The Marathon Man (WSOP Edition)

As this year's World Series of Poker rolls on in Las Vegas, we're struck by how may events now have catchy titles. The "Deuce-to-Seven Lowball Triple Draw" admittedly sounds awfully nerdy. But we've mentioned the "Colossus" - and this weekend, the "Marathon" concluded.

Courtesy WSOP.com

Australia's Michael Addamo won the five-day Marathon, which had more than 1,600 entries. The name apparently comes from the fact that each level of blinds lasted 100 minutes, while your neighborhood poker room might increase the blinds after 15 or 20.

But let's be honest - don't most poker tournaments feel like marathons? Especially if you survive deep into the final table? The first table or two might seem like a sprint, as wild players take their chances and go bust early. But the fight to make the money takes time, and usually isn't easy.

A wise man once wrote about that - even though we don't think he ever played poker:

I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all. - Ecclesiastes 9:11

We've been surprised by how long "turbo" tournaments can last in our new area. Even with 15-minute blinds, it took more than three hours in our last event to whittle 14 players down to four.

Outside the poker room, our lives also can be like that. While Addamo won a bracelet at age 23, it came after four years of effort at the WSOP and other events. To reach the ultimate success in life can take far longer - a lifetime, in fact. But consider what's promised:

To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations... I will also give him the morning star. - Revelation 2:26, 28

Jesus Christ made this promise to a church in the city of Thyatira (verse 18). National authority under Jesus is the reward to those who "endure," as the King James Version puts it. That will happen when the Kingdom of God comes to Earth.

There's been some sad news lately about famous names dying from suicide. It's hard to argue they truly "endured to the end." If you're thinking about doing the same thing, read this letter from a church President. Then seek professional help, if necessary. Save the desperation push for A-Q in a Small Blind - while ending your marathon of life successfully.

Perfectly Timed

The more we ponder our last poker tournament, the more we think about the hand we saw, but couldn't play - the "bad beat" shown on ESPN. We mentioned how Vanessa Selbst had pocket Aces, and developed a full house with Aces over 7's.

But Gaelle Baumann (pictured) had pocket 7's which turned into quads by the turn. One bet led to a raise, and Selbst was put all-in and eliminated. Selbst was wise enough to ask Baumann if she had quads after calling.

The timing of the cards was terrible for Selbst. But it was perfect for more than Baumann. It was perfect for ESPN, which had the two ladies at a feature table playing "live" on a Sunday afternoon (tournament rules require a 30-minute delay). A lot of poker hands can be mundane, but that was great TV drama.

We can think of Someone else who has a tremendous sense of timing....

...A faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time, and at his appointed season he brought his word to light.... - Titus 1:2-3

God lives beyond time and space. He had no "beginning" in eternity past, as hard as that is for humans to understand. Yet God timed out a "season" for bringing meaning to Old Testament scriptures - especially the prophecies of a messiah.

...This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus.... - II Timothy 1:9-10

When the time was right, Jesus came. In fact, some Bible scholars say Jesus's ministry began in exact timing to fulfill prophetic times of Daniel 9 - a topic too complex for us to explain here.

But there's one remaining time mystery in the Bible. It's one many have tried to figure out, sometimes to their own embarrassment....

"Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven." - Acts 1:11

When will Jesus Christ return? Lots of believers want to know. While we don't know for sure, it's a good idea to be ready for Him now....

So you must also be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. - Matthew 24:44

The Boy Scouts would say, "be prepared" - even for the return of Jesus. To miss out on that could be the worst play of all.

Deals and Dads

People who have followed the World Poker Tour on TV probably know the top players travel a lot. Big prestigious tournaments can happen in places as diverse as Las Vegas, Monaco and Australia.

But one successful poker player admits he's probably going to slow down his schedule this year. Jason Mercier will take a break because his wife will have their first child in October. His plan is to play a lot until the World Series of Poker contests, then potentially shut things down for a few months.

