Do You Love Me?

At its base, some would say poker is a selfish game. The object in a tournament is to gain everyone else's chips. As long as we remember it's only a game, we think there can be some balance there.

But how self-serving should we be? We asked in a recent post if it's wrong to love yourself. The greatest example of love we know had something to say about that - perhaps in a context you hadn't considered before:

So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. - Matthew 7:12

Jesus is reciting what some call the "golden rule." We normally think about the outgoing aspect of that, and we absolutely should. But how would you "have" others "do" things "to you?"

A masochist might want to be insulted and shamed at a poker table. We've heard that way of thinking called a "martyrdom complex" - and at one point Jesus seems to encourage that approach:

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. - Matthew 5:10

But Jesus also said He overcame the world (John 16:33) - and He wants us to have the hope of overcoming as well.

Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. - Psalm 42:5

One frequently-quoted Bible promise is that God will complete the work He's begun in you (Philippians 1:6). If you love God for what He's doing in you, that can be the proper kind of "self-love" - and one you can share with other people.

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.

Poker Night 483: Big Blind Extra-Special

The Olympic Games may have lost their luster for the Monday night poker crowd at Yvie's. Tonight the top choice for the big screen in the poker room was a Major League Baseball game, rooting for a team barely in the playoff running. We could relate to that sort of "hanging on for dear life" in our tournament....

BLINDS: 3,000/6,000

IN THE POCKET: A-Q offsuit

The blinds are high and the number of players is small. After a sizable loss with these very same cards in the first hand of the night, we've clawed uphill to get a bit above the starting 10,000-chip mark. But we start this hand with 9,000 - and with ten players remaining (two tables of five), we're desperate for a big gain.

"All of it," we say as the 9,000 goes out. The Big Blind decides to risk 3,000 more to take us on. But she doesn't have much - a mere 5-7. Good for us, right?

ON THE FLOP: 5-A-5

Well, no. She has three of a kind, to top our two pair. An Ace could save us....

ON THE TURN: 5

But no - that other card comes! We have a full house - but we also have a bad beat. The woman scores the best hand of the tournament night, with quad 5's. The last card doesn't matter, and we fall short of the final table with a ninth-place finish. (A player at the other table bowed out seconds before we did.)

MINISTRY MOMENT: We dealt one hand where a woman was all in, but in big trouble. She had a 6, to make a straight on the turn - but another woman had 6-9 for a higher straight. The first woman's only hope was to make a flush on the river.

"You need a diamond?!" we said to confirm. Two diamonds were on the board. And then we dealt....

ON THE RIVER: Kd

Woman #1 was thrilled. Others at the table were amazed. "Is that all you have to do?" one player wondered. "Simply ask for a card?"

"Ask and ye shall receive," we smiled in response. "I read that in a book once."

Then we added a bit more to a man at our left, hoping to drive home the point. "I think the Person who said that has more power than I do."

You may recognize the quote, but do you understand what we meant by it?

Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete. - John 16:24

Jesus said these words on the night before He was crucified. He made other statements which seem to make clear His point involved prayer:

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives.... - Matthew 7:7-8

Talk about a promise! Asking God for things in prayer is good. But Jesus explained asking in His name is the New Testament way to do it.

...I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. - John  16:23b

But we fear some Christians (including some preachers) have taken this promise to an extreme - suggesting that with the right amount of faith, God will give you anything in any amount at any time. Yet think about this logically. If eight God-fearing poker players asked for God's help in winning at a final table, wouldn't someone still have to lose?

Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." - James 4:15

That's a major key to a successful life in Jesus Christ - accepting God's will for your life, whether he honors your asking for success or allows you to endure failure. That's why the model prayer of Jesus for us to follow includes the phrase, "Your will be done...." (Matthew 6:10)

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 179 final tables in 483 games (37.1%)  - 34 cashes. Our final table record at Yvie's this year is a rather skimpy two-for-eight.

Poker Day 482: Osage, Can You See

"The main reason I'm here is for a birthday burger," we explained to the man who prepared our registration card. He asked why we took a trip of nearly three hours today to the edge of Tulsa, Oklahoma And it was true: a restaurant chain which offers free burgers on your birthday isn't located in our city.  But we decided if we going to make a day trip, we might as well try to win our money back.

