Cashing Out

Remember the boxes we collected a couple of posts ago? Now we can explain them - and as we do, we're announcing some bittersweet news about this blog.

Boxes are stacked around us as we write this post, because we're again on the move to a new location. We're taking a new full-time job in an area that seems to be poker-dry. An online search shows the closest poker nights are in bars 40 miles away. A casino is also about 40 miles away, but it doesn't seem to have regular tournaments.

Because of all this, we've decided to end On the Flop - a blog that we spun off from a different blog in 2008, after we started playing live poker 12 years ago. We've had two goals over the years: see how well we can do against other players, and share our faith in God and Jesus Christ.

Let's take them in order. First, summing up our 18 months playing poker in the Cincinnati area....

JACK Casino: 12 final tables in 20 games, 5 cashes
Hollywood-Indiana: 19 final tables in 25 games, 3 cashes
Dayton/Toledo: 2 final tables in 2 games, no cashes

The final count is rather remarkable - 33 final tables in 47 tries! That's around 70 percent! And eight cashes in 47 tries computes to success 17 percent of the time.

Admittedly, a lot of that occurred in small tournaments - no more than two tables. But we still had to earn a place, and we're thankful to God for success in that. We're also thankful that God provided this blog for (we hope) making a connection between poker hands and the Master's hands.

Into your hands I commit my spirit.... My times are in your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me. - Psalm 31:5, 15

We didn't always obtain "deliverance" in all-in moments. But we had safe passage during all our trips, whether into bars or casinos.

Will we keep playing poker? Probably, as time permits (after we unpack all those boxes). The free online option is always on our computer. But live games apparently will become rare, because of the distance involved and the lack of an inviting reward. Bar and grill gift cards are OK - but after you've won hundreds of dollars at casinos, it's simply not the same.

In the meantime, we plan to keep this blog online instead of taking it down. After all, it's a record of our poker history - as well as recent poker news. And we think the "good news" here is timeless....

After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. "The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news." - Mark 1:14-15

That's our closing advice to you. Think about things bigger than poker tournaments. Consider that a Kingdom of God is coming - something far better than this world offers. Repent of your sins, and go after it as Jesus advised....

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. - Matthew 6:33

As we say when we're eliminated from the table.... go with God!

A True "Main Event"

Our entry in last weekend's "seven-game mix" at the Heartland Poker Tour may have left you wondering. Why didn't we enter something we know - something potentially huge, like the "Main Event" of the series?

A satellite tournament win could have put us in their Main Event for only $80. But there was a good chance that our first tournament day would have been on either Friday night or Saturday afternoon. Those are times of the week when we do not play poker. We don't get to it at all. Why?

Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work.... - Exodus 20:8-10

We actually received a high-five from a gym employee Friday afternoon when we mentioned the "seventh-day Sabbath." That seventh day is not Sunday. Historically, it's Saturday - based on what God passed down to ancient Israel. And it doesn't really begin at 12:00 midnight Saturday....

God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." And there was evening, and there was morning - the first day. - Genesis 1:5

In God's timing, the "first day" began with evening. That means it commences with the setting of the sun. God reinforced this later with His instructions on keeping "Yom Kippur," the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 23:32).

But hold on, you may be saying - this isn't "work." It's a poker tournament!

Well, tell that to the "professional" players who make a living earning money from the tournaments. It's their livelihood. Thus, it's their "work." And most winners will tell you: making the money at a big Main Event can be at least a mental workout. Besides, the money is subject to federal and state income taxes.

We realize poker tournament officials aren't going to make accommodations for Sabbath-keeping players. They'd probably be stunned to see someone professing faith at a tournament in the first place. So we stay away from weekend-long tournaments, and the fame they could bring us. For believers, worshiping on the Sabbath is their "main event" of the week.

Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.... - Psalm 95:6-7

Who - or what - are you really worshiping this weekend?

Our Real Story: 2018 in Review

With two days left in 2018, we're "putting the cue in the rack" as they say in Australia. We'll declare our poker-playing finished for the year, and review how we did.

All in all, we did very well! It was a year of transition, as we moved from a location with one nearby poker room (others closed by police) to another area with two competing casinos - one only ten minutes from home. So our live play increased, and that may be why our success rate did:

KANSAS STAR CASINO - One final table in nine games, one cash
FIVE-STAR BILLIARDS - Two final tables in two games, no prizes (the Wichita billiard hall closed in mid-January)
JACK CASINO CINCINNATI - 10 final tables in 16 games, four cashes (two of them "bubble boy" consolation money)
HOLLYWOOD CASINO INDIANA - 10 final tables in 13 games, one cash
DAYTON FORESTERS - One final table in one game, no cashes

TOTAL: 24 final tables in 41 tournaments (58.5%) - six cashes for $942!

After the move to metro Cincinnati, we made a stunning 70 percent of our final tables!

Admittedly, five of those 30 tournaments had only enough players for one table. And not many were large tournaments with more than two tables - at least eight, by our records. But in most cases, we had to play our way to the final group. And by God's grace and guidance, we did....

