pair in late position inspires us to raise to 1,000. Only two players call.

ON THE FLOP: 4-J-J

Well, what do you know - quads! We're last in line to bet, and are ready to wait for our opponents to take a dare. Only they check this flop. So do we, of course.

ON THE TURN: 2

Now do we have any takers? Sadly for us, no. The two opponents check. We do the same.

ON THE RIVER: 8

Now who wants to be daring? The first man checks once more. But a man down the table from us takes a stab at the pot, betting 1,100. Can we entice more?

"How about.... 2,500?!" we say as we raise.

Player #1 gives it up. The man who bet quickly does the same. He probably concludes he was trapped. But we don't tell him so; in fact, this blog is first to reveal that we had quads at all.

On a night with 14 total players, we had no big breakthrough pots - and no huge losses, either. A-Q in our pocket eliminated one player, and we strolled to the final table with about 13,000 chips. Then we won more modest pots, to stay alive while the field dwindled.

An all-in bet with two hearts was rewarded with a flush on the river, and we were in the final five.... then four! But as blinds went up, we had to push with anything hopeful. Our last stand was with K-10, but they lost to pocket 3's.

Final result: Some remarkable deja vu. We finished fourth in Lawrenceburg for the third tournament in a row - and fourth in six nights there! And because the turnout was small, we missed the money again; only the top two were paid.

MINISTRY MOMENT: As the final table dwindled, a woman across the table received a "walk" in the Big Blind - meaning no one at the table called. The very next hand found her in the Small Blind, while we were in the Big Blind. No one else called - but she did.

"You see, he gave you a walk," we said tongue-in-cheek. "You can do the same. It's called paying it forward."

Then we mentioned a radio station in our area which actually encourages the "pay it forward" approach at restaurant drive-through lanes. It's a way for people to show the love of God to others - even to complete strangers:

Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. - Ephesians 4:32 (NLT)

It's one of many traits Christians are expected to have, to be a light to others around them....

Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. - Colossians 3:12 (NLT)

This may seem like a hard thing to do at first. After all, poker is a game built on taking (or more politely, "winning") chips away from other players. But if you try it, you might find it's a hidden specialty you've had all along:

If your gift is serving others, serve them well.... If it is giving, give generously.... And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly. - Romans 12:7-8 (NLT)

The late Glen Campbell put it well in a song, which is still sung in some churches: "You've got to try a little kindness." There are creative ways to do it, even to fellow poker players. What suggestions would you make? Write a comment if you have some.
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UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 200 final tables in 543 games (36.8%) - 41 cashes. After ten tournaments in the Ohio Valley, we have eight finals and one "bubble boy" payoff.

Pocketing Ten

Tonight is a big moment for this little blog. Shortly after midnight U.S. Eastern time will be the tenth anniversary of our first post!

That first post was about a memorable hand a few nights before, at a west Georgia bar's weekly tournament. This blog actually is a spinoff from another blog we wrote for several years about the city where we lived. We've moved out of that city (two moves in all), but still like to play poker when we can.

From the start, we've tried to make this a blog about far more than poker. That's because we think there are parallels between the game and real life - and even spiritual life. Throughout the ten years, we've asked God to bless our efforts, because....

As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: it will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. - Isaiah 55:10-11

In other words, we want the words we put here to reflect the word of God....

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." - Isaiah 55:8-9

We don't claim to have any genius when it comes to poker. But God is smarter than anyone else, whether or not they play cards.

For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength. - I Corinthians 1:25

We've allowed you to comment on our blog posts for ten years - but to be honest, the response has been very small. So we're asking you to leave an "anniversary comment" with this post, to see what the returns from it are. Has this blog taught you anything - about poker or otherwise? Have you gained from it in some way? Are there things we could do better? Please let us know.

In the meantime, we hope you'll take the advice of a new song. Go "All In" - not necessarily the next time you're dealt cards, but in a commitment to something (and Someone) greater.  

Poker Night 541: Steal a Pot, Steal a Taco

Did you take advantage of Taco Bell's giveaway Wednesday? It was called, "Steal a win, steal a taco" because Golden State won on the road during the pro basketball finals. We claimed our free taco(s), then drove to Hollywood Casino Indiana hoping to claim something bigger....

BLINDS: 400/800

IN THE POCKET: A-J offsuit

The first hour of play was mostly lower for us, although we turned pocket Jacks into three of a kind which eliminated a player. We reached the final table with 8,900 chips out of a starting 12,000.