"I would imagine I'll be training him from a young age," Mercier said in an interview. Trouble is, he was talking about teaching his son about "gambling and poker." It seems to us he should also teach other things....

Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. - Ephesians 6:4

How can you "exasperate" a child? That big word can mean to "make very angry or irritated; tax the patience of; provoke...."

Whether they realize it or not, we fear some parents are doing that by spending too much time on their careers. Even Mercier admits in the interview, "You can't really be on the road seven or eight months our of the year for your entire life."

A greedy man brings trouble to his family.... - Proverbs 15:27

For instance, by pursuing big poker paydays non-stop and not paying attention to your spouse or children. (In Mercier's case, it may help that his wife plays poker as well.)

Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged. - Colossians  3:21

Disclaimer: we write from the perspective of being single, with no children. We don't claim any parenting prowess. We're simply passing along the guidance that God's Word provides. But we think an unbalanced life can make children bitter and discouraged - feeling like their parents really don't care about them.

Balance in these things is good. We think the healthiest balance is to err on the side of being with your family too much. Take the necessary time for godly "training and instruction." That's the most satisfying win any poker player could have - even if it's at a kitchen table more than a poker table.

The Show That Never Ends

Our background involves working in television. So we're not sure how we missed this - but we learned only the other day that there's now a non-stop poker TV network.

Poker Central actually has been around for more than a year. It fulfills our old joke about turning on cable TV and finding a poker game somewhere, because it shows nothing but poker at every hour of the day and night. It has poker tutorials on weekends, but that's the only time the format changes. There's not even a late-night infomercial about how to spend your poker winnings on cheap real estate.

If other TV channels can show non-stop baseball, shopping or cooking, we suppose there's room for a channel like this. But with all due respect, we hope no one is watching Poker Central 24 hours a day. That might be a sad sign of poker addiction. Besides, there might even be better ways to spend your time....

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven. - Ecclesiastes 3:1

Unless you've been staring at playing cards too much, you probably know there are other "activities" beyond the poker table. The real question is: which activities are the best use of your time?

Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations.... Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. - Psalm 90:1, 12

These words were prayed by Moses. He spent many days in contact and communication with God, especially in the last 40 years of his 120-year life. As a result, God gave Moses some of the most detailed wisdom ever received. You can find it scattered through the Biblical books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.

Time in the Word of God can be time well-spent - especially if you apply what the Bible says you should do. And beyond that....

Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. - Psalm 84:10

A good way to understand being in God's "courts" is to worship in "the house of... God." It certainly beats playing poker in a smoke-filled basement, where the game could be illegal. And we think it also beats watching endless hours of poker on TV - because too much sitting can ruin your health.

A little poker on television? We see no problem, if everything is clean about it. But watch in moderation, much as we suggest you play in moderation. Spending time with the original "King of Kings" can be even better in the long run.

Changing Times

"SUN 4P" said the sign outside Winners Cardroom, as we pulled in today around 3:53 p.m.  We walked in the door and saw "Crazy Pineapple, 4pm" on a whiteboard to the left.  A few steps later, a seven-day schedule said, "Player's Choice, 4pm."

But there was one big problem.  Today's big Sunday tournament actually began at 2:00 p.m. The final table was down to five players as we walked in.

We knew the schedule had changed - but not until we checked the poker room's Facebook page at 3:20 p.m.  Nothing had changed online, as of late Saturday night.  But we went in hopes of getting into a possible second tournament, following the first one.

"How are you?" the man behind the desk asked.

"I'm confused," we admitted. The man explained they'd decided to try something different, and he hoped enough players would stick around for a second tournament.

The big game ended with a four-way split of the money around 4:15 p.m. A second tournament was promoted on social media for 5:00 p.m., but that's a bit late for us given our current schedule. We went away, and did a little shopping on the way home.