But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift. - Ephesians 4:7 (NASB)

NATIONAL LEAGUE OF POKER: No final tables in one tournament; 80 tokens lost in two cash games. Grand total: 290 point wins (top 10%) in 1,452 games, 93 final tables, 10 wins, 13 cashes.

NLOP's notorious connection problems seemed to be gone when we tried a tournament this past week. But overall, the cash prizes here don't thrill us now - especially when casinos are close. At least NLOP has added a cash game option for building tokens, even though we failed there.

POKERSTARS.net: Cash games - Up 93,476 play money chips. Welcome bonuses: 95,000. Total: 1,126,682 (yet for some odd reason, the website shows us with 6.1 million).

We sat down at "cash game" tables nine times in 2018, and had gains at eight of them!

This past year also will be remembered for our increased blackjack play, spurred by a Kansas Star Casino tournament in which we finished in the top ten. We gained $68.50 there, after being in the "minus column" a good part of the year.

What will 2019 bring? We can only guess. We had no idea when 2018 began that we'd be in Kentucky now, working at a different job and playing live poker nearly every week. But we ought to step up to one of the big-money weekend tournaments, to see how we'd do.

Whatever happens, we'll keep looking to God for wisdom and discernment - in how we play, as well as how we present Him and ourselves wherever we go. May you do the same.

Slot, Pop and Play

Casinos are filled with them. We tend to walk right by them. But this evening, we were challenged to be successful at them - for two minutes.

Jack Casino invited us to its August "Birthday Bash". (Now you know our birthday month.) The main event was a free-entry slot tournament, with $2,500 in free play at stake. All we had to do was post one of the five highest scores in a two-hour span.

Our game time was 6:20 p.m. We stood behind the early leader, who racked up more than 100,000 points at 6:05. Doris's strategy was simple: pound the "play" button on the slot machine as quickly as you could, and watch the screen to touch balloons that occasionally appeared for thousands of bonus points.

"May the best button-pusher win," we said to a man next to us when our turn came.

Our tongue was only partly in-cheek. This tournament reminded us of why we avoid slots and prefer playing poker. Slot machines tend to be mindless, with no real skill involved. If you think religion is that way as well.... well, it really shouldn't be. Consider what Jesus told one man:

He answered, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'....." "You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live." - Luke 10:27-28

Jesus was talking about how to obtain eternal life (verse 25). It's an "all-in" process - and that includes loving God with "all your mind." Does that mean turning your brain off at the church door? We believe it's exactly the opposite....

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things. - Philippians 4:8

For instance, it means thinking over whether poker players are telling "true stories" in the way they play their hands. It also means thinking carefully about what God really expects of your life....

...But test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. - I Thessalonians 5:21 (NLT)

Sometimes the "gospel truth" well-intentioned people bring you is really "fake news." You can prove fact from fiction by comparing those comments with the Bible. If you're not a Bible reader, we recommend doing it daily to understand God properly.

But we digress....

The countdown went to zero, and our "two-minute drill" was on! We pressed the slot machine's "play" button with our right hand about six times a second, while saving our left hand for balloons to pop. We saw "second place" on our screen at one point early, and noticed we were above 60,000 points at the one-minute mark (everyone starts with 10,000).

"We want balloons!" we said to the machine several times, changing hands for the "play" button to avoid slowing down. To our knowledge, we didn't miss any balloons. But were we strong enough to win?

"You beat me!" we said to the man on our right after the clock reached zero. Our final score: 82,035 points. He was above 88,000. Based on the early results, 100,000 or more probably would be required to "make the money" - and we were only sixth in our group.

With our daily exercise (as we called it) completed, we walked over to the birthday party area. Jack's email promised cupcakes, but Jack topped that (for a change) with a full two-flavor cake, cookies and punch.

"If I had eaten the cake before the game, I might have done better," we joked to people around us. Perhaps a "sugar rush" would have made us press buttons faster. Instead, we settled for a consolation prize of a small win at a blackjack table.

In contrast to this, Hollywood Casino Indiana awarded us $15 in "birthday comps" on our card - good for a couple of free meals at one of the restaurants. Which deal do you think was better? Use your mind to comment - and even to worship the God who makes these moments possible.

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.)

Our Real Story: 2017 Review

As 2017 by man's figuring ends, it's time to add up our poker score. The year began with time to play in live tournaments on Fridays, then with occasional time on Sundays - and ended to our surprise with all the time we wanted.

LIVE TOURNAMENTS: Our number went down from 33 to 29. Yet our final table count matched 2016, as we made eight of them (27.6%).

What makes this more impressive is that we only went one-for-seven playing in "free" tournaments at Wichita night spots. That makes the casino final table percentage a rather stunning 31.8% (7 for 22) - including two out of four in Oklahoma. We only earned money in three tournaments, but the total take increased from 2016 to more than $800.

NATIONAL LEAGUE OF POKER: Five "top-ten percent" finishes in 13 tournaments. Grand total: 290 point wins (top 10%) in 1451 games, 93 final tables, 10 wins, 13 cashes.