Now we're down to 5,000 chips in the Small Blind, with nine players left. We have pretty good cards and no one has raised, but we play conservatively and simply call. We recall four players being in the hand.

ON THE FLOP: 10-4-Q (middle card not precise)

That's why we played cautiously. We miss the flop, although we have a big straight draw. We check, but the Big Blind bets 2,000. Other players bail out, leaving us with a big decision. After pondering a moment, we decide on a power play.

"All of it," we declare - raising to 4,200. As a small stack, we don't have much to lose. If the Big Blind calls, we have about 10 outs. If not, at least we made another final table.

Our opponent spends a good deal of time thinking about this. Did we read a bluff correctly? When we think he's about to fold, he calls.

"Do you have a pair?" we ask with a bit of concern.

"Yeah," he says, "but not much of one." He turns over 2-2! So yes, he bluffed - but we have two very live cards.

ON THE TURN: 4

No, that wasn't it. One chance left.

ON THE RIVER: K

"Yes!" we say and pump our arm in victory. But for a moment, the female dealer doesn't grasp it. We're sitting to her immediate left, and she's hard of hearing in her left ear!

Other players point out the straight we made. We stay alive, and return to more than 10,000 chips.

The final table was relatively tight, and it took a long time to whittle down the field. But we took a player out with K-J, and received a 9 in the Big Blind which turned into quads!

We held on until four players were left. But after more than three hours of play, rising blinds finally were too expensive. We pushed in the Big Blind with Q-2. A woman called with K-6, and won the race when two more Kings hit the board. We finish fourth out of 14 players - the third time in six tournaments there that we've finished fourth! Too bad only the top two earned money.

MINISTRY MOMENT: A man sitting to our left won a pot with an A-5 straight, known in poker as the "wheel."

"There's an old song about that," we told him. "Ezekiel saw the wheel.... in the middle of the air."

The man seemed intrigued for a moment, but then became distracted by other players and hands. But are you familiar with that song? It's a "spiritual" that we sang in our youth, and it has its basis in the Bible....

As I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the ground beside each creature with his four faces. This was the appearance and structure of the wheels: They sparkled like chrysolite, and all four looked alike. Each appeared to be made like a wheel intersecting a wheel. - Ezekiel 1:15-16

What's going on here? The prophet Ezekiel is having "visions of God" (verse 1) - and he sees "what looked like four living creatures" (verse 5). Another section of his account helps explain....

The Lord said to the man clothed in linen, "Go in among the wheels beneath the cherubim. Fill your hands with burning coals from among the cherubim and scatter them over the city." And as I watched, he went in. - Ezekiel 10:2

So Ezekiel is watching "cherubim" in action - what our old hardbound dictionary calls "the second order of angels." It's quite different from the traditional pictures of cute angels. And one thing more about those wheels....

Their rims were high and awesome, and all four rims were full of eyes all around. - Ezekiel 1:18

Who needs "dash-cams" inside your car when you have eyeballs on wheels? And more to our point, what could all this possibly mean for us? Offer a comment if you'd like, and we'll get back to this section (and that song) in a future post.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: Tonight we mark 11 years of playing live tournaments - and we stand at 198 final tables in 541 games (36.6%), with 40 cashes. Since moving to our new area, the final table count is six out of eight!

The Star of Our Show

When some people enter a poker room or tournament, to borrow a pro wrestling cliché, their reputation precedes them. Think of famous names such as Ferguson, Hellmuth or Negreanu.

When we walk into a poker room, it's usually the opposite. Unless other players read this blog or have seen us before, they don't know a thing about us. In a way, that can be a good thing - putting the element of surprise and uncertainty into our play.

We play online from time to time at PokerStars - but we do not claim to be one personally. As a follow-up to our last post about "lucky stars" in casinos, here's the "star" we really hope to represent....

I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony to the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star. - Revelation 22:16

Jesus has many titles, and only a few of them are mentioned here (see verse 13 for more). Why would He call Himself a star? A hint to the answer is hidden in the Old Testament....

I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel. He will crush the foreheads of Moab, the skulls of all the sons of Sheth. - Numbers 24:17

Believers looked for that "star" for a long time. Then came an amazing time....

...Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the one who has been born King of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him." - Matthew 2:1-2

Bible experts believe the "Magi" (called "wise men" by some) knew astrology/astronomy well. A miraculous star led them to the baby Jesus (verses 8-10). And the Bible indicates Jesus shines like a star now:

...Among the lampstands was someone "like a son of man," dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest.... His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. - Revelation 1:13, 16

This "Morning Star" will return at the darkest moment of human history, with Earth on the brink of extinction. Several chapters of Revelation describe how that will occur.

