Good Reception

The National League of Poker gives, and then it takes away. Only days after we won two dollars in a cash freeroll, NLOP dropped the nightly freerolls again. Perhaps it was a limited-time offer.

So for the last few days, we've been trying out free PokerStars.Net tournaments for the first time in years. We're not in a U.S. state where we can win money, but the challenge is good and the "entry chips" are structured generously.

It was at a Poker Stars table that we met a player named "ReceiveJesus." We tried to strike up a  chat....

flopblogger: Good to see that name, "Receive Jesus"
flopblogger: Methinks everyone should

There was no response from that player. But the concept is a good one. It comes from Jesus Himself:

He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me. - Matthew 10:40

Jesus was speaking here to His 12 main disciples, before He sent them out to the surrounding area (verse 5). It's humbling to think that disciples represent God the Father and Jesus the Son. But they do - and there's even a payoff for you if you accept them:

Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man's reward. - Matthew 10:41

Someone is "righteous" because of what Jesus Christ has done - not really because of anything you do:

But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.... - Romans 3:21-22

Jesus wants you to receive Him in faith, to gain the reward of the righteous which is eternal life with Him (Hebrews 10:35-38). But Jesus won't force His way upon you. You must willingly receive Him:

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. - Revelation 3:20

If you catch the right card on the river, you can win a pot and survive in a tournament. If you "catch Christ" by receiving Jesus, the reward will be even better. Is it time for you to make the reception?

All Work, No Pay?

You may have wondered how we've been able to play weekday poker tournaments over the last few weeks. Here's the reason - we've been on furlough.

Our current regular employer is the U.S. government. And for five weeks, we were "on the rail" due to a partial shutdown. Our job was not one requiring us to work without a paycheck. We could only empathize with those who do - and in fact, the rules of the shutdown barred us from going in voluntarily and patriotically to help them do the daily work.

But then it hit us - isn't poker a lot like those furloughed workers? You could play for hours, either in a tournament or a cash game, and not get a penny for it. In fact, you could lose a bundle in a cash game. All that "work" - for nothing!

Well, hold on. Maybe it's not all for nothing. Maybe we need a different perspective....

Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. - Colossians 3:23 (NLT)

The apostle Paul admittedly wrote this to first-century "slaves". But they were slaves connected to God's Church, by their belief in God and Jesus Christ. You may feel like you're "slaving" at times, in a poker room or on a regular job. But the apostle advises....

Serve them sincerely because of your reverent fear of the Lord.... Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ. - Colossians 3:22, 24 (NLT)

Furloughed federal workers are going back to work this week, and withheld back pay will be restored. Poker players who fall "off the bubble" don't often have that promise. But a much bigger payday is coming:

For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. - Matthew 16:27 (KJV)

Other parts of the Bible describe that reward in terms of "cities" or responsibilities (Matthew 25:21; Luke 19:19). And with the gift of eternal life....

For my people will live as long as trees, and my chosen ones will have time to enjoy their hard-won gains. They will not work in vain.... For they are people blessed by the Lord, and their children, too, will be blessed. - Isaiah 65:22-23 (NLT)

One famous sermon of the 20th century called it "Payday Someday." May it come very soon - and may you "work" loyally for God until it does, even if that work is in a poker room.

Eyes Upon You

Want to be a TV star? All you have to do is sit down in some casino poker rooms. Security cameras are placed above tables, to record every hand and ensure every player and dealer is ethical.

But in a recent post, we mentioned a watch that's even higher in the sky than that. The Biblical book of Ezekiel includes a vision indicating "living creatures" have wheels "full of eyes all around" (Ezekiel 1:16-18).

This admittedly sounds weird - like something from a horror movie. What could those eyes be looking for? Another Old Testament book hints at the answer:

For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.... - II Chronicles 16:9

In the classic words of Bugs Bunny: Did you ever get the funny feeling you're being watched? Well, the Bible indicates you are. God is watching - and living cherubim are helping Him do it.

The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good. - Proverbs 15:3

God is doing this to build a case for a day of judgment, which will come after we die. It could be a case for you.... or against you.

Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it....And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne.... each person was judged according to what he had done. - Revelation 20:11-13

What can you do to prepare for this judgment? The answer is back in that verse from II Chronicles. Be "fully committed" to God the Father and Jesus Christ.

