Poker Day 466: Cut Through the Heart

Regular readers might have noticed we hadn't played in a poker tournament in a month. A lack of close poker rooms and a busy spring cleaning season will do that. But we were also focused on a big event which happened to fall during our vacation time: a Heartland Poker Tour tournament in Kansas City.

We traveled today to Ameristar Casino and Hotel - a complex that reminds you of a "grand hotel" and rail station of the 1930s. The HPT is holding a series of events there over 11 days. We did not enter the Main Event tournament, since it started on Saturday; it has more than 300 players, including (reportedly) WSOP Main Event champ Greg Raymer.

Instead, we settled for the final Sunday tournament - which had our steepest buy-in fee ever: $150. With that much on the line, we wanted to play well.... so did we?

BLINDS: 50/100

IN THE POCKET: Q-Q

We're thrilled to say we won an HPT hand!  It was before this one, as a bet on the flop with King high chased other players away.  Now we find a big pocket pair in the Big Blind, and the second player in line at this table of nine already has raised to 250.

"I want to raise," we say on sight.  Up we go to 750.  Two players call, including the man who raised first.

ON THE FLOP: 3-4-8 (offsuits)

This seems harmless, so we lead off with a continuation bet of 500. Perhaps that was too cautious, as the original raiser goes up to 1,200. The third man steps aside, and we call - wondering as we do. Is he bluffing to test our courage?

ON THE TURN: 10

We still have an overpair, but now we check to see what our opponent is thinking.  He sets out 2,500.  Everyone started with 12,500 chips, so this would be a substantial call.

We go "into the tank" as deeply as we ever have - trying to figure out what he's doing. Is he slow-rolling Aces?  That's our top suspicion, if he has something at all.  We still conclude he's bluffing, so we finally call.

ON THE RIVER: J

We still have the overpair, but we're still not comfortable. If our opponent is playing 10-10 or J-J, he's topped us. So we check again, and now his bet is 3,000.

"What's that old song?" we ask aloud. "We've come this far by faith.... leaning on the Lord?"

A couple of players out of the hand get a chuckle out of this. But we decide if we've committed this far, we might as go all the way with it. We call again.

Our opponent quickly turns over.... 4-4! He hit three of a kind on the flop, and led us all the way from there.

"Queens or Kings?" a man out of the hand asks us.  Unless he finds this blog, he'll never know - as we muck the cards without showing them.

That well-played win by the man two seats away was a crippling blow to us. We lost a couple of other hands with good cards as well, then rallied a bit with pocket Jacks to get back above 3,000.

Finally we smelled a comeback with 7-7, when the flop had a 7. We pushed with our last 1,800 or so, as anyone would have done. That brought two callers. But then the turn and river were running hearts, and a man made a flush to top us.

At least we were not the first player out at our table; we were second. But on a day with 84 players, a prize pool in the range of $10,000 and a lot of money invested, it was a disappointing session.

MINISTRY MOMENT: Do you recognize the song we mentioned at the river card?  It's an old gospel tune - and walking a long way by faith is something several people in the Bible did.

By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. - Hebrews 11:8

God made several promises to Abraham - some of them enormous:

I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you. I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. - Genesis 12:2

I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore.... - Genesis 22:17

Abraham died in Genesis 25:8 - and while his family grew, it wasn't quite in the millions or billions. Does that mean God lied to him? Was Abraham's faith in vain?

All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance.... Instead, they were longing for a better country - a heavenly one. - Hebrews 11:13, 16

Abraham and others had enough faith in God that they were willing to wait for a payoff beyond the grave. Their hope was for God to fulfill His promises when they are resurrected.  That might seem to take a lot of faith. But that was the sort of faith Jesus showed when he endured a violent death on our behalf.

Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer.... Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life. - Revelation 2:10

How much faith do you have? Not in yourself or your poker-playing skills, but in God?  If you're lacking, don't be afraid to ask God for more. After all, Jesus's disciples did (Luke 17:5) - and the Lord was more than willing to help them.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 175 final tables in 466 games (37.6%) - 33 cashes.

The Ultimate Decision

In the world of illegal drugs, a "pusher" is a bad guy. In the world of poker, a "pusher" could be many things - such as someone who's "on tilt" and ready to leave the game, or someone bluffing a lot to scare opponents.

Our last post referred to how God is willing to provide for us (yes, even for poker players) - but it requires a commitment. We think it takes a pusher's commitment.  Yes, an "all-in" commitment.

He provides food to those who fear him; he remembers his covenant forever. - Psalm 111:5

God provides if we "fear." What exactly does that mean?

I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. - Psalm 37:25

God provides for "righteous" people.  There's a connection with fear there....

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

Fearing the Lord means keeping commandments because....

May my tongue sing of your word, for all your commands are righteous. - Psalm 119:172

God's commands are righteous things.  If we fear God and keep them, He'll provide for us - and might even do it in a poker room.  But we must commit to keeping God's commandments (such as Deuteronomy 5:6-21). And some of them might seem tough - especially if you're used to lying or stealing from other people.

Jesus talks in Luke 14:25-33 about the price of being His disciple and a "God-follower." We suggest you consider those verses carefully.  Are you willing to go "all-in" with Jesus, for the hope of eternal life? Even if it means giving up some things? We think it's worth it.... but that's ultimately up to you.

What Price Freedom?

The end of this week will mark a major anniversary for some people -- and not because it's the traditional U.S. "Tax Day."

Next Friday will be five years since "Black Friday," when the U.S. Justice Department shut down several leading online poker sites. They were shut down in essence for the same reason several poker rooms in our city closed earlier this year - requiring money to play cash games or tournaments.