So Jesus is the "Star" we follow - the One we try to reflect. And thanks to a current hit Christian song, we have an answer for people who might think we have "lucky stars" to thank for any success in poker. No, it's not that. We're simply thankful for God's love.

Time for a Change

We hinted in our last post that something was about to happen with us. Now we can reveal what it is.

After almost five years in our home state of Kansas, we've accepted a new full-time (at least for now) job in another state. The move is happening in a hurry, so Sunday marked our last poker tournament in the Wichita area.

Here are the final results from our poker days in Kansas:

Kansas Star Casino - Eight final tables in 47 games (17%); six cashes
Other Wichita poker rooms - 33 final tables in 51 games (64.7%); 10 cashes
Tournaments elsewhere (Kansas/Missouri/Oklahoma) - Six final tables in 13 games (46.2%); 3 cashes
WPT League - Five final tables in 17 games (29.4%); no cash awarded

Grand total: 52 final tables in 128 tournaments - a healthy-looking 40.6 percent!

But we should point some of those "other Wichita poker rooms" had only enough players for one table - and they were all shut down by police two years ago. And we're ending the tournament "experiment" we started last November with a loss of $260, despite three cash wins in four months.

We should be able to keep playing tournament poker in the place where we're going. But we've decided it's not easy for us to make a living at it. It's a "side hustle", but nothing more.

Regular readers know this will be our second move to another state since we started this blog. As a wise person once said: "The only thing constant in life is change." Yet some things in our lives are exceptions to that....

I the Lord do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob are not destroyed. - Malachi 3:6

Some people make this a blanket statement about God. He never changes anything. Period. Yet careful Bible readers can spot times when God changed the rules for doing things.

The Lord said to Moses, "Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water...." - Numbers 20:7-8

God told Moses earlier to strike a rock to get water (Exodus 17:6). In his anger, Moses struck the rock in the second case. He defaulted to God's original instructions - and paid for it:

But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them." - Numbers 20:12

So sometimes, God can change His ways. And even more importantly, He wants you to change yours.

Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. - Isaiah 55:7

To borrow from a classic rock song: you've got to change your evil ways. Read the Bible carefully, then examine yourself.... asking: Is that what I'm doing?

(P.S. Blog updates may diminish over the next few weeks, due to our move.)

Poker Night 517: This Is the Big One, Elizabeth

If you follow NASCAR, you know fans at some race tracks wait for "the big one" to happen - a crash that takes out about a dozen drivers at once. That happens once in a while in a poker tournament, too. Check what occurred tonight at Five-Star Billiards....

BLINDS: 300/600

IN THE POCKET: Ad-Qc

After a slow start, we split a pot with A-4 and won one with pocket Kings. But then our pocket Queens lost to a man with A-K who hit a King on the flop. That was costly to our stack, and now we have 5,300 chips from a starting 10,000.

"Thousand more," we say after no one else at the table of eight raises. We make it 1,600 to go.

"Thirty-six," says the man sitting next to us. Uh-oh. This could be big.... or big trouble.

A woman sitting across the table from us in the Small Blind calls the 3,600. Another woman to our right, who's been hitting big hands all night, also calls! Now it's our turn again - and while we've never read "The Book" poker players talk about a lot, we know it says we should press on.

"I have to go all-in," we say to ooo's from other players. "I've come this far by faith. I might as well."
The man to our left calls, of course.

"I have 54," the Small Blind says. She goes all-in as well, for 100 more!

The woman to the right decides to make it a huge party, by calling. "I have 1,100 left," she reports. The Small Blind adds his missing 100, and we have a monster pot of more than 21,000.

ON THE FLOP: 6d-4d-2h (best memory)

Not to our liking - and we doubt it is for anyone else. Two players can still bet. The woman to the right checks.

"I'm not checking," the man to our left says. He bets 1,600. The other woman calls with her last 1,100. Now it's time to show and tell:

Man to the left: K-K
Small Blind: K-J
Woman to the right: 7-7

Instant analysis: We need an Ace.

ON THE TURN: 10d

But hold on. Now three diamonds are showing. If one more shows up....

ON THE RIVER: Qs

We get a pair - but it's the wrong one. The man with Kings wins it all, in an unusual triple takeout.

At a casino, we probably would have simply called the 3,600 pre-flop. But we probably would have been put all-in on the flop, with little choice but to push. It's another explosive "free poker" bust.