If there's one thing which disappoints us about poker rooms in our city, it's this sort of inconsistency. We've learned to check websites on Saturday nights, if we want to play on Sunday afternoons -- but even in this case, it wasn't good enough.

Thankfully, we serve a God who's not like that most of the time:

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. - James 1:17

God made the sun and the moon (Genesis 1:16) - and with extremely rare exceptions, He's kept them on schedule.  Astronomers can tell you when the sun will set tonight, when it will rise tomorrow and when it will rise six months from tomorrow. There's an unchanging orderliness to that - something believers in evolution can't explain.

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

God's timing of things is trustworthy. But sadly, men tend not to be.

It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes. - Psalm 118:8-9

Even the best of humans eventually will let you down. We must have faith that God will not - because otherwise, what hope do we have?

The Lord is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made. - Psalm  145:13b

May you be faithful with your promises as God is with His. And if you have to make a change, please try to spread about it as early as possible. That will be better for all of us.

The Big Harry Deal

Poker tables sometimes remind us of the old TV comedy Barney Miller.  They can be filled with interesting characters.  We learned this weekend one of our most memorable characters from the Georgia era of this blog has died.

Harry Brooks never seemed to have the most glamorous jobs.  But when he walked into a poker tournament, he had everyone's respect.  He played the game well, talking and acting out bluffs at times to his advantage.  He made a lot more final tables than we did, during our time in Georgia.

"Big Harry" had some health problems in recent years.  We went to see him in the hospital at one point, and asked here for prayers on his behalf.

But here's the saddest part of all for us -- Harry Brooks died in June 2014.  We never knew about his passing until this weekend, more than 11 months later.  One of his relatives took over his Facebook account (something we don't think Facebook allows), and posted a picture of a gravestone which apparently was only finalized in recent days.

We're assuming that gravestone picture sent Harry to the top of our Facebook timeline.  But to be honest (and yes, we know we're getting off the poker theme here), this explains one of our biggest frustrations with Facebook. What used to be a "timeline" has become so jumbled and random that we probably miss most of the posts by our friends.

But we also must be honest with ourselves, and take some of the blame for the lack of knowledge. We get so busy that days can go by without a single Facebook check -- and we've never really made a habit of reading newspaper obituary pages, especially in places where we don't live anymore.

So we can draw several lessons from the life and death of Big Harry:

1. If you really have "friends," spend time with them.  We've heard ministers challenge church congregations about how many "Facebook friends" they really know.  Are they merely online connections - or is there personal contact?

The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend.... - Exodus 33:11

Of course, this was long before Facebook or telephones.  But God had conversations with Moses, when Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt.

Some poker players prefer to gather in their own groups for games, because that's who their closest friends are.  We can understand that, in a "home game" situation.  But we can also understand why some people don't think that's fair when it comes to tournaments, because it appears the group is stacking the odds in their favor.

NOTE: Our thoughts on the death of Big Harry will continue in our next post.

Future Tens

As the poker world moves past the "perfect 10's" of this year's World Series of Poker Main Event champion, we asked about the number ten in the Bible.  We noted there are the Ten Commandments - and we asked where other combinations might be found.

Courtesy tenplay.com.au
 

Jesus mentioned one group of ten in a parable -- then He divided them in two:

At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lambs and went out to meet the bridegroom.  Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not have any oil in them. The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. - Matthew 25:1-4

What's Jesus driving at here?  Is this a message to "preppers" about a coming apocalypse?  Well, in a way it is. Keep reading....

But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. - Matthew 25:10

Let's apply this moment to the poker room.  We don't think it's good to show up "fashionably late" to a tournament.  You'll probably have to start with higher blinds, which means less room to maneuver - and you'll probably have to square off against players with larger chip stacks from earlier action.