So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good. - I Peter 4:19

You might get mocked at a poker table for trying to do God's will. We faced that this past week, at a final table. But commit to doing good deeds for God, and He promises to notice. He's watching, keeping score - and if you last to the end, a nice reward is coming.

Poker Day 525: Not Too Komfortable

Pocket Aces? "Easy Aces," to borrow from an old radio show. But those other pocket pairs can be a problem to play. Consider what happened to us Friday at Kansas Star Casino....

BLINDS: 25/25

IN THE POCKET: K-K

It's early, but we've been losing. We begin this hand with about 3,000 chips from a starting 3,500. These cards give us hope, and we limp in. A man two seats to our left makes us look smart, by raising to 225. We call; everyone else at the full table folds.

ON THE FLOP: 8-J-8

It's not in the pocket, but another pair shows up. Yet it's the Jack in the middle that concerns us. Did our opponent raise with his own pocket pair.... maybe Jacks? Or Aces? We check in caution. He bets 500. That's not enough to run us off; we call.

ON THE TURN: 9

We check again. This time, he does as well. This actually makes us feel better. A "third barrel" might have run us off.

ON THE RIVER: 6

With no flush threat, we think it's time to turn the tables and see if we've been bullied. Now we bet 500 with our hidden two pair. Our opponent thinks about it - then simply calls.

"I've got the donuts," we say. "Krispy Kremes."

"You sure do," he says.... and folds without showing. That gain of more than 1,200 chips get us officially into the game.

"I had one of your cowboys," the man adds. So he apparently had K-something. In this case, one King would not have been enough.

We won the next hand as well (with a straight, as we remember it), for another big gain. Our stack reached 7,700 during the first period, but we fell to 5,750 at the first break.

Then in the second term, trouble happened. We attempted to eliminate that same man with A-K, but his push with pocket Queens worked. We never recovered from that, holding on to the semifinal table. There we had the bad break of sitting down in the Big Blind right away. A push with our last 600 with A-Q fell to a man with pocket 2's, who caught a third one on the turn. A day with 73 players ended with us in 20th place.

MINISTRY MOMENT: We brought our "Lord's Supper" card protector (the one with a traditional caricature of Jesus Christ on the other side) and showed it to a few men at the table.

"We may never know what He looked like," a man to our immediate left said.

"I think we're going to know someday," we responded.

That man indicated he might not be around to see that. "I'm not really sure where I'm going."

"We can do something about that...."

"Oh, I know. My wife is a choir director and a church organist."

Let's break down this exchange. How can we say that "someday" we'll know how Jesus looked?

Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen. - Revelation 1:7

This is a reference to Jesus (verse 5). In a past generation, ministers suggested "every eye" would see Jesus's second coming because CNN would televise it live. But we wonder if this will be an intervention so huge that it spreads across the entire earth:

And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. - Revelation 19:11(NASB)

As sports fans might be surprised to see the roof opened or shut at a domed stadium, God apparently will open what we think are the limits of the sky. But will some people really miss the moment of encountering Jesus?

Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne.... The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. - Revelation 20:11-12

Not even death will protect you from this "all in moment." In fact, your life will lead up to this moment.

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

That includes us.... and you. What are you doing now, that will receive a payout then?

As for where that man is going, and the duties of his wife.... let's hold those for a future post.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 190 final tables in 525 games (36.2%), 39 cashes. Experiment update: Down $25.

The Private Plan

Steps continue to unfold in our area's crackdown on gambling - which seems primarily to be a crackdown on poker rooms and tournaments.

We've now learned a big tournament was held earlier this month, outside the Wichita city limits - put on in the suburbs as a fundraiser for the football team. The school district and football team websites didn't seem to have anything about it when we checked today (including the fine print about whether there was a required buy-in). But one poker group's Twitter feed indicates it's gone on for several years.

Then there's the move by our primary Wichita poker room. Arrowhead Poker has cleansed its Facebook feed of dozens, perhaps hundreds, of posts about cash games in progress and upcoming tournaments. Now it says this:

Arrowhead Poker Cardroom is a private social club. We offer free texas holdem tournaments daily. Like this page to keep up with current events we are running. We are seeking Spades players as well for future tournament play details to come. 

The poker room's website still advertises daily tournaments - but the "Sunday Showdown" which once had a $75 buy-in now has no price showing.

