The Miracle Man

Our last post included a conversation with a dealer who admitted he sometimes makes mistakes. It ended with the man admitting Jesus did some things that were "miraculous."

Perhaps you've experienced a "miracle" or two at the poker table - getting the single card you need to make a straight flush on the river, or something less than that. While that's certainly a thrilling moment, Jesus Christ had miracles far beyond that:

Jesus answered, "I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father's name speak for me.... even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father." - John 10:25, 38

The Lord admitted He performed miracles - from healing the sick to feeding thousands of people. He faced scoffers and skeptics while walking this earth, but Jesus said they should still believe the miraculous things He did. And yet at another time....

He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And he was amazed at their lack of faith. - Mark 6:5-6

Jesus was stymied in His own home town (verse 1) - and a crowd of people there even "took offense" at him (verse 3).

This should point out something important about miracles of God: they're a two-way exchange. If you lack the faith that miracles can happen, they probably won't. Occasionally you might beat the odds. But to go back to the earlier quote, we need faith that the Father and Son are at work in our lives.

Some people (and even some ministers) claim the "age of miracles" ended with the completion of the Biblical New Testament. And yet that testament says this:

And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles.... - I Corinthians 12:28

Earlier in this chapter, we're told God gives some believers "miraculous powers" (verse 10). We personally do not think we have that sort of thing - but we also admit we could use more faith that other people have it.

So next time you need a miraculous hand or comeback, remember the source of true miracles. Not some group of "poker gods" that players love to bring up - but a real God who wants you to put your faith and trust in Him.

Poker Day 485: Alphabet Soup

The P.A. system at Kansas Star Casino played the old rock tune Ridin' the Storm Out during our Friday poker tournament. That was fitting, because heavy overnight rain left fields flooded along our drive to the casino. Sometimes poker games can have unsettling stormy moments, too....

BLINDS: 50/100

IN THE POCKET: Ace-King of diamonds

We won a nice early pot thanks to pocket 7's. But then we misread an opponent who really had a 9 to go with two of them on the board, and took a big loss. Add a few small losses, and we start this hand with 2,100 chips. We have the Dealer button, and these cards give us hope for making a move.

When no one at the full table raises, we step it up to 500. A woman and a man to our right call.

ON THE FLOP: Kc-Qc-Js

Not quite perfect letters, but close enough. We have top pair, top kicker and no desire for anyone to chase a flush. When the two opponents check, we jump.

"Sixteen candles," we announce - going all-in for the remaining 1,600. The woman to our right folds. Good. The man doesn't - and calls. Uh-oh.

"Did you hit a straight?" we ask with concern. In response, he shows.... A-Q! Our top pair leads, but we'd split the pot if a 10 makes a straight.

ON THE TURN: Qs

Ouch!!!! He gets a third queen - and now we need either a King or that pot-splitting 10.

ON THE RIVER: 3h

Finally a number shows up - and it's the wrong number for us. Our opponent won the race, and we're the second player to leave our starting table.

MINISTRY MOMENT: "Sometimes I make mistakes," our second dealer of the day admitted as he threw around the cards.

"That's not good," we told him quietly.

"Everybody makes mistakes," he continued. "except John." He jokingly referred to a player across the table from us (not his real name).

"I can think of one person who never made a mistake," we told the dealer moments later. "That was Jesus."

"He was a bit before my time." Well, yeah - ours, too.

"I read about Him in a book, though," we explained.

"You might say He was miraculous," the dealer finally admitted.

Indeed Jesus Christ was - and in many ways He still is. But let's rewind this conversation. If you think about it, a lot of poker gains and losses come from making mistakes. Players might overplay their hands, misread opponents or wait too long to make a move. In the same way, in our lives...

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

A "sin" can be a mistake on a moral, spiritual level - falling short of God's perfect standard. But Jesus came to live a sin-free, perfect life:

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet was without sin. - Hebrews 4:15

Why would Jesus live in such a way? Was He a "killjoy" who didn't understand how much fun some sin can be? In reality, Jesus knew better....