But Jesus really was talking about something else - His own return to Earth. Check what happened to the five people had to go buy oil for their lamps:

..."Sir! Sir!" they said. "Open the door for us!" But he replied, "I tell you the truth, I don't know you." Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour. - Matthew 25:11-13

If you're not ready for the return of Jesus, you might miss out on something - the greatest wedding in history:

Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. - Revelation 19:7

The Bible shows believers (God's church) will be wed to Jesus, and be joined with Him forever.  It pays to be ready for that moment.  Stay close to God in prayer and Bible study to keep your "oil supply" well stocked.

We did some more Bible number-crunching, and put the results in one of our newest articles.  We welcome your thoughts about it.

On the Clock

Basketball has them.  Football has them.  Even chess tournaments have them.  But should poker have them?

We're talking about "play clocks" -- with a deadline to make a play, or face a penalty.  The issue has come up in recent days on the World Poker Tour, and a wide majority of players think a "shot clock" is a good idea.  The question is in how to do it, and when it would be appropriate.

Most of the tournaments we've played over the years don't have this problem.  Players seldom go "into the tank" for minutes at a time to make a big decision.  But then again, the stakes in our tournaments are relatively small -- and many players are in it simply for fun, not a bankroll or championship points.

We'd like to know what you think about adding clocks to poker; please leave a comment.  We can see the benefits of it, especially to move televised tournaments along.  But we'd like to ask a deeper question -- aren't we all "on the clock?"  The clock of life?

The length of our days is 70 years - or 80, if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away. - Psalm 90:10

Yes, we know -- this verse seems awfully depressing.  In the words of an old Bonnie Raitt song, we're all "scared we'll run out of time."  And the truth of life is that we all do run out of time.  But the Bible offers hope of an overtime period:

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

Jesus makes it possible for you to have "eternal life."  As they say on basketball broadcasts, the shot clock would be turned off -- and you can emerge from "the tank" of death victorious.

We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. - I Thessalonians 4:14

Verses 16-17 of this chapter show Jesus will come down from heaven, with believers rising to meet Him in the air.

But did you notice the key phrase in all this?  You have to be "in Christ Jesus" - "in him."  Are you living in Jesus, having made Him your Savior and following His godly example?  If you aren't, we strongly recommend it -- before Someone greater than your fellow poker player calls for "the clock" on you.

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.

Better Early Than Late?

It's World Series of Poker season in Las Vegas - and the first big event of the year is a record setter.  More than 6,300 players are entered in the "Millionaire Maker" tournament, with a $1,500 buy-in leading to a million-dollar top prize.

Based on the newspaper article we read, apparently players were allowed to enter after the official starting time.  Admittedly that's always irked us a bit -- people showing up as much as 45 minutes late, yet being allowed to sit down and start playing as if nothing has happened.

Perhaps because of our background in broadcasting, we try to be on time for everything we do -- including poker games.  We're happy to be rewarded at some establishments with extra chips for an "on-time bonus."  But it seems to us that's what everybody should be doing. Yet we're reminded of a parable from Jesus:

For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire men to work in his vineyard.  He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard.  About the third hour he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing.  He told them, "You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right." - Matthew 20:1-4

The following verses describe the landowner rounding up more workers during the course of the day - even at the 11th hour of a 12-hour day.  Yet when the payoff came at day's end, look at what happened....

The workers who were hired about the eleventh hour came and each received a denarius.  So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more.  But each one of them also received a denarius. - Matthew 20:9-10

Does that seem fair to you?  Verses 11-12 show the "early birds" didn't think so, and they grumbled about it.

But he answered one of them, "Friend, I am not being unfair to you.  Didn't you agree to work for a denarius?" - Matthew 20:13

Read the "contract details" from verse 2, and that's absolutely correct.

"Take your pay and go.  I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you." - Matthew 20:14

In poker terms: the player who walks into a 12:00 noon game at 12:50 p.m. still could win the first-place money.

"Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money?  Or are you envious because I am generous?" - Matthew 20:15

This landowner erred on the side of generosity -- on the side of giving.  When you look at things from his perspective, it's hard to fault that.