"Private clubs" have a long history in our state. They go back to a time when "liquor by the drink" was not openly allowed, people would cross state lines to stock up on wine, and a minister with a lost voice box led an anti-alcohol "Life at Its Best" movement warning about "drug suffering."  That all changed in Kansas in the mid-1980s. But we wonder if what Arrowhead Poker is promoting is a first step toward bringing it back.

If you choose to play poker in private to get around local and state laws, keep one thing in mind. You might be able to hide your cash game from police - but you can't hide it from God:

..All who sin under the law will be judged by the law.... This will take place on the day when God will judge men's secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares. - Romans 2:12, 16

To borrow from a song co-written by the late Glenn Frey, "You can't hide your lyin' eyes." Not from God, you can't. He watches over "the wicked and the good" (Proverbs 15:3).  But that doesn't mean secret acts are bad.  In fact, the Bible also says....

..And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. - Matthew 6:18b

The King James Version says God will "reward you openly."  He wants others to know about the deeds you do for Him - but on the other hand, He doesn't want you to promote them:

So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men.... do not let your left hand know what you right hand is doing. - Matthew 6:2-3

We've heard ministers preach for decades about attempts by big government to encroach on your "right to privacy." But ultimately, that "right" does not exist. The idea is a farce, because God watches it all and will judge based on all. How are you spending your private time - and will it pass the final judgment test?

Is Faith Enough?

Two men at the table were dropping hints about their hands before the flop. The man next to us was considering whether or not to call a raise. "I have faith in my cards," he said.

"Yeah, but faith without works is dead," we pointed out to him with a smile.

He didn't say anything in response to that, but we think our words rang a bell with him.  Those words are taken from the Bible....

For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. - James 2:26 (KJV)

You may think your pocket Kings are the best hand - especially if the highest card on the flop is a Jack, and nobody else is betting. To think that requires a bit of "faith," based on what you know about the rules of poker. But that faith could be misguided; what if another player has pocket Jacks, and is quietly holding quads?

If everyone "checks it down" to the river, you could be right and win the pot.  But the only way to make sure your "faith" in a hand is valid is to make a bet.

In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. - James 2:17

Your bet could make everyone fold. You could get called, which might be an act of faith by someone else. Or that opponent with quad Jacks could go far over-the-top, and push all his chips in. That's the time to reassess how much faith in your cards you really have.

That's an example from the table - but let's take it outside. We've heard radio preachers say everyone has faith in something. The question is where you put it. If it's merely in your ability to play poker, that could be misguided. But if you put faith in something (or Someone) bigger, that's far better....

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. - Hebrews 4:14

Hold on to that faith until the end, and God promises a wonderful future - including a "crown of righteousness" with eternal life when Jesus returns (II Timothy 4:7-8). If you have questions about that kind of faith, please leave a comment; we'll be happy to help you.

One Shining Moment?

Joe Cada. Martin Jacobson. Greg Merson. Jerry Yang.

What do these poker players have in common? They've all won the World Series of Poker Main Event. (Jacobson did it only last year.) Yet they're all out of this year's Main Event, failing to survive their first day of play in Las Vegas.

With more than 6,400 players competing for the 2015 title, the odds of repeating as champion are ridiculously small. That's why it was noteworthy last year when one man reached the final table for the second year in a row.

The players we listed above are still well-known in poker circles. But the worldwide attention that can come from winning the Main Event is fleeting - lasting no more than eight months, from a "November Nine" to the next summer.  Sad as it sounds, our lives are like that as well.

Man born of woman is of few days and full of trouble. He springs up like a flower and withers away; like a fleeting shadow, he does not endure. - Job 14:1-2

Trouble even can come to Main Event winners.  One wound up being battered in a home invasion - and only in researching this post did we learn his stolen WSOP bracelet wound up in a waste bin. Given that fact, how should we live?

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, with moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, were moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. - Matthew 6:19-20

Jesus is using poetic language to indicate we should focus on eternal things - things beyond this life. Those treasures will have a payday sometime in the future:

Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. - Revelation 22:12

Play your poker well - but do other things along with it, that might earn you a rich reward from God. He promises the ultimate payoff of all.

