Poker Night 575: Power Trip

A recent post here mentioned a poker pro who suggested an aggressive "three-bet" approach to pre-flop success. It sounds good in theory. But does it really work? We tested it Wednesday night at Hollywood Casino Indiana….

BLINDS: 50/100

IN THE POCKET: 10-10

It's the second round of blinds, and we haven't won a pot yet. This fairly big pocket pair is in the Small Blind. A man across the table from us raises to 300. We see these cards, and it's testing time.

"Raise - 675," we say.

Three other men are in the running. The Big Blind folds. The man who made the first raise calls. The third player folds. So there's no guaranteed success - yet.

ON THE FLOP: 7-4-4

A second pair, in our view - and a good-looking one, because it's low. We're first to act, and decide to keep up the pressure with a bet of 700. Our opponent thinks for a moment.... then folds.

OK, it worked! And it really worked later in the evening, when we bet with 404 after a flop of 9-6-3. That won us a big, stay-in-the-game pot. Slow growth in the first hour fell prey to bad betting on our part late. We reached the first break at 9,800 chips out of a starting 12,000.

A straight with 8-7 was part of a second-hour comeback for us. Our stack approached 25,000, but then more setbacks came including a blunder to a man with a 6-high full house. Yet we survived to the second break at 12,100, and built back to make the final table at 16,000.

Once there, we survived one all-in moment as the field dwindled. Then a young man saying some wild things admittedly distracted our focus (more on him below). But as the third break arrived, we had A-2 and an Ace on the flop. When another player bet 10,000, we went for it all with 7,100 left. But he had A-7, and the 7 played when nothing else paired.

So as we told a co-worker earlier in the day, "I'm due to lose."  No money came on this night - but it was a strong fifth-place finish on a night with 19 entries.

MINISTRY MOMENT: Our final table included a young man who sounded like a follower of conspiracy theorists such as Alex Jones. For instance, he made questionable claims that the space agency NASA founded Google, and is not a U.S. government agency. He went on to say some people "want a one-world government, and it's not going to happen."

"I think a one-world government is going to come," we responded. "Only someone bigger than you and me will bring it. Jesus will set it up."

Why do we say that? Because the Bible indicates it....

The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said, "The kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever." - Revelation 11:18

How will this happen? Through the work of some dominating church group converting people? The Bible shows something else - the personal intervention of Jesus Christ. In fact, He predicted it....

When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. - Matthew 25:31-32

The young man said he believes in a "Christ consciousness," but has his doubts that Jesus really lived in the flesh. Yet on a day of Pentecost long ago (we're still working on that counting topic from our last post), Jesus's disciple Peter declared....

"Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know.... God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact." - Acts 2:22, 32

The resurrected Lord was seen by 500 people during one appearance (I Corinthians 15:6). Yet that young man at the final table needs more proof from that. We'll have more of our fascinating discussion with him in upcoming posts. But in the meantime, will you accept the promise that Jesus finally will bring a united government to a divided world?

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 221 final tables in 575 games (38.4%) - 48 cashes.

Poker Night 461: The Better Investment

We'd never done it before, and we're not sure we'll try it again - spending two dollars Saturday night on a Powerball ticket. We didn't hit the jackpot there (nor did anyone else in the U.S.). But we had a second option - playing Saturday night poker at Nikki's. The buy-in is only $12 there, compared to a whopping $75 for the new Arrowhead Poker "Sunday Showdown." For us, price matters...

BLINDS: 1,000/2,000

IN THE POCKET: A-2 of spades

We've won a few pots, and reached the final table on a two-table night. Now after the first break, seven players remain (as best we recall) and our stack has jumped to about 40,000. These are sort-of suited connectors, so we dare to try them with no one raising. Three players are in.

ON THE FLOP: Kh-9s-3s (spades not precise)

A big flush draw is tempting.  But a man across the table from us bets 5,000. We pay the price and call; everyone else steps aside.

ON THE TURN: Ah

That's not it - but it's not bad, either. We now have top pair, even with a lousy kicker.  Our opponent raises the stakes to 10,000. We suspect he has an Ace, but the flush draw still is compelling. So we call again.

ON THE RIVER: Ks

Never mind Powerball - we just hit the jackpot! But our opponent apparently thinks he did, too. He goes all-in right away, with more chips than we have.

We admittedly should have paused for a moment to think this through. Even though we have the best flush, a pair is on the board. What if he has A-K for a full house? That's a very pushable hand. But we didn't stop to think; we made our flush, so we must be OK. We dangerously call after about two seconds.

"Do you have the nuts?" we ask in a fake puzzled way.  Then our opponent throws his cards "I dare you" style in our direction - K-Q of clubs! He has only three of a kind.

"I do have the nuts," we say - and modestly turn over the cards in front of us.

Our opponent's face suddenly looks frustrated. It's almost as if he never saw the flush threat - because if he had, he wouldn't have pushed. But he winds up taking a big loss, and we double up to the 90,000 chip range.