So before the burger, we played poker for the first time at Osage Casino. It's a nice, relatively small tribal complex with a poker room that's a nice distance away from the main floor of noisy slot machines. And its daily afternoon tournaments are downright cheap, at a $30 buy-in. Would a Thursday with a small turnout work to our advantage?

BLINDS: 25/50

IN THE POCKET: 7-6 of clubs

Everyone starts with 3,000 chips, and this is the first round of blinds. An early trial balloon failed for us, so we start with about 2,800. A player raises to 150, and we join about three other players in calling.

ON THE FLOP: 5-8-9

If we were a slot machine, a lot of noise would happen right now. We hit the straight jackpot - but we notice two of these three cards are hearts (we forget exactly which ones). So when a player bets 150, we pounce with a raise to 550.

"I'm probably gonna regret this," says a man on the opposite end of the table. He calls; no one else does.

ON THE TURN: 7s

OK, that's not a heart - but that's not necessarily the best card for us. Our chances of a unique straight have gone down. But we sense our opponent is on a flush draw - so when he checks, we bet 550 again.

"I've got to stay for one more," he says as he calls.

ON THE RIVER: 10c

 No flush there - yet four numbered cards in a row actually are more trouble for us. Perhaps our opponent senses that, because now he bets 1,500. That practically would put us all in.

"After all of that...." we say aloud in a bit of frustration. We invested a lot in this hand, but all he needs is a Jack for a superior straight.

"I can't go there," we finally conclude as we fold. We take a big loss, and the winner doesn't show his cards. But there are post-mortems.

"Did you have pocket Jacks?" another player asks the winner.

"Something like that," he vaguely answers.

"Should have gone all-in," we overhear someone else saying - apparently toward us. We don't respond, but we thought we'd bet enough to run the opponent off. As it turned out, we were at a rather loose table where pushing might have been in order - but all the players were new to us.

That loss put us in a tough position for most of the day - but the looseness of the table worked in our favor. Players pushed and failed, while we waited for good moments. Then those moments came: a double-up with A-5, followed minutes later by another double-up with A-10. A measly 1,250 chips were enough to get us to the final table on a two-table 19-player day.

Once we got there, another push with A-5 paid off when an Ace came on the turn. But rising blinds and a couple of small losses kept us short-stacked. Finally with seven players left, we pushed again with 10-10 - but a young man across from us slow-bet pocket Aces and called. The board didn't save us, and we finished tied for sixth due to a double take-out. We left satisfied, knowing things could have turned out much worse.

MINISTRY MOMENT: "Is that a dollar?" the man to our right asked when he saw our card protector. It was actually the one with the Lord's Supper on one side and a depiction of Jesus on the other.

"What do you think of Jesus?" we asked the man. "Is He your Savior?"

"Most certainly, yes," he answered. "I'm number two; He's number one."

That's a good answer - and we hope he means it. But is it true with you? Who comes first in your life?

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves.... - II Timothy 3:1-2

This is an issue we've admittedly battled internally for many years: is it wrong to love yourself? Whitney Houston sold a lot of records declaring, "Learning to love yourself is the greatest love of all." But Jesus indicated there was a love much greater than that - so great it was commanded:

"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this.... 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these." - Mark 12:29-31

God indeed should be our #1 love. But notice Jesus did not say we personally are #2. Our neighbors should be. That can include your family, to borrow from a famous sports memoir. But how about including fellow poker players - especially if you play with some people on a regular basis, and come to know them well?

We can love our neighbors in many ways. It can start with polite words at the table, and extend as far as praying for players with serious problems. But let's go back to that internal question, and ask for your comments. Is it wrong to love yourself? We'll dig deeper into that issue in a future post.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 179 final tables in 482 games (37.1%) - 34 cashes. Only the top two players won money today. Oh, by the way: the "free birthday burger" was pretty good - even if cheese on top cost us 50 cents.

Poker Night 481: Unsynchronized Betting

"I'm going on only three hours' sleep," we said to the man at our left tonight. "So if I fall asleep during a hand, give me a nudge."