But each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. - James 1:14-16

Sin leads to death. Jesus lived a mistake-free, sin-free life that we could have eternal life:

For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! - Romans 5:10

We'll say more about the miracles of Jesus in a future post. But for now, are you willing to admit your mistakes - not simply going all-in as a bluff, but the sins you commit each day? Are you willing to repent of them, and start walking in a way that's closer to Jesus's example?

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 180 final tables in 485 games (37.1%) - 35 cashes. We'll need to make final tables in five of the next 15 tournaments to keep a 37-percent result at the 500-game mark.

Change in an Instant

Many people dream of hitting the lottery jackpot, and becoming instant millionaires. For others, it takes a bit more time.... say, six hands of poker.

Courtesy The West Australian

Nigel Williams of Perth, Australia only played six hands at a casino last week. But ohhhh, that sixth one. Williams had the 10 of diamonds. The flop was Ad-Qd-Jd. Then came the turn - the King of diamonds!

Williams hit a royal flush, and won a progressive casino jackpot of $2.7 million. Considering he made a $10 bet on the flop, it was a bit overwhelming. It showed in a TV interview about his success.

First Williams called his wife, who said bluntly: "What are you doing at the casino?" Then he admitted being a "workaholic," and sobbed at the thought of reducing his workload from seven days a week to five to "spend more time with my children."

There are many lessons we could take from this story. The biggest one for us is how a big payday may change this man's priorities. Williams seemed to admit being detached from his children - which reminds us of this:

Fathers, do not aggravate your children, or they will become discouraged. - Colossians 3:21 (NLT)

We think one way to cause aggravation is to be "missing in action" - and it can happen by being a poker-holic, every bit as much as a workaholic. A father who's not close to his children risks losing their love - as well as the opportunity to build an even more important loving relationship:

Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. - Proverbs 22:6

The best way to go is God's way - following "the way, the truth and the life" otherwise known as Jesus Christ (John 14:6). But then, there's the reaction from Williams's wife to where he was.

Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them. - Colossians 3:19

We've never been married, but we've heard wives appreciate nice surprises. A check for $2.7 million would be one - but to learn your husband is in a casino may not seem like the nicest thing to learn.

If a wife objects to "punting" (as the Aussies say), a loving husband should respond by not doing it. Your family ought to come before your pastimes and hobbies - especially if they could cost your family a lot of money.

 We wish Nigel Williams well, and hope you learn from his example. Why wait for a playing card to motivate you to do what you know you should be doing already? Take time to make your family a success - because a "flop" there probably won't be in your favor.

Break It to Me Gently

"Be gentle, now!" the man across the table from us said as the hand began.

That man was displaying some personality, so we decided to play along with his advice. We looked at our cards, and quietly called 200. When his turn came, he raised to 600. The trouble for him was that our cards were quite good.

"I'm going to try to push as gently as I can," we told him when our turn came again. One by one, we delicately put the chips across the line - 1,400 in all. Then we whispered, "I'm all in."

The opponent didn't show much appreciation for our gesture. He called, anyway.

"How gently can I turn over rockets?!" we then asked. Yup - we had pocket Aces. He didn't.

We won the hand, for a big double-up. But at least we tried to oblige our opponent - and in the process display one of the fruit of God's spirit:

But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. - Galatians 5:22-23

You've probably never thought of poker as a gentle game. You might not even consider it a gentle-man's game - since it's been played by tough-talking cowboys in the Old West and Mafia leaders in big cities. But we think there are many ways to play poker. In fact, taking a gentle approach can throw opponents off-guard.

By the meekness and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you... - II Corinthians 10:1

Some people expected the Messiah to come as a lion, taking vengeance on enemies of the Hebrews. Yet a speaker on Christian radio reminded us the other day that Jesus came as a lamb - and that approach made Him quite a game-changer. So in light of that....

Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. - Philippians 4:5

How near? So near that he lives within believers, through the Holy Spirit (Colossians 1:27) - and that Spirit is how the fruit of gentleness is developed. So the next time a poker player asks you to "be gentle, now".... how will you react?
.

Drought Update

TV weather experts will tell you today marks the start of "meteorological fall," at least in terms of record-keeping. We hope it brings a "rainy season" for poker in our area, because a drought we first mentioned here in late July is continuing.

The latest poker room to shut its doors is 7 Clans First Council Casino, a mile or two south of the Kansas-Oklahoma line. We never played there, but several people at Kansas Star Casino told us they did.

The casino even had a visit in July from one-time Main Event champion Greg Raymer. He wrote that he liked the place, and he reportedly even entered a tournament the poker room had. But amazingly, that casino Wednesday night was promoting a "Kings and Queens of Karaoke" contest - with no traditional poker to be found.

What's going on here? Why are so many poker opportunities in our area shutting down? We asked players at one of our tables the other day, and didn't get a very good explanation. It's not like online poker is making a comeback in the Midwest, because it hasn't.

We're led to conclude some poker players have found other things to do, if not other ways to play. Wherever you stand in this situation, we offer this bit of advice:

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.... - Ecclesiastes 9:10

Being half-hearted about your pastimes or projects usually isn't the best approach. You're likely to get semi-impressive results. As another Bible writer put it:

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. - Colossians 3:23-24

Wait - what?! Should we play poker as if we're doing it for.... God?!?!

Well, why not? We're all going to have to answer to Jesus Christ for it, because....

...For in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning not knowledge nor wisdom. - Ecclesiastes 9:10b

We might as well take an "all-in" approach to life now, because you can't after you die.

Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.... - Hebrews 9:27

Judgment is coming, whether we like it or not. We think you'll do far better when that time comes if you consider yourself the servant of Jesus now, and act accordingly.

While "7 Clans" may operate that Oklahoma casino, God is ultimately building only one:

But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. - Luke 6:35

Yes, you have the opportunity to become a son of the "Most High" God. Isn't that worth serving Him with everything you have to offer?

Poker Day 484: High On the Scale

Some hands of poker are memorable for the cards you get and the hands you make. We recall others because of the personalities we face. One man left us with plenty of memories, when we entered the Friday tournament at Kansas Star Casino:

BLINDS: 75/150

IN THE POCKET: A-10 offsuit

We won one early pot, but have been paddling upstream most of the day. We start this hand with 2,175 chips and the dealer's button. No one raises ahead of us, and we see a chance to gain ground with the last hand before break time.

"I'll call - 350," we say. We set out 350 - but we're quickly corrected.

"You said call," the real dealer at the table points out. Oops. Indeed we did - so the bet is only 150. We admit having "two minds" about what to do. The blinds simply call in response. About half the table is playing.

ON THE FLOP: K-6-10

 We have second pair, a superior kicker - and possibly concerned opponents around the table. They all check to us. So let's get it right this time.

"OK, I will bet...." we say carefully, "350." Call it a sorta-kinda continuation bet.

But a man to our left apparently was waiting for that. He raises to 700. Everyone else folds, so it's our turn again. "700?!" we ponder aloud.

The man to our left has been in a talkative mood. "I like my cards."

"Really like them?" we ask. "Scale of 0 to 10 - how much do you like them?" Maybe he'll see a bit too much.

"Seven," our opponent decides.

Hmmm. We'd rate our hand about the same way - and decide if he had a King, he'd rate himself higher. "I can call a seven,." we conclude. So we do.

ON THE TURN: 3

Our opponent is first in line to bet, and now he brings out 1,500. Trouble is, we have only 1,325. "That's a bit more than I have," we explain to the man. He seems unconcerned about that. Nevertheless, we are - and we don't risk it. We fold. He never shows his cards.