We developed the biggest stack, and used them carefully - using a "bully bluff" only once (or was it twice?!) to add to the lead. Finally we came down to heads-up play, with a chip lead of more than three-to-one!

We were dealt A-K. Our opponent had A-9 and went all-in. We called, of course -- BUT running 9's came on the turn and river, to keep him in the game!  He built back his stack from there, and eventually took the chip lead.

Had he offered to "chop the money" at any point (only two players were paid), we were prepared to bail him out and accept it. Now in a trailing position, we offered a chop in humility - and he accepted, saying he was ready to do that all along. (He'd been distracted by something on his ear buds.).We wound up with $54, one dollar more than our last trip to Nikki's in late December!

MINISTRY MOMENT: "That's the most unusual card protector I've ever seen," a man to our left said at the start of the evening. Jackpot again - our little pack of salt started a discussion.

"I brought this to remind me that I'm supposed to be the 'salt of the earth'," we explained. "Jesus said that. What do you think of Jesus?"

"NO NO NOOOO!" two men to our left said out loud. They didn't want to go there. "Ask us what we think of [Tim] Tebow."

How interesting. They'd rather focus on a former pro football player who is a witness for God, than the original "son of God"....

...Who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. - Romans 1:4

Jesus called Himself" "the Son of Man" many times while He walked the earth. But others testified in the New Testament for what Jesus really was, and still is - the Son of God.

But the reaction of the table to our mention of Jesus made us think of another Bible passage. It comes right after God uttered the Ten Commandments to Moses:

When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, "Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die." - Exodus 20:18-19

The Israelites were more comfortable with an intermediary for God. It seems some people are like that today.  Tim Tebow has become their modern-day Moses, and they'd rather see a godly example through him - or maybe look for character flaws to tear down. Do you think that's the right approach? Offer a comment if you'd like, and we'll get back to this in another post.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 174 final tables in 461 games (37.7%) - 32 cashes. We thank God for three cashes in our last four tournaments, earning more than $170 since late November.

Can I Get a Witness?

The moment admittedly felt awkward.  After a wonderful Sabbath day with good food and Biblical preaching, we sat at sunset in a car in the parking lot of a casino.

It's closer from our church hall to the casino than to our home.  So we decided for one Saturday evening to go there from church -- hoping to win some money and do a little ministry.

A dealer saw us standing near his table wearing a suit and "Praise Jesus" lapel pin, and gave a respectful (perhaps stunned) nod.  Then he went on with the game, because his table was full.

We finally found a Ultimate Texas Hold 'em seat, next to a man in a very verbal mood.  He asked us not to say "Boom shaka-laka" ("Boom goes the dynamite" was acceptable) - and we proceeded:

BLINDS: 5/5

IN THE POCKET: Q-7 offsuit

Nothing worth shouting a boom about here.  We check.

ON THE FLOP: 7-10-K (last two cards not precise)

As best we recall, we have bottom pair.  Our practice at the online Ultimate game has taught us to be wary about betting bottom pair.  It's tempting, but we check.

ON THE TURN/RIVER: Q-Q

The house is full, and we're quietly happy.  We bet the $5 to stay in.

The dealer turns over his cards, to show a flush - but we have him topped.  A player to our left has a better hand, and his full house pays well.

"I have a boat," we say as we quietly turn over our cards.

Except the dealer doesn't recognize that - and he starts to take or cards and chips away!

"He's got a full house," a man next to us says before we can speak up.  He saw it, too -- and the dealer apologized.  He points to the empty "trips" diamond, where an extra $5 bet would have paid us 8:1.  But instead, we get a $25 payout (blind paying 3:1).

We didn't tip the dealer - but probably should have tipped the player to our left, for speaking up in our behalf.  In legal terms, he was our "advocate."  And whether or not you play poker, we all need one.

Even now my witness is in heaven; my advocate is on high. - Job 16:19

Job said this in the midst of a difficult trial.  Without his knowing it, God had allowed the devil to take away practically all his belongings in life.  It was a test -- and at this point, Job was passing it by stating his faith in God.

My intercessor is my friend as my eyes pour out tears to God.... - Job  16:20

Who is Job talking about?  We're led to think he knew something about a Savior who would come to Earth much later, then go back to heaven:

Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died -- more than that, who was raised to life -- is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. - Romans 8:34

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

Jesus can intercede and be an advocate at the throne of God in your behalf, too.  But you have to believe in Christ, and His ability to do that.  Are you willing to do that -- so God the Father doesn't declare you an ultimate loser?

P.S. We wound up losing $50 at the table, after having a modest gain for a moment.  The chances of us repeating the "church-casino" double are slim, at best.

Poker Night 341: Early to Raise

"The tradition continues" is what we traditionally write when someone goes all-in during the first hand of an online tournament.  At least one player pushes right away, more often than not. At live tournaments, that doesn't tend to happen -- but some people aren't afraid to turn up the heat early in the evening.  Take this case from The Red Barn tonight....