The man could relate - telling of sleeping four hours or so, then driving for eight. Truly for some of us, it was survival of the fittest at Yvie's Bar and Grill. A one-time change in the work schedule had us working a lot for two days, then having a Monday night off for the first time in weeks. Would that mean success - or tiredness?

BLINDS: 200/400

IN THE POCKET: 9-10 of spades

Not many good cards have come so far, and our stack has dipped as a result. Feeler bets have failed, and we have about 7,000 of a starting 10,000. But by and large, our table of seven is playing tight. So with suited connections, we feel our way out again - and are happy when no one calls. About five players are in.

ON THE FLOP: 10h-10c-Qc (suit of first 10 not precise)

Three (of a kind) to get ready! But we're not quite set to go for the jackpot yet. We're late in the betting order - so when the play checks to us, we check along. We'd like someone else to stab at the pot first.

ON THE TURN: 2c

Uh-oh. The appearance of a third club means the waiting game is over, since a couple of flushes already have been made. A man across from us offers 600. Then we do something that puzzles some people at the table.

"Raise - 1,600," we say.

"That's unusual," an older woman two seats to our left responds. In a way, that's good. You might call this a separation raise - separating the chasers from the real contenders. (That woman already had folded.) Other players fold, but the original bettor calls. Part of us wonders if he already has it.

ON THE RIVER: 2d

If he did, it's worthless now! Two pair on the board means we have a full house. The man who bet before now checks, and it's time to go for it. We're down to a single yellow chip, worth 5,000.

"Two-thousand," we say as we plunk it down. A nice-sized bet - but too much for our opponent. He folds, and we win a big pot to return to about our starting level.

"You had an Ace, didn't you?" that older woman asks us a moment later.

"Well..... I had something," we answer playing dodgeball.

"I'll bet you had an Ace," she says. Always keep 'em guessing....

Our stack went up and down much of the evening - winning at one point with a well-timed bluff bet that chased away the table, losing at another point when our top two pair fell to the same "triple deuce" hand we saw last time out in North Kansas City.

At the first break, we had 7,000 chips with 12 players left from a starting 18. But with 11 to go, rising blinds forced us to push with K-J. The board brought three Queens. But a man to our left had an Ace, while the man we took on earlier had a 4 which happened to make a full house. We bowed out in 11th place.

MINISTRY MOMENT: "He was off by about half-an-inch," one man at our table said as he watched the poker room TV. No, card games were not on tonight. People were watching Olympic synchronized diving from Brazil.

Our seat was turned away from the screen, so we settled for the analysis of other players. But as the diving unfolded, we said to a man at our left, "Can two walk together except they be agreed?"

It's a famous quote fitting for the TV competition. In fact, it might sound Biblical to you - and for a change, this one actually is:

Can two walk together, except they be agreed? - Amos 3:3 (KJV)

Those eight simple words can pack a lot of punch. We offended a co-worker at a job years ago when we said them as a question. That woman was going through a divorce. Even though we never mentioned the source of the quote, she apparently knew the source - and she declared us judgmental.

But a TV viewer at our table tonight noted how some synchronized divers actually walked alike, along the edge of the diving pool. To win an Olympic medal, they must act (and probably think) exactly the same way. So how often do you do that?

Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one; as you, Father, are in me, and I in you.... - John 17:20-21  (KJV)

Jesus Christ succeeded in living a perfect sinless life because he was "one" with the Father. In fact, the Father was in Jesus and vice versa - something we think the Holy Spirit made possible. And the God-Family wants that in us as well....

I in them, and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. - John 17:23

Christian groups might disagree on all sorts of things - from what foods to eat to what Bible translation to read. But they should be united in their belief in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

In all our years of poker, we can't recall anyone saying the word ":synchronicity" before tonight (not even the old rock song with that title). But a man said it while watching Olympic diving. So we ask it of you. Are you in synchronicity with God and Jesus? If not, maybe it's time to get in line:

Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. - Galatians 5:25

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 178 final tables in 481 games (37.0%) - 34 cashes.

Three's Good Company?

Unless you're a newcomer, you probably know there are many ways to play poker. There's traditional Texas Hold 'em. There's Pot-Limit Omaha. But have you tried the version where you don't even need five cards to take a pot?