NLOP was sold to new ownership during 2017, and opportunities to play in freerolls dropped after that. We wound up with no final tables there, with a best result of 17th place out of 1,237 entries in February.

We also gained 108 "tokens" for tournament entry in NLOP cash games. But NLOP now bars us from using a desktop app for immediate entry; we can only play through the website, and connection problems have been very frustrating for us recently. We're looking for good alternatives.

POKER STARS: 938,206 play money chips - up 142,335 at the table.

Our pretend "chip stack" acted like the stock market, and went up by more than 500,000. Admittedly, 375,000 of them came by clicking a "free chips" every time we showed up. But we still increased our table gains by 69 percent!

In all, we spent $1,435 to enter live tournaments in 2017. We wound up losing $605 (not to mention about $58 lost in other casino games). But in our "experiment" with serious money-making which started November 1, we've made three final tables in eight casino tournaments - making money twice, and only missing the semifinal tables once.

As the cliché says, you have to spend money to make money - and right now, casino games are our best chance to earn money each week. But we remember some wise words....

I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. - Matthew 10:16

Some poker players are skilled at setting traps. We admittedly have set a few ourselves. The keys are to be "shrewd" - which our old dictionary says can mean "having keen insight; discerning", but also "artful; cunning; tricky."

Can you spot the moments when other players might fall for the story you're telling? Can you be "harmless" (as the King James Version says in our verse) enough to know when others might have set a trap for you? If you can discern these things, we think you'll be well on your way to poker success.

My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment, do not let them out of your sight; they will be life to you, an ornament to grace your neck. - Proverbs 3:21-22

We hope you pray for godly judgment and discernment in the days and years ahead - not only in the poker room, but in every aspect of your life.

There Are No Words

Poker rooms can be quiet places. Sometimes that's what the players prefer; even writing a few comments in an online game can get you called out for talking too much. But sometimes, the players can't speak at all.

A casino in Ohio held a poker tournament this weekend for hearing-disabled players. We'd never heard of a "Deaf Poker Championship" before. But the one in Toledo had 59 players, a $1,605 top prize - and apparently some intense play, as it took nine hours to determine a winner.

As we thought about this, this idea made a lot of sense. As one dealer said at a recent tournament we entered, "Poker is a visual game." Players might "announce a raise," but in truth they don't really have to say a thing. You tap the table to check. You set chips in front of the line to bet. The dealer can move cards forward and back to show which hand is best.

Believe it or not, we've heard some ministers say hearing-impaired people cannot become real Christians. They might turn to Bible verses like this....

Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. - Romans 10:17

Their logic is: if people cannot hear, how can they have faith? But we think this logic is misguided. Here's why....

Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law. - Psalm 119:18

Thanks to the printing press, and more recently the Internet, "wonderful things" about God can be read as well as heard. People can come to understand God's plan of salvation by carefully studying the Bible.

The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. - I Timothy 4:1

That's a scary warning, but we'd like to focus on the start of that verse. The Holy Spirit says things?! Yes - not audibly, but through the written word speaking to the hearts of people seeking God.

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. - Revelation 2:29

If you're paying attention when you read the Bible, the Holy Spirit of God may be "speaking" to you through its words. That's why it's good to ask God when you read for the Bible's words to be made clear - so you know exactly what God would have you do.

Come to think of it, something might be even better than having hearing-impaired people "hear" God through print. Can you guess what that might be? We'll get to it in our next post.

Lest Ye Forget

The casino in our area has held a big Memorial Day poker tournament for several years. This year the buy-in is quite big, at $350. At least the casino will give away free hot dogs for a couple of hours.

But we wonder if the casino will stop for a moment to remember players who have died in the past year, or in recent years. Somehow we doubt it. (If we're wrong, we hope someone will let us know.)

Jack Buck used to say when the St. Louis Cardinals played baseball games on Memorial Day, "I hope you'll take some time to think about the meaning of this day." Some people suggest it should be Christmas in May, with everything shutting down for quiet contemplation. But we think a balance can be struck between tribute and other activities.

We also think if you limit thoughts of Memorial Day to death, you're missing something....

If a man dies, will he live again? All the days of my hard service I will wait for my renewal to come. - Job 14:14

Whether someone dies in military combat or after a lengthy ordeal with a disease, this life can be a "hard service." But thankfully, that's not all there is.

..And I have the same hope in God as these men, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. - Acts 24:15

The Bible speaks of a resurrection of the dead - a "renewal" of life! But did you notice it's divided into two parts?

Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out - those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned. - John 5:28-29

Jesus Christ said those words - and the Bible shows He is the one who will pass final judgment on humankind (Hebrews 10:30). What can you do now to be part of that first resurrection?

...And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. - Revelation 20:4

In short, these people lived for God and his word, the Bible - enough to resist the forces of this world, even unto death. These are people worthy of remembering. In fact, they might be alive today all around you.

So taking time for a "memorial" over this U.S holiday weekend is a good idea. But please learn some lessons in the process - and live in a way that will lead to eternal life with Jesus.

After 500: Counting the Cost

In a recent post, we mentioned we've won more than $3,000 in prizes playing 500 live poker tournaments. That's admittedly small change, compared to big-time poker pros - but we don't claim to be one.