MINISTRY MOMENT: Did you spot the Christian song we mentioned during that hand? "We've Come This Far By Faith" has been sung by many people. When we hear it, we think of an Old Testament drama....

Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again." - Exodus 14:13

Moses had led Israel out of Egypt. Now the nation stood at the Red Sea, with Pharaoh's army closing in (verses 9-10). Was Moses corrected by God, when he said to "stand firm"?

Then the Lord said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground." - Exodus 14:15-16

Moses did as he was told, and the water split in two so Israel could pass through (verses 21-22).

By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned. - Hebrews 11:29

Sometimes that sort of thing happens to us at a poker room. Several people have been eliminated at once while we were in peril, leading us to a final table or a cash payoff. It doesn't always happen, as we saw tonight - but then, poker isn't a life-or-death matter. Yet it's still inspiring to us when it does.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 188 final tables in 517 games (36.4%) - 38 cashes.

Poker Day 513: From a Jack to a King?

Our title borrows from an old country music song. But it relates to a key hand we faced Wednesday at Kansas Star Casino - a decision that could have led to an early exit:

BLINDS: 25/50

IN THE POCKET: A-J of spades

We won an early pot with J-9. Now our Jack has a powerful partner, and we're first to play at a full table. We follow our usual approach and limp early, waiting for raisers. None come. As best we recall, four players get in.

ON THE FLOP: A-7-2

The spades are not an issue here. But we have top pair and a pretty good kicker - yet someone else bets 150 before our turn comes. That's OK; we'll call.

ON THE TURN: 8

Every extra card increases the chances of someone hitting a second pair. So when the player ahead of us bets 150 again, we try to close the deal with a raise to 300. A man across the table calls; the others fold.

ON THE RIVER: 2

We now have two pair and a pretty good kicker. We think another bet will clinch it, so we bet 300 again. But now, our opponent raises to 1,000.

This forces us to pause for a moment. We can't imagine the other man stuck around with a pair of 2's to make three of a kind on the river. On the other hand, our Jack isn't strong enough to top A-K or A-Q.

Finally we decide to take the big risk. We call.... and the opponent shows A-10! Our Jack indeed was better, and we take a big pot of more than 3,000 chips.

The first hour had a couple of setbacks, and we reached the first break with 2,675 from a starting 3,500 chips. But hour two brought some big gains. An all-in bet with Q-10 led to a winning Queen, and a jump to 4,200. Then A-J brought a jump to 8,000. Another A-J increased our stack to 9,500. Thanks to a couple more good wins, we wound up at the second break with 8,500.

But as the final table approached, our streak ran out. We went all-in with A-9, but lost to a King when a King came on the flop. On a day with 64 players, sixth place would have earned money - but this time, we slipped to 12th place.

MINISTRY MOMENT: When the second hour started, we were in the Big Blind for 200. Mr. Small Blind arrived a little late, so the dealer asked us to put out his 100. When Mr. Small Blind saw, he pretended to cause a fuss.

"I just did what the dealer told me to do," we confessed.

"You're not trying to start a fight...." a man to our left joked.

"I come in peace," we replied. "'Blessed are the peacemakers.' I read that in a book once."

We're not sure if that man knew which book we meant. But if you're a regular reader, you probably do....

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. - Matthew 5:9

Jesus put peacemaking on His famous list of Biblical "beatitudes" - a list of nine traits which are blessed by God. It isn't always easy to make peace; the news headlines are filled with people and groups in conflict (if not outright war) with each other. But here's one way to do it....

Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath.... - Romans 12:17-19

In the poker room, "revenge" can happen naturally with the turn of cards. You might get a straight this hand, while we hit a full house in the next hand. But peacemaking can be done in other areas, both large and small. We think the primary way is with the mouth - not "raising" when someone taunts or teases you. Even better....

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. - Romans 12:14

But we need to learn to respond that way not simply because we have to do it - but because we want to do it:

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. - Romans 12:9

As we said, this isn't easy. It starts with repenting before God of moments when you've chosen the side of conflict, instead of peace. Then ask for His Holy Spirit to help clean up your life - starting with the heart and mouth, then far beyond.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 187 final tables in 513 games (36.5%) - 36 cashes. Experiment cost: Down $160.

Poker Night 508: The Old Man and the Shove

On our last night before leaving a church convention, we decided there was time to try one more tournament at Casino Choctaw-Durant. The finish was better - and also more memorable:

BLINDS: 1,000/2,000

IN THE POCKET: A-Q offsuit

We won the first three hands of the tournament, then claimed several more after that. That's led us to the final table, after more than three hours of play. But with seven players remaining, we're now desperate. With only 2,000 chips left, good cards may have come for us in the nick of time.