Handling a Big Stack

It's a news item that could give the phrase "hedging your bets" a completely new meaning. A British hedge fund has hired a new employee who happens to be one of the top professional poker players in Greece.

It would be tempting to ask Alexios Zervos why he'd leave Greece for London. If he's considered good at managing investments, doesn't the Greek government need him right now to avoid bankruptcy?

But the article about this hire points out an interesting connection.  Several investment specialists have become well-known poker stars.  Perhaps it's because they're considered wise at taking risks, and computing the true value of a potential investment.

Whether you play a lot of poker or a little, you need to be careful with whatever "stack" you've been given. It could be chips at a tournament, a job responsibility or something else. Jesus discussed that principle in a famous parable:

The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. "Master," he said, "you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more." His master replied, "Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faith with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!" - Matthew 25:20-21

Jesus's story may be what the hedge fund managers are thinking. If someone can handle poker chips with skill and success, why not something larger - like large investment accounts?

But Jesus's deeper point may be that you need to be successful to be rewarded.  There should be growth - and God wants believers to grow spiritually.

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen. - II Peter 3:18

If you're already a follower of Jesus, ask yourself: are you growing in that relationship?  If you're not, we invite you to consider all of Matthew 25. By using several stories, Jesus reveals there's a great reward waiting for anyone who uses what God has given them to build more.  It's an investment (a "bet", if you will) that's worth taking.

The Daily Grind

If all you've seen in the poker world are big televised tournaments, it might look glamorous.  Players toss around big-money chips in lavish casinos, and make ridiculous sums of money - right?!

Well, let's be realistic. Not all poker players are gazillionaires.  Some do well simply to make a living at the tables - and some may be trying to cheat you out of yours.

An essay posted by the New York Post reminded us of this.  It's about an Australian player who talks about losing or winning more than $1,000 a day - and does it by playing ten hours a day, five days a week.  In other words, "professional poker" becomes a job.

But it seems this job is an exception to what the Bible says about work:

All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty. - Proverbs 14:23

Is that a guaranteed paycheck in poker?  Unless you have a sponsorship deal, the logical answer is no.  What you earn depends on how long and how well you.... uh.... play?! Work?!  Whichever.

The key comes in knowing what you're doing, and doing it well.  That's not only true for poker players, but in other walks of life.  For instance, farming come to mind....

The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. - I Corinthians 3:8

That principle will be true at the end of our lives as well, no matter how long we play poker:

....You, O God, are strong, and that you, O Lord, are loving. Surely you will reward each person according to what he has done. - Psalm 62:11-12

But don't overlook one important standard God uses in figuring that reward....

The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me. - Psalm 18:20

Do you "labor" in poker in a clean way?  An ethical way?  A way which sets an example for others of proper (even godly) conduct?  That kind of work will bring a good reward - including the hope of eternal life with Jesus Christ.

Remember As You Play....

The servant who received the five bags of silver began to invest the money and earned five more.... The servant to whom he had entrusted the five bags of silver came forward with five more and said, "Master, you gave me five bags of silver to invest, and I have earned five more." The master was full of praise. "Well done, my good and faithful. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, s now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let's celebrate together!" - Matthew 25:16, 20-21 (NLT)

In many poker tournaments, everyone starts with the same number of chips.  You could be thankful simply to be in the tournament, and have that many chips.  Or you could try to gain more chips, in an attempt to win the tournament.

Which way is the more logical approach for a poker player?  It's clearly the attempt to add to your stack.  And believe it or not, that's the approach Jesus endorses in the parable we've quoted.

We never thought of a poker connection to the "parable of the talents" until we heard a well-known preacher on Christian radio mention the story this week.  He put it this way: we can be satisfied and thankful for the blessings God has given us -- and in reality, we should be grateful.  But God expects more from us than that.  He wants growth in those talents -- looking for the blessings to increase.

Another servant in Jesus's parable chose to settle for the talents he was given. He buried them in the ground (verse 18).  How did the master respond to that approach?

But the master replied, "You wicked and lazy servant!... Why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it... Now throw this useless servant into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." - Matthew 25:26-30 (NLT)

 

Time moves along.  The blinds go up.  Inflation (maybe antes) happens.

 

To paraphrase that radio preacher: it's nice to have $10,000 now - but you don't want to look several years from now, and find you still only have that base $10,000.