Yet there's one thing we've always wondered about the "career earnings" of top poker players: how much did they lose along the way? After all, no one wins every tournament they enter - and buy-ins at big events can be huge.

So this week, we sat down and did some complex math - trying to figure how much all the live games have cost us. In the early years of "free poker" nights at bars, the price was cheap: sodas only cost $1.50-$2. In poker rooms, of course, the cost goes up; our highest buy-in was $150 for a Heartland Poker Tour event last year.

By our rough estimation, our total entry fees in 500 tournaments has been $3,800. So over the long haul, we've lost about $700 in ten years. It's not a big loss, when you figure it year-over-year - about the price of 1 1/2 buy-ins at Kansas Star Casino.

(We're not counting cash game wins and losses in this; we realize poker pros go to cash games and grind out an income when tournament play falls flat.)

This is something we think poker players should do often, to see exactly how well they're doing. And a famous "man" recommended such a thing long ago....

Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. will he not first sit down and estimate the cost [KJV "counteth the cost"] to see if he has enough money to complete it? - Luke 14:28

Jesus Christ is getting very practical here. The Lord was a carpenter by trade before going into full-time ministry (Mark 6:3), so He probably had first-hand knowledge of how this worked. It's only logical to want to make money from a business project.

For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, "This fellow began to build and was not able to finish." - Luke 14:29-30

We've had some projects away from poker over the years which began with good intentions and dreams, but collapsed in a hurry. When we saw the downward trend, we tried to minimize our losses and get out quickly. This approach is good in poker hands as well.

But Jesus doesn't stop there:

In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple. - Luke 14:33

Whoa - the Lord pushes His disciples all-in! Jesus wants "complete surrender," as one commentary puts it. Yes, that's a big commitment. But disciples in the Bible thought it was worth it:

What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for who sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ.... - Philippians 3:8

Our financial losses in ten years of poker don't matter much to us, because we have a different motive for our tournaments. We do ministry and share the things of God. If you're losing a lot at the table, maybe God is showing you it's time to go "all-in" in a different direction - toward Him. If you need help with that, leave a comment and let us know.

After 500: Before and After

Our tournament poker resume can be divided into two phases. We played for six years in the Southeast U.S., mostly in bars with "free" entries (buying a drink is only courteous). The last four years have been spent largely in Kansas, with more buy-ins than freerolls.

As we break down the numbers to mark 500 tournaments, here's what we found:

SOUTHEAST: 138 final tables in 402 games (34.3%) - 21 cashes.

MIDWEST: 45 final tables in 98 games (45.9%) - 15 cashes.

Wow - talk about a difference! But what made the difference? We think there are several explanations:

1) In the Southeast, we played every week (sometimes twice a week). Our style may have become familiar to the regulars.

2) Cashing in the Southeast was harder, since only the top two places (and sometimes only first) won a prize. Had the top ten percent been paid as casinos do it, tournaments with 30 or more entries might have increased our cash total - but probably not by a lot.

3) At least six of our tournaments in Kansas were one-table games on Sunday afternoons, when few people showed up at the poker room. Merely showing up meant a "final."

Even with all these factors, our success rate clearly has improved in Kansas. Perhaps it's because we're playing less often, so opponents don't know us as well. Or perhaps we've actually improved our skill level over the years.

Are you improving in your poker playing? Even more importantly, are you improving in your life? It's something we all should be doing....

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

Perhaps you've been scared away from accepting Jesus Christ because you fear you'll have to be perfect right away. If that's your thinking, we have good news for you. You don't have to be 100-percent flawless immediately. It's a growth process.

And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God. - Colossians 1:10

Fruit trees don't jump out with fruit in a day. Big poker stacks seldom get huge in one hand. In the same way, we become more like God by growing in our knowledge of Him. That comes through Bible study and good teaching from ministers. And this may surprise you....

During the days of Jesus' life on earth.... Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.... - Hebrews 5:7-9

Jesus was born as a baby, yet as the Son of God. He never sinned. Yet He had to learn obedience - and be "made perfect."

If you'd like to take a closer look at that concept, we wrote an article about it several years ago. In the meantime, we're thankful that our success rate has grown in recent years - and we hope you grow in the things which really matter.

After 500: All About the Money?

June will mark ten years since we played in our first live poker tournament. We won for the first time in our 13th game, four months later - and took either first place or a "divided first" in four of our first 22.

In the wake of Sunday's 500th live tournament, we took a count of our winnings today. We keep accurate records for tax purposes, and found we've won $3,138 in money and gift certificates from live events. We're not counting money from cash games, which is quite small. And we're not counting the small pieces of candy thrown our way at Yvie's Bar and Grill.

Before we moved to Kansas, we played primarily in bars where the prizes were small - no more than $50 for first place. Thanks to two strong nights at a Florida poker room, the total winnings in the South were $906. But since coming to Kansas and regular poker room trips four years ago, the winnings have jumped to more than $2,200.