Some people are led to greatly exaggerate what happened. We found one columnist who declared:

Tens of thousands of Americans lost a basic freedom that day – while others lost their livelihoods.

We agree that some people lost a lot of money, when their online bankrolls fell into government hands.  But really now -- did people "lose a basic freedom"?  Absolutely not.  There are still plenty of websites where people can play poker.  They can do it for free, and even win money doing it - although admittedly the stakes usually are much smaller.

We're going to guess the lost "freedom" referred to by the writer is the ability to gamble online. While we've entered live tournaments and won some money for nearly nine years, we would ask: do you really need to gamble?

And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 4:19

We believe God created everything, so He ultimately owns it all.  And we believe God is loving enough to supply people's needs. But do you have enough faith to believe God will do that without gambling money on it?

The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land.... - Isaiah 58:11

Some poker players might interpret this verse to mean a big-money tournament in Las Vegas.  But seriously: God is willing to provide for you. But it may require taking the biggest risk of all - even bigger than going all-in with pocket 3's. It could mean giving God control over all aspects of your life.  We'll dig deeper into that in our next post.

Rage Against the Machine

As we grew up, the "pokie" was the place to avoid. It was a synonym for jail - as in the corner square on a Monopoly board.

But in Australian lingo, a "pokie" is something else. It refers to a poker machine - and a new study shows a lot of Aussies like to play them. One machine in a hotel can make an average A$59,000 per year, while in casinos they make an average A$128,600.

We'd guess pokies are popular because you can play them quickly. and walk away if you lose a lot in a hurry. But while there's a time and place for such things and we've played them online, poker machines strike us as cold and  impersonal. They're a lot like slot machines.

When we play poker, we admittedly do it with multiple motives. One of them is to engage people in conversations, which we try to lead to matters of faith:

As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. - Proverbs 27:17

By talking about poker with other players, you can learn things and improve your skills. When we talk about the things of God with others.... well, our NIV Study Bible notes on this verse put it this way: "Develops and molds his character."

Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the Lord and honored his name. - Malachi 3:17

Let's face it, though: you're far more likely to find "those who fear the Lord" at places other than casinos. If you want to talk deeply about the things of God, get involved in a local church congregation - especially one that is true to the Bible. (Believe it or not, many of them aren't.) And be sure to read your Bible often, so you have something to talk about.

As the Cards Turn

Before the last "river" card comes in a traditional poker hand, there's the "turn" card.

We're not sure how that card received its name. After all, can't every card in a poker hand turn things around - either for or against you?

But in spiritual terms, the creators of poker had things in the right order....

Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.... - Acts 3:19

We looked online through 14 different Bible translations - and the word "flop" is nowhere to be found. But if we're honest with ourselves, we're all "flops." We've all fallen short of living perfect lives.

...For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. - Romans 3:23

The Bible shows we need to repent of the sins that make us flops. Then "turn to God." What does that mean?

Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. - Psalm 34:14

People who aren't close to God may not like reading this, but their ways tend to be evil. In poker, that can mean looking for short cuts and cheating ways to win pots - or perhaps lying in someone else's face about what sort of hand you have. So they need to turn to doing good ways.

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

We think the best way to know how to turn to God is to read the Bible on a regular basis. Ask God in prayer to help you understand it, and how its words apply to you. Then begin living what you understand. Then, to borrow from a classic song with Biblical lyrics, you'll make the "turn, turn, turn" in your life.

River Without Rats

The last card that's dealt in a Texas Hold 'em poker hand has a name with more symbolism than you might think.

Why is it called "the river"? One theory we found online says that card actually was a cheater's card long ago - and gamblers would throw it over the side of a riverboat if they got caught. Into the river, you see.

But big things happened at rivers long before poker came along. Consider a few examples....

So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them... as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water's edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing.... So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. - Joshua 3:14-16

The nation of Israel entered God's "promised land" by crossing the Jordan River. Decades of wandering ended, and a payoff was achieved.

Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John... As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." - Matthew 3:13-17

The Son of God agreed to be baptized in a river, and God used that moment to make a major statement about Him.

On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. - Acts 16:13

The apostle Paul went to the riverside to pray - and more baptisms followed (verse 15).

So historic events can happen at rivers. Perhaps you can think of more from the Bible. But we've been reminded of this lately by a big song on Christian radio - ironically, by a singer with "Jordan" in his name. It talks about a "river" offering something far more valuable than poker pots.

The Adventures of Narco-Cop

We've documented here over the last three month how police have cracked down on poker rooms in our city, putting practically all public games out of business.  But not all law officers are killjoys, when it comes to poker.

This weekend's Heartland Poker Tour telecast featured Michael Younan -- or, as he asked the announcers to call him, "Narco-Cop." Younan really spends his work days with a police department narcotics division. (No, we won't spoil the outcome.)

Would you be afraid to play against someone you know works in law enforcement? If so, that probably says more about you than it does "Narco-Cop."  Maybe what you need is a change of thinking, to become more law-abiding:

Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as man who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden.... - Hebrews 13:17

We realize big-time poker gained a lot of fame from people walking on the edges of breaking the law. But the modern-day game offers plenty of opportunities to play legally for fun - and, under the right circumstances, you can enter tournaments to win money.

We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. We also know that law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful.... - I Timothy  1:8-9

The apostle Paul goes on to list many more people for whom the "law is made." While "gamblers" is not there, it's not a pretty list.

So as basic as this may sound, the law is good. Why some poker players and rooms wanted to cut corners with it, we don't know.  But isn't it better to play games that are legal and above board - so "Narco-Cop" doesn't send his co-workers after you?