"I'm all-in, and I call," we tell the table. But an older man across from us (we'd guess at least 75) is distracted by what happened a few hands ago. A woman won a big pot from him, by staying in a hand he thought she should have avoided. After accusing her of "not knowing how to play," he seems to be on tilt. Yet he doesn't raise, and five players get in for the minimum.

ON THE FLOP: K-9-4 (third card may not be precise)

This doesn't look promising for us - and even less so when players start betting. The woman to our left offers (as best we recall) 3,000. The older man responds by going all-in.

"What are you going to do?" he asks us. Answer: sit and watch.

"I'm all-in," we remind Mr. Accuser. Other players have folded, except for the woman who has him bothered. She takes a moment to think about this.

"Hurry up. I've got to go home and feed the dog," the older man says. We can't resist laughing out loud at that line. The woman finally calls, and it's time to show our cards.

The woman at our left has J-9. The older man shoved with 9-2. She's in the lead thanks to her kicker, but we have two very live cards.

ON THE TURN: 8

This card helps no one - and leaves us at the brink.

ON THE RIVER: 2

Aw, c'mon! We get knocked out, but the older man gets an amazing escape by hitting a second pair. So he starts singing the chorus of "Old Man River" - and we almost join him on the final notes, as we shake his hand!

We leave in seventh place, on a night with only 16 players. But at least we can say we made a final table at a casino where big tournaments happen - and we leave with the funniest poker story we've had in a long time.

MINISTRY MOMENT: We carried our "Lord's Supper" card protector again, and showed it to a woman sitting next to us. "What do you think of Jesus?" we asked her. She seemed surprised by the question.

"I'm not sure what you mean," she said. "He did everything He came to do.... He came to save the world."

It turned out that woman and two others at our table admitted to having Jesus as their Savior. That's good. But is that saving work finished yet?

...God our Savior.... wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. - I Timothy 2:3-4

That's what God wants. But we fear that's one place where skeptics point fingers of doubt. If God is all-powerful, can't He achieve what He wants? Why have some notorious people died, seemingly without coming close to being saved?

The answer may sound strange, but it's this: God is not trying to save everyone now. It would be great if that happened, but it's not the plan....

I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved.... - Romans 11:25-26

By "Israel," we think the apostle Paul refers to members of the "12 tribes" descended from Old Testament Israel (Romans 9:4/11:1). God has opened a way at this time for people outside those tribes to enter His family, while....

...The others were hardened, as it is written: "God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes so that they could not see and ears so that they could not hear, to this very day." - Romans 11:7-8

If some of our posts about the Bible leave you puzzled or confused.... well, believe it or not, we understand your confusion. In fact, it may be part of God's grand plan. We'll explain more about that in an upcoming post.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 185 final tables in 508 nights (36.4%) - 37 cashes. This was our first final table since June; we'd missed five in a row.

In the Presence of a Princess

We don't watch poker movies - to be honest, we scarcely watch any movies - but word came today that another one is on the way.



Courtesy JustJared.com

The trailer was released for Molly's Game, the story of an Olympic skier who becomes a "poker princess." She develops a private poker game with a star-studded clientele of players. The first reviews indicate it's a true story. And the back story is a bit lurid - with one Hollywood star reportedly offering her $1,000 to "bark like a seal."

Would you ask someone from a real royal family to do something like that? Somehow, we doubt it. But what if we said you're walking in front of royalty all the time - every day?

For God is the King of all the earth; sing to him a psalm of praise. - Psalm 47:7

Ace may be the high card in poker, but God is the highest King of all. And He's paying attention to all of us, whether you want Him to do it or not.

From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind; from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth.... - Psalm 33:13-14

An old song said, "God is watching us from a distance." But it won't be that way forever - because God plans to send a King named Jesus who will get close. Too close for comfort, some might say....

"So I will come near to you for judgment. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud the laborers of their wage, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive aliens of justice, but do not fear me," says the Lord Almighty. - Malachi 3:5

If those traits describe you - perhaps committing "perjury" with your poker hand, or something worse - it's time to "fear God." Here's how you do it, for starters....

Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.- Ecclesiastes 12:13

And so we'll conclude our own matter here. Obey God. He's watching. He's planning to testify against your sins. And living as if you're in front of royalty can be a noble thing to do.