But to be honest, we've probably lost money overall in ten years at poker tables. While bar nights in Georgia might cost you no more than a two-dollar can of soda, big-time poker rooms have buy-ins of $30 or higher. We'll figure that actual cost when time permits.

So if making money is our ultimate goal, we've probably failed. But we remember what the Bible says about such things....

Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless. - Ecclesiastes 5:10

These words were written by arguably the wealthiest person in the world at his time. King Solomon of Israel had ridiculous luxuries; read I Kings 10 for a list of his possessions. But he came to realize something:

As goods increase, so do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owner except to feast his eyes on them?.... Naked a man comes from his mother's womb, and as he comes, so he departs. He takes nothing from his labor that he can carry in his hand. - Ecclesiastes 5:11, 15

An old stage play and movie put it correctly: You can't take it with you. What should you do instead?

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

It's better to prepare for eternity with God. We'll talk more about doing that as this commemorative series of posts continues.

Double or.... Something

A "double-up" at the poker table, when a player goes all-in and wins, happens often. A double win is another matter - usually referring to the players who capture two or more bracelets at the World Series of Poker.

But consider what a nurse in France did last week. Iwan Roberts won two big online poker tournaments.... at the same time! He defeated nearly 19,000 opponents in a tournament that began at 11:00 a.m. And in a tournament that started at 12:30 p.m., he outlasted nearly 12,000 players. (No, we don't know how many of them were the same people.)

We've marveled over the years at the poker multi-taskers - players who can have four or six games going on computer screens at the same time. Wouldn't it be easy to get your hands confused, and make a bad play? How many hands would you lose by timing out, while staying occupied with another?

Yet if you think about it, practically all of us "multi-task" every day. We breathe in and out while walking down the street. We might watch TV or listen to radio while eating dinner. If one of those activities doesn't distract you away from the "main thing" you're doing, that's probably no problem. But consider these words:

No man can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. - Matthew 6:24

Jesus said this because ultimately, we all must have one goal - one overarching task in our lives. If you put your life's focus on money, you're probably going to end up disappointed. Even if you win enough WSOP bracelets to fill your arms, you won't be able to take the prize money with you when this life is over. That's why Jesus recommended:

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. - Matthew 6:33

"His" kingdom, as in the one our "heavenly Father" oversees (verse 32). It's a kingdom that's promised to come from heaven to earth, with Jesus Christ in charge (Revelation 11:15). And it's a kingdom that will never end.

Yet did you notice how verse 33 is worded? Seek God's Kingdom first - and you'll get the other things. The list between verses 24 and 33 includes food, drink and clothing. There's probably much more to go with those.

He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son. - Revelation 21:7

We think it all comes down to your focus. If you can focus in multi-game poker on one hand at a time, you're more likely to succeed. And if you focus your life on the goal of God's eternal Kingdom, the chances of being part of that Kingdom go way up.

Sharing the Wealth

The World Series of Poker is a standard-setter for tournaments around the U.S.  And this past week it announced some changes which could make players a lot happier.

The biggest change to us for the 2016 WSOP is that many events will have payouts for the top 15 percent of players, as opposed to the usual ten percent. "The minimum payout is expected to be one-and-a-half times the buy-in," a news release.says. The 2015 Main Event worked that way; the minimum prize money was $15000 for a $10,000 standard buy-in, going up from the top ten percent on.

More "winners" should mean more happy customers, bringing more interest to the WSOP. That sounds like good business logic.  And some people expect God to work the same way - that He'll be a "good, good Father" (to borrow from a current hit Christian song) and let almost everyone into His Kingdom.  But is that how God really works?

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. - II Peter 3:9

That's what God wants. But that may not be what ultimately happens.  After all....

By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. - II Peter 3:7

The apostle Peter explains "ungodly men" will be destroyed in an upcoming "day of judgment." Who are these people?

But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars - their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death. - Revelation 21:8

That list has something for just about everyone. (If that's not enough, Revelation 22:15 has another one.) If you're not sure where you stand with God, this is a good place to start.

Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves... - II Corinthians 13:5

At the end of the Bible, God really hasn't lowered the "sin bar" that much. Is it time for you to "come to repentance," so you can share in God's ultimate "prize pool"?

Poker's 11

The ultimate goal in a poker tournament is to play "heads-up." If you only have one opponent, it's easier to plan your strategy -- and probably easier to figure out what he/she has.  And if you're heads-up at the end of a tournament, that means you're in the final two. That's likely to mean good money. That happened to us last Sunday at Prairie Band Casino.

But to get there, we had a starter table unlike any we'd faced before.  There were 11 players crowded around one table.  We're used to a maximum of ten.  But apparently this tournament had 31 entries, and the directors decided against having someone waiting in the wings.  (Why they didn't have four tables of seven or eight, we have no idea.)

Ten may seem like the perfect number for a table -- as well as other things.  For instance, the U.S. Bill of Rights had ten original points.  And it's a number that comes up a lot in the Bible....

Moses was there with the Lord 40 days and 40 nights without eating bread or drinking water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant - the Ten Commandments. - Exodus 34:28

Some religious groups count those ten differently than others -- but the Bible shows there are supposed to be ten.  Jesus also had some "ten counts"....