We've been trying Three-Card Poker online lately for free. It's a downright simple game. You're dealt three cards, then decide whether to bet or fold them. The dealer turns over his/her three cards - and the high hand wins.

We increased our bankroll pretty well online, so we went to a casino to see what would happen.... and of course, we lost money. Thankfully, we only bet $5 at a time compared with $25 on the web.

It hurt us that one aspect of the online game was missing at the casino - the "6-card bonus" bet. If your hand and the dealer's combine to form a big five-card hand like a full house, you can win big pretend dollars.

But some people might argue the three-card approach is more, well, Biblical. Here's why....

Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth. - Genesis 6:10

Those original "My Three Sons" (you're showing your age if you remember that TV reference) repopulated the world after the flood. And while it's controversial, some say those three original the main races of humankind.

Three times a year you are to offer a festival to me. - Exodus 23:14

No, not Easter, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas. God went on in that chapter to explain these "times" are festival seasons, while many Jews and some Christians still keep today.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. - I Corinthians 13:13

New Testament writers practiced what some have come to call the "rule of threes." It's evident in founding documents of the U.S., such as the phrase, "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. - II Corinthians 13:14

Some believers use this verse and others to promote a "trinity" view of God, as three-in-one.

You can debate the validity of some of those beliefs if you wish - but here's our main point: God seems to enjoy doing things in groups of three. They're scattered all over the Bible. Can you find some we haven't mentioned? And is there a "three" that ranks #1 on your favorite list?

Poker Day 480: One Expensive Trip

One of the first places where we played live poker for money was Harrah's Casino in North Kansas City. There have been times when every table was full for a weekday tournament. But with competing casinos now in the area, the Friday midday game can't even fill two tables. The better for us to make a final table while on a weekend road trip.... right?

BLINDS: 200/400

IN THE POCKET: J-9 offsuit

Well, maybe not so right. We were given 10,000 chips to start the day. After winning a small early pot, we lost a large one to a man with three 5's. Now we're in the Big Blind, starting this with only 4,500. No one raises at this table of eight, so we check and hope something big is about to break.

ON THE FLOP: J-3-2 (two cards are clubs; we don't recall which ones)

That's certainly a good start, and we're optimistically encouraged to see the Small Blind (first to act) betting 600. We call to tag along. A player to our left calls as well.

ON THE TURN: 9s

Even better! And now Mr. Small Blind bets 1,000. The play for us seems obvious.

"The bundle," we declare - and our last 3,500 comes forward.  But then the man to our left does the same thing - and he has 3,500 as well!

"Maybe great minds think alike," we say - because even a split would look good now. But the Small Blind calls, too! We could triple up!

But then the Small Blind shows.... 2-2! We're in "trip trouble" again. The man to our left shows A-5 of clubs; he has both straight and flush draws. It all comes down to one card....

ON THE RIVER: Qc

The flush hits. That man is relieved. We miss; we're not. On a day with only 17 players, we finish 17th. But at least the poker room had free donuts and cookies.

MINISTRY MOMENT: We didn't take a good "card protector" on the trip, so we grabbed a packet of artificial sweetener from a casino restaurant and improvised.

"I picked this up to remind me," we said to a man at our left, "that the word of God is sweet."

The man chuckled a little at that - but we hope at some point he thinks over what we said:

How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! - Psalm  119:103

We don't think sugar cubes were around in Old Testament times. Packets of "Equal" certainly were not. So honey was the standard of sweetness for people. And it applied to more than simply the words God said....

The fear of the Lord is pure. enduring forever. The ordinances of the Lord are sure and altogether righteous.... they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. - Psalm  19:9-10

An "ordinance" of God is a rule He establishes for us to follow; it could refer to the "Ten Commandments" law, but not necessarily. So His rules can be sweet as well. But here's the amazing extra:

Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. - Proverbs  16:24

Are these God's words? They can be - but we think it can apply to human words as well. The right comment at the right time can uplift and encourage other people. So be thankful for the sweet words God provides, in the Bible and in other ways - and see if you can stir something sweet into what you say at a poker table.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 178 final tables in 480 games (37.1%) - 34 cashes.