We can see advantages to being at a poker table on time.  For example, you can build a big chip stack while the blinds are small.  Latecomers may be given the same number of starting chips, but have less margin for error because of bigger blinds.  But in some poker rooms, latecomers actually have their starting count reduced to reflect missing rounds of blinds.

Which player do you think has an edge in this situation?  Leave a comment with your thoughts.  And we should note this parable has implications far beyond the poker room; we'll address those in a future post.

Poker Night 362: Cut to the QuicKK

Last Monday night at The Red Barn, we folded a big pocket pair at a crucial moment.  It cost us a big pot.  Tonight we tried to show we'd learned our lesson.  What could possibly go wrong?

BLINDS: 25/50

IN THE POCKET: K-K

It's the second hand of the night.  We folded 5-8 in the first one, so we still have our original 7,000 chips (2,000 gained by purchasing soda).  But the man sitting to our immediate right is "Big Daddy" - a man we've mentioned here before, who's known for huge bets and off-kilter play.  He's first to act, and he raises 1,000. When we see our cards, we don't hesitate to call.  So do two other players at the table of seven.

"I'd just like to say," Big Daddy tells the table, "f**k you, and have a nice day."  Hmmm - does that mean he didn't really want callers?

ON THE FLOP: 4-5-6

A woman in the Small Blind checks.  Big Daddy then tosses out 2,000.  We realize, of course, this must be a "continuation bet" to buy the pot.  With a big overpair, we call.  One man folds; the Small Blind calls.

ON THE TURN: 9

The woman checks again.  "Five-thousand," Big Daddy announces.  He started with around 30,000 extra chips, due to things such as buying food or feeding the jukebox.  So he can afford a big bet like that.  We can't.

"All I have," we say as we count, "is 4,000."  But after what happened with pocket Kings last Monday night, there's no doubt we're calling to go all-in.  We're confident he's bluffing.

"I fold," the Small Blind says.

"I flopped it," Big Daddy says.  Huh?!

He tosses his cards across the table -- 3-7!  He has a straight!  We have no hope.

ON THE RIVER: J

Big Daddy does what we used to call the "male bonding symbol" - pumping his fist in a couple of times.

"You need an easy button," we tell him.  "That was easy."  Ridiculously easy.  We never expected him to have a straight.  But then again, how many people would raise 1,000 pre-flop with 3-7?

For the second Monday in a row, pocket Kings are our ruin.  We are "two-hand slammed" out of the tournament -- first out at our table, and the fastest exit we can recall making at a live tourney.  Why, we were eliminated even before we even opened the can of Diet Coke we bought.

We drove home with that can and a cup of ice.  They now sit in our refrigerator/freezer.  Maybe we should make that an "incentive can" -- opening it only when we win a tournament.

MINISTRY MOMENT: We sat down about ten minutes early, and were on our way home ten minutes into the game.  That gave us no time to develop any kind of a ministry topic (and we had one in mind, in light of the day's local news).  Maybe there's a lesson for us there, too....

Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money."  Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow.  What is your life?  You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. - James 4:13-14

John Madden was fond of saying the cruelty of pro football playoffs is that every team except one eventually loses.  That's true in poker as well.  Lots of people enter tournaments with dreams of staying around for a long time, and winning money at the end.  But for most players, the game doesn't turn out that way.

That can of Diet Coke in our refrigerator is good through 21 January (according to the date stamp on the bottom).  But our opportunity to do poker ministry came and went in a hurry.  It can't be retrieved again.  Neither can our lives.  So what our you doing with the days you have -- especially since you probably don't know how many you have left?

Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. - Isaiah 55:6

Wait too long to seek God, and you risk missing out on something wonderful:

Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection.  The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years. - Revelation 20:6

That first resurrection will be granted to those who believe God (I Thessalonians 4:14-17).  Are you living a life which shows you really believe?

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 124 final tables in 362 nights (34.3%) - 19 cashes.