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. - Matthew 25:1-2

Some believers make a big deal about "Bible numbers." They look for tens and sevens in Scripture more than some poker players look for 10's and 7's to make straights.  But in the end, we think a smaller number matters more...

There is one body and one Spirit -- just as you were called to one hope when you were called -- one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. - Ephesians 4:4-6

The winning number here is one - believing the one God, one Lord Jesus Christ and one Holy Spirit.  Read the Bible carefully to get in line with those "aces," and you can be united with God for all eternity.

We did our own study into Biblical numbers; we invite you to review it and offer your thoughts. In the meantime, how many players do you prefer to have at your poker table - and why?

Beware of Imitations

The World Series of Poker is the game's biggest spectacle. But maybe we should have seen this coming - a different big tournament being played in Las Vegas during WSOP season, but having nothing to do with the WSOP.

The "Super High-Roller Bowl" is planned for the first weekend in July. It's timed for the three days before the WSOP Main Event opens.  But it apparently won't be on cable TV until late August - a tournament with a $500,000 buy-in, but "no tournament fees." (No fees? Then why isn't it a freeroll?)

The "Bowl" organizers clearly are taking advantage of the fact that the biggest names in poker will be in Las Vegas for that other big contest. If we worked for the WSOP, we'd probably be a bit annoyed by this.  Isn't this a form of stealing from the WSOP's success?

There's a case in the Bible where someone appeared to do this sort of thing - and even took the name of Jesus as he did it:

"Teacher," said John, "we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us." - Mark 9:38

Some church groups sadly think like John. In the classic words of Ricki Lake's old talk show, they think they're "all that" - and no other group possibly can be that. Those others might even be called wrong, or tools of the devil. But is that how Jesus looked at this?

"Do not stop him," Jesus said. "No one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us." - Mark  9:39-40

Is Jesus giving legitimacy to Islam or Buddhism here? No, we don't think so - because the key phrase in these verses is "in my name." Are other people doing things in the name of Jesus?  If they are, Jesus indicates there's no problem with it.  But if they're glorifying somebody or something else, that's another matter.

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." - John 14:6

That sounds awfully exclusivist. But that's a direct quote from Jesus, the Son of God and Savior of humankind.

If you're going to play your own "side game" in terms of faith, do so carefully -- and give honor to the One who's making the true "Main Events" of history.

One By One

Some chess masters are so good at the game that they stage "simultaneous" events. They'll play 20, 30 or more people at different boards at the same time -- walking from table to table, looking over the situation, making their next move and moving on.

Why don't you see poker stars do that?  A clue to the answer comes from an article posted this week by a former "charity poker tournament director."  Among other things, Aaron Todd recommends NOT directing an event and dealing for a table at the same time:

I was shuffling one deck while dealing with the other, and I dealt a flop with the hand I was shuffling. One of the players pointed it out immediately, saying, "I think we have a problem; one of my cards is there on the flop."

"Multi-tasking" has become commonplace for many people. They walk down a street, checking their phone for messages with one hand, and maybe eat a hot dog with the other.  They deal with many "spinning plates" at the same time during the course of a workday, whether they're calls from clients or monitoring of urgent situations.

But when it comes to poker, many players see value in focusing on one game at a time.  And we think that's a good approach far beyond the table.  Here's why....

That man should not think that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does. - James 1:7-8

Who is "that man" in this passage? The preceding verses indicate it's someone who asks God for wisdom, yet who does so with doubt instead of faith (verses 5-6).  We've found that's a high standard - because there are times in poker when you think you've made the wise move, only to see it become a bad beat.

Those moments can create clouds of doubt.- and we admit we're not sure of the best way to remove those clouds.  Perhaps it comes in realizing the odds in a given hand, and accepting the fact that longshots sometimes happen.

But can we get a bit more personal with this?

No one can serve two masters. Ether he will hate the one and love the other or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. - Matthew 6:24

Jesus's words demand a decision from each of us.  Are you trying to "straddle" as you play poker -- making it the top priority, promising to get "back to God" sometime in the future?

The problem is that no one knows how much "future" we have left. We're all potentially one wrong step or missing breath away from the end of our lives.  Jesus wants you to serve Him and God the Father, above all other things.

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. - Matthew 6:33

If God's given you something to direct, direct it well - and share the other tasks as you can.  But may your ultimate focus be on the things which matter most. Above everything else.

Living Large

The biggest poker tournament of the year in our state occurs this weekend.  But as usual, we will stay away -- because it's happening on a day when we avoid playing poker.  We've explained that reason here before.

But we'd like to focus on one of the side events - a "High-Roller Poker Tournament."  It has a $10,000 top prize, but a seat (along with free food and drinks) costs you $500.  (The entry fee goes to charity, which is a kind gesture.)

Lots of big poker events have tournaments like this.  The WSOP added a contest with a million-dollar buy-in a few years ago.  If you have a lot of money to spend, it's a chance to make a lot more.

The concept reminds us of something Jesus said....

