If It Was Real: 280-Game Report

An old phrase says familiarity breeds contempt.  At the poker table, we think it also makes you an easy target. We're starting to think the players in our local poker circuit have figured out our strategy -- or else they're reading this blog carefully, and not telling us.

In our last 20 live tournaments, we've made the final table only four times (barely missing two other times).  Compared with a couple of years ago, this is a serious slide for us.  And only two tournaments brought top-five finishes.  We were fourth in October at a Florida poker room (where we're clearly an outsider), then fourth two weeks later at The Red Barn (where we don't play often these days).

Plug those 20 games into our running scoreboard, based on a Kansas City area casino.  Our record now looks like this:

BUY-INS: 280 nights x $50 = $14,000

First -- 5 ($2,500)
TIE for first: 1 ($450)

Second - 8 ($3,200)

Third -- 9 ($2,700)
TIE for third: 1 ($250)

Fourth - 12 ($2,400)
TIES for fourth:
4 two-way ($600)
1 three-way ($67)

Fifth -- 14 ($1,400)
TIES for fifth:
4 two-way ($200)
1 three-way ($17)

TOTAL -- 60 for $13,784


Yes, it's finally happened -- we've fallen below the break-even point on a pretend investment.  After 100 games, we were 45.3% ahead.  After 200 games, it was 24.7%.

So clearly some changes are in order.  But what should they be?  Any suggestions?

Thanks for Nothing?

How disappointed we were Wednesday night, when a man told us he didn't have much to be thankful for.  But then again, maybe that describes you on this U.S. Thanksgiving Day.  Maybe you've lost a lot of money playing poker this year -- or lost something (or someone) even more valuable to you.

Yet the book of Psalms encourages us to thank God, anyway.  And it gives all sorts of reasons:

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.  His love endures forever.... who made the great lights.... the sun to govern the day.... the moon and stars to govern the night.... to the One who remembered us in our low estate.... and freed us from our enemies.... and who gives food to every creature.... Give thanks to the God of heaven.  His lover endures forever. - Psalm 136:1, 7-9, 23-26

God provides huge things every day, if we simply take a moment to look for His hands in them.  And another huge thing is yet to come....

For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.  But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him... For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.  The last enemy to be destroyed is death. - I Corinthians 15:22-26

With that promise of an end to death someday, the ultimate song of thanksgiving can be sung -