The color-up at break time improved our lowly stack to 1,400. But then one of those "second-hour miracles" happened. It started with pocket Aces, and we doubled up on that talkative man (a topic for another post). Then we won with A-Q. We even won a race with J-10. The gains kept coming - and by the second break, we stood at 20,200 chips!

A challenging, bluffing opponent threw us off at top in the third period - but we held on to reach the final table! A gain or two came there as well, and we survived to the final five. But patient and high blinds combined to wear out our chip stack. We went all-in for 7,000 in the Big Blind, and lost a race when our opponent paired.

We still were thankful for a great rally - and finishing fifth out of 67 players earned us $117. It turns out our finish actually was one spot worse than the time before. Yet we've now made money at Kansas Star for two tournaments in a row - not an easy thing to do!

MINISTRY MOMENT: "Why did you bring the battery?" a woman next to us asked at the semifinal table.

"That's my card protector," we explained. "But it has another purpose. I bring it to remind me that I receive the power of God from the Holy Spirit."

That comment shut the woman up - but not everyone at the table. "Do you believe in the Holy Spirit?" we asked.

"Amen," an older man two seats to our left responded.

"Hoping everyone here believes in the Spirit," we continued.

"If they did, Jesus would already be here," the older man answered - and come to think of it, he's right.

Jesus Christ didn't come to a perfect world. In fact, He came because the world of that time was imperfect.

But go and learn what this means: "I desire mercy, not sacrifice." For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners. - Matthew 9:13

The "righteous" people during Jesus's time on Earth (or so they thought) were the Pharisees. Yet they didn't endorse what Jesus did; in fact, most of them couldn't stand Him and wanted Him dead. Jesus knew this, of course....

Woe to you, because you build tombs for the prophets, and it was your forefathers who killed them.  So you testify that you approve of what your forefathers did; they killed the prophets, and you build their tombs. - Luke 11:47-48

Jesus spoke here to "experts in the law" (verse 46) - which we think He said in a tongue-in-cheek way. The Lord outsmarted them on interpretations of God's law over and over. And eventually, they killed Jesus just as their ancestors had. Yet without that death, a key part of God's salvation plan could not have happened:

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever - the Spirit of truth.... - John 14:16-17

God has lovingly given that Holy Spirit to believers who do what the Bible recommends. Have you repented of your sins yet, and submitted to baptism (Acts 2:38) - so you can receive God's marvelous gift?

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 180 final tables in 484 games (37.2%) - 35 cashes. This makes three final tables in a row at casinos, while we've missed the last three final tables in the "free games" at Yvie's. Discuss.

The R-Word

We asked a man next to us at the poker table recently what he thought of the things of God. His answer: "I've never been terribly religious...."

Does that describe you.... really?  What does it mean to be religious, anyway?

Some people seem to have a "religious" devotion to poker. They'll play in tournaments or cash games every day, if they have the chance. To them, a poker room is the equivalent of a church or a synagogue for other groups of people.

Our home dictionary from the 1970s defines "religious" as, "Adhering to or manifesting religion; pious; godly.... Extremely faithful; scrupulous; conscientious." If you separate those points, it's easy to conclude some people match all of them - but others match only a few. For instance, how many poker players would you call "pious" and "godly?"

You may be surprised to learn that the Bible, considered the book of Christian "religions," doesn't mention religion very often. Perhaps the most shocking section is this:

If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. - James 1:26

James goes on to write some people praise God with their tongues, then turn around and curse other people (James 3:9-10). This may be why some believers in Jesus Christ say God doesn't really want our religion. But keep reading....

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. - James 1:27

To God, pure religion is about caring for people in need - as well as avoiding sin. Compared with verse 26, it's about our actions and decisions as opposed to our words. Here's an example....

But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God. - I Timothy 5:4

Caring for family members is a religious trait that matters to God. If you're going to poker nights to get away from that, perhaps it's time to stop and think. Are you putting yourself ahead of God? Ahead of your family? Especially people in need? To borrow from a classic rock song, is it time for "Losing My Religion" - for one God really accepts?