...When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required. - Luke 12:48 (NLT)

If you've earned a lot of money playing poker, what are you doing with it?  If you're only padding a bank account, we'd ask if that's really the right priority.  Consider what else Jesus said in this section:

And a servant who knows what the master wants, but isn't prepared and doesn't carry out those instructions, will be severely punished. - Luke 12:47 (NLT)

Have you stopped to ponder what God wants you to do with your winnings?  We should note this principle goes far beyond money -- it could refer to an important job, or skills and talents in other areas.


Poker high-rollers should realize they'd better have a lot of money not merely to spend, but to lose.  Because in truth, most players in a tournament go home empty-handed.  We think it's a good idea to think about other ways to invest big winnings.

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. - Matthew 6:19-21

Only a relatively few players will make the list of WSOP bracelet winners -- and unless you win a main event, that bracelet is likely to be forgotten years after you're gone.  What things are you doing which will last for eternity?  How are you being "rich toward God" (Luke 12:21) - doing things God is much more likely to reward? 

No Ifs, It's Real: One-Year Report

This week marks one year since we moved to a new city.  We moved from a place where we were unemployed to a place where we have full-time work.  We're thankful to God for that.

In fact, it's more than full-time work -- as we're busy so many hours a week that our poker playing has dropped considerably.  So has our blogging about poker, as regular readers may have noticed.  But our poker environment also has changed in Kansas.  Instead of playing a lot of free tournaments in bars hoping to win a little prize money, now we play almost all our games in poker rooms and casinos with entry fees and bigger stakes.

So how have we done?  We added up the score, and found we've only played 17 live tournaments in the past year.  They break down this way:

WPT AMATEUR LEAGUE: One final table in two games.  That "one" was a second-place finish, with first only earning points toward a bigger tournament later.

POKER ROOMS: Eight final tables in 15 games (53.3%), 4 cashes, 1 outright win.

Those stats are rather stunning, considering we aren't playing a lot.  And our poker room performance admittedly dropped in the last six months, to two final tables out of seven.

But have we made any money doing it?  By our figuring, no.  We paid $395 in buy-ins (only a couple were more expensive than $20).  We won $220, so we had a net loss of $175.

As we mentioned in a recent post, this past year also allowed us to play in more casinos than ever before -- and also play more variations of Texas Hold 'em.  We only played one full tournament in a casino, and missed the final table there.  Otherwise, how did those do?

CASH GAME POKER: One session, down $60

ULTIMATE TEXAS HOLD 'EM: Eight sessions, down $217.50 (we were up $77.50 after two)

HEADS-UP MACHINE HOLD 'EM: Three sessions, down $19

BLACKJACK: Two sessions, up $35

Ouch!  What does it say when our most profitable game is the one which arguably has the most luck involved - blackjack?

Our online poker playing hasn't stopped completely, but it's also been reduced by our new situation:

NATIONAL LEAGUE OF POKER TOTAL: Full tournaments - two "cashes" (top ten percent) in 10 games.  No-River Hold 'em - Six point wins (about top ten percent) in eight games; four final tables, one win paying cash.

The No-River success rate is an astonishing 75%!  Perhaps we've found our "niche" specialty game there.

POKER STARS.NET TOTAL: Pretend cash games - $88,531, up $4,031.

So overall, we're winning online a great deal.  We're winning on occasion in person, but losing overall (the total loss is about $436).  But anymore, our poker playing is less about money and more about ministry - sharing the things of God and Jesus Christ wherever we go.  After all....

Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death. - Proverbs 11:4

"Lifetime winnings" make for nice statistics and healthy discussion at the table.  But once your lifetime is ended, what will you ultimately gain?  May your goal be the same as the apostle Paul:

I press on toward the goal for of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 3:14 (NASB)

If It Was Real: End of an Era

Trying to make a living by playing poker certainly isn't easy.  Even top players can have slumps for a year.  And we've found out how challenging it can be, merely playing free tournaments in our home area.

The "Georgia-Alabama era" for our live poker games ended this week, after more than 400 trips to tables.  Before we explain our next chapter, let's wrap up our scoreboard here.

Since the 380-game mark in early January, we've scored three top-five finishes: a third (which won us money in a settlement), a tie for fourth and a fifth.  Plugging those into our pretend buy-in/payout formula for real tournaments, the grand total looks like this:

BUY-INS: 402 nights x $50 = $20,100

First -- 6 x 500 ($3,000)
TIE for first: 1 ($450)

Second - 9 x 400 ($3,600)
TIE for second: 1 ($350)

Third -- 10 x 300 ($3,000)
TIE for third: 1 ($250)

Fourth - 16 x 200 ($3,200)
TIES for fourth:
7 two-way ($1,050)
1 three-way ($67)

Fifth -- 17 x 100 ($1,700)
TIES for fifth:
7 two-way ($350)
1 three-way ($33)

TOTAL -- 77 for $17,050

We should note a few of those 402 games took place on road trips outside the local area -- including two nights in Florida where we made the top five and won hundreds of dollars in prize money.  But all in all, we would have lost 15.2 percent on our "investment."