 

So with apologies to the people who see Jesus Christ as a quasi-socialist, "give it all away" preacher, the Lord shows here growth can be a good thing.  God plans to reward it in His kingdom, once Jesus returns to Earth.

For the Son of man is coming in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he will reward everyone for what he has done. - Matthew 16:27 (Moffatt)

 

Do you play poker defensively - perhaps "playing not to lose"?  Or do you play to advance, grow and hopefully win?  God doesn't object to the growth method - as long as you don't cross a line into being greedy.

 

 

 

Survivor: Las Vegas

Perhaps the World Series of Poker Main Event should have that title above.  Out of 6,352 players, only nine will sit down at the final table in Las Vegas Monday evening.

The biographies of the finalists show a range of backgrounds -- players from Israel and the Netherlands, along with the U.S.; players who like to surf and play table tennis on their free time.  But we're struck by the fact that at least two of the "November Nine" are not full-time poker pros.  One is called simply a "hobbyist" -- which in a way describes us as well.

People who do something only on a part-time basis can have a little bit of success.  (Check our final table numbers on the days we play.)  Full-time poker players probably do better in the long run, because they utilize their skills on a regular basis.  And God requires a similar commitment from us:

So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good. - I Peter 4:19

Sometimes you can spot the difference between a halfway-committed follower of God and one who's, well, all-in.  Their words or actions give them away.  If you can see it, imagine how quickly God can spot it.

Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm.  Let nothing move you. Always give ourselves fully to the  work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. - I Corinthians 15:58

Work for God will be rewarded in the end -- especially if you work for Him until the end:

....Because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free. - Ephesians 6:8

So who will be rewarded in Las Vegas this week?  We think JC Tran will utilize his experience and chip lead, to take it all.  What's your prediction?

Gifted and Rewarded

A recent post looked at what can happen when players show up late for poker tournaments, and what our attitude should be about that.  We based our thinking on a parable of Jesus.  The parable ends with these famous words:

So the last will be first, and the first will be last. - Matthew 20:16

Sometimes the first person to show up for a poker tournament winds up in last place -- as the first person eliminated.  Then there are the latecomers who adjust their game to higher blinds, take over a table and go on to great success.

But as we mentioned before, Jesus's parable is about more than Texas Hold 'em tournaments.  It's about the process of bringing people to salvation -- an eternal relationship with God.

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. - Romans 6:23

Some people accepted Jesus as their Savior during their teenage years.  Some did it during a "deathbed confession" in old age.  Both will be entitled to the same "gift" of eternal life.  The longtime believer won't live any longer than the latecomer.  After all, eternal life is eternal - without end for all time.

So what's the advantage of "showing up early" in the game of believing?  The Bible hints at an answer....

For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done. - Matthew 16:27

What will that reward be?  That answer isn't clear.  Another parable of Jesus indicates the reward will be based on how much we've done for Him in the time that we have (Luke 19:11-27).  The more time you have, the more "profit" you can build.

So if you've never accepted Jesus, we recommend you do so quickly -- before the years of life "blind you out" and eliminate that opportunity.  And if you have accepted Him, get into the practice of sharing Him with others.  It could be by words or a quiet example -- but either way, work on building up that spiritual chip stack.

Reward Point

You never know what might come up, when you play online poker. Take this exchange from the other day:

P [other player]: i missed the 25 cash due to door knockers jehova witnesss
Me: Did you agree with their message?
P: nope and they didnt agree with my pipe being lit
Me: Ohhhh.
P: lol
Dealer: flopblog [Me] wins Main Pot ($570) with One pair, jacks
Me: whoa didn't expect that
Pnder57: lucky with them high cards showin
Me: have you ever read their lit?
Pnder57: nh
Me: Thanks
Pnder57: wayyyyyy back
Me: I don't agree with all their points....
Me: but they're right when they talk about Jesus coming back someday.

No one commented further after we brought up the return of Jesus. So we'll ask -- do you believe He's coming again?

Denominations dispute the details of exactly how it will happen. But Jesus said this in Matthew 16:27 - "For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done." The Lord already was on earth when He said that, so that means Jesus is coming again.

If it happened right now, what would your reward be? Have you done anything spiritually lasting, to build what Jesus called in Luke 12:33 "a treasure in heaven?" For believers in Christ, that's a bankroll which isn't likely to drain away.