BLINDS: 25/50

IN THE POCKET: 9 of hearts - 9 of diamonds

This isn't the opening hand, but it's one of the first.  An early missed flop has left us with about 6,750 chips.  We're content to limp in with a mid-range pocket pair -- but another man raises the stakes to 550.  Since we do have a pocket pair, we don't plan to back down pre-flop.  So we call, and about four players are in the hand.

ON THE FLOP: 8h-8d-10h

So there's a pair lower than ours on the board, and we also have 60 percent of a straight flush.  But we choose to lay low and check -- and sure enough, the bet from across the table is 500.  Hoping more for a 9 (to make a full house) than a medium-high heart, we call.  We don't recall anyone folding.

ON THE TURN: 6s

This blows up the dreamiest hand.  And a player across the table now raises the stakes to 1,500.  But consider our options now -- as any 7 would give us a straight, and any 8 or 9 would still provide a full house.  Even a 10 would provide us a sneakily higher two pair.  After weighing all this, we call.  Three players remain for the river.

ON THE RIVER: 2h

Yuck -- we missed it all.  Thankfully, the other players check so we don't have to fold.  But not so thankfully, one of them turns over an 8.  He had three of a kind from the flop, and takes a sizable pot.  We take a sizable loss, down to about 4,175 chips.

So dreams don't always come true in poker.  But one did for us later in the hour, as K-9 brought two pair at the river for a "Rodney" bonus hand of 5,000.

Then in the second hour, K-9 came our way again.  A flop containing K-J led to us calling a big bet of 3,000.  Then at the turn, a woman to our left bet 15,000 -- while we had only 1,000 remaining.  We called in hope again, but she had K-J.  Her two pair put us in an unwinnable position, and she knocked us out in 20th place.

MINISTRY MOMENT: Rodney the Tournament Director at The Red Barn professes faith in Christ, and he was in a mood to share that faith tonight.

"This is a man of God," he told a man at the one-hour break -- referring to us.

That's a title we seldom hear mentioned in our direction.  In fact, we almost wanted to quiet Rodney down when he said it!  It's quite humbling to us, and we don't really feel deserving of it -- especially considering the Biblical characters who received that title:

Then they took up their regular positions as prescribed in the Law of Moses the man of God.... - II Chronicles 30:16

And the leaders of the Levites were.... prescribed by David the man of God. - Nehemiah 12:24

I brought them into the house of the Lord, into the room of the sons of Hanan son of Igdaliah the man of God.... - Jeremiah 35:4

Wait a minute -- Ig-who?  We admittedly never thought of that person as a "man of God" until we wrote this post.  In fact, he's only mentioned in the Bible in that one verse.

Igdaliah is an embedded example of how someone can be a man (or woman) of God, without gaining a lot of prestige or publicity.  You may be living a Christian life, not thinking anyone notices or cares.  But Rodney reminded us tonight some people with careful eyes do notice.  And most importantly, God cares -- and He'll ultimately reward the faithful.

But you, man of God, flee from all this.... Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. - I Timothy 6:11-12

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 121 final tables in 341 nights (35.5%) - 19 cashes.

Correction or Insurrection

Let's return to the "Forgotten Face-Card Foul-Up" from Thursday night's poker tournament.  We overlooked a K-Q on the board, and let another player's A-10 take a pot over our A-9 even though both of us had three Aces.

We didn't spot the mistake until minutes later.  And when we did, we realized it was too late to reset the matter and make things right.  The time to object was at that moment -- before the cards were swept up from the table for the next hand.  There's a lesson here, which could apply to many aspects of our lives.

Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court.  Do it while you are still with him on the way, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. - Matthew 5:25

Jesus is using an example of legal matters to say disagreements should be settled quickly -- on the spot, if you can.  If they fester and grow, the damage could spread.  And the final outcome could be worse than the original act.

Admittedly, in our case a trained poker room dealer would have settled the issue in only a moment.  But in a free tournament, other players at the table should notice what happened and speak up....

If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you.  If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.  But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that "every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses." - Matthew 18:15-16

At the poker table, the players might haggle in front of everyone else around.  Away from the table, disputes should be addressed peacefully and privately.  People have done that with us on poker nights over the years; in fact, we've mentioned a couple of those cases.

But the true test of someone's character shows in how he or she responds, when a decision doesn't go their way....

Why not rather be wronged?  Why not rather be cheated?  Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers. - I Corinthians 6:7-8

Paul is writing in relation to legal action as well.  But there's a good principle in what he explains here: take the loss and move on -- and as you move on, don't do anything illegal to get even.


(Going "on tilt" at a poker table is not illegal.  It can annoy other players to pieces and make you look selfish -- which is also questionable from a Biblical standpoint -- but it's not illegal.)

In the case of Thursday night, we accepted the mistake -- and our role in allowing it to happen.  Hopefully we'll remember the lessons of it all.  And in future poker games, we'll try to avoid forgetting any faces.