So after a strong start, we've found we can't make steady income in local tournaments.  And that leads us to the big news: we've moving in the coming days to our home state for full-time employment.  The job is in our chosen field of journalism -- and based on the Bible's advice, we plan to make good work our top priority:

Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work -- this is a gift of God. -- Ecclesiastes 5:19

We've been blessed with some small degree of wealth, which has helped us through more than a year of unemployment.  We also have a lot of possessions (which has become very obvious as moving boxes pile up around us).  But it's hard to be "happy in your work" when there's no paying work to do, and efforts to make a living on your own wind up continually unsuccessful.

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

We're convinced God wants His followers to do "work" for Him -- whether it's a 40-hour-per-week job on an assembly line, or spreading the good news of the gospel in some way.

And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?  Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he comes shall find so doing. - Luke 12:42-43 (KJV)

Some people have asked us if this blog will continue.  As of now, it will -- but we don't have any idea at this point how much poker we'll be able to play, and when.  We're going to an area which seems to have a strong local amateur poker circuit, and casinos with poker tables will be only a short drive away.

So while we move, this blog will be on hiatus.  Keep checking here from time to time for when our posts resume.  In the meantime, thanks for your interest - and keep looking for signs of the "King of Kings," even when you're playing Aces.

February Senior Championship: The Long Goodbye

For several years, National League of Poker has held a monthly Senior Championship.  We had to miss the January tournament because it was played on a Friday night, and we keep a seventh-day Sabbath.  Monday night's February tournament may have been the last one, due to NLOP's bankruptcy filing.  So did we go out a big winner?

:15 IN: After a few small-scale entries missed flops, we have A-9 of spades.  The flop is 10s-5s-3c.  We call a bet of 80.  The turn is 3d, and we call a bet of 60.  The river is 8s - exactly what we wanted.  We bet 400 with a nut flush, and our opponent folds.  We win $980.

:17 IN: We have K-Q of spades.  A player goes all-in pre-flop.  We choose to be cautious and fold -- which is too bad, because a Queen comes on the turn which would have given us a winning pair.

Misses with Q-A and A-10 follow, wiping out our early gain.  We reach the first break with $1,930 from a starting $2,500 - putting us 718th, with 792 players still in the running.

:39 IN: We have K-J.  The flop is 10-8-J.  Our probing bet of 100 brings a fold, and we win $350.

:40 IN: We have Q-J.  The flop is K-10-2, giving us a two-way straight draw.  The table checks.  The turn is 6.  The table checks again.  The river is 2.  The table checks once more -- and our Queen-high is good enough to top someone with 7-4!  We win a modest $250.

:41 IN: The next hand brings us A-4.  The flop is 5-8-K.  The table checks.  The turn is 3.  The table checks again.  The river is A.  We bet 220 with top pair, and the table folds for a $570 win.

:45 IN: We're moved to a table where only three of the ten players seem to actually be present.  The other two players are hungry with huge stacks, so we still play carefully against them.  But we claim five small pots against empty chairs in a 12-minute span.

:59 IN: We have A-J, against one of those big stacks.  The flop is 5-4-Q.  We both check.  The turn is 2.  More checking occurs.  The river is 4.  Our opponent bets around 300.  We dare to call -- and get rewarded, because he has K-8!  It's a gain of $1,100.

1:03 IN: We have K-Q of diamonds.  The flop is 7-K-7.  We bet 500 with two pair, and the opponents fold for a $1,200 win.

This finally puts us above the "starting line," with $2,680 at the second break.  Now we're 272nd, with 616 players left.

1:20 IN: After a large loss to a player who made a flush on the river, we have 8-9 in the Big Blind.  The flop is 3-6-9.  We bet the minimum 300, and that's enough.  We win $1,300.

1:33 IN: After waiting for a breakthrough hand, we try K-10.  The flop is 7-K-2.  We go all-in for 955, and get called.  The turn is J.  The river is 8.  Our opponent has only a pair of 7's, so we score a big win of $2,715.

1:36 IN: We have 10-10.  The flop is K-3-8.  We feel the table's mood with a bet of 400, and get called.  The turn is 8.  Everyone checks.  The river is 6.  Everyone checks -- and no one has a King!  Our 10's take it, to the tune of $2,895.

We feel more confident at break 3, with two big pots lifting us to $4,110.  We're in 182nd place, with 375 to go.

1:57 IN: After a long wait for good cards, we have K-Q of hearts.  The flop is Jh-K-8, and we go all-in for our remaining 1,635.  The table thankfully folds, and we're up to $4,635.

2:11 IN: With rising blinds and antes eroding every stack, we have 6-A with 1,010 to go.  We decide to push, and get called by a player with 9-10.  The flop is 6-J-10 -- good for us, but better for him.  The turn is 8.  The river is Q.  Our pair is topped, and our night is finished.

We finished 148th, out of 924 entries.  So the unofficial final score for us in NLOP Senior Championships is zero wins in 31 tries.  Our best finish was 25th place in July 2010 -- but a few deep runs didn't pay off, as only the final table received money.  Now some senior players may have to stretch their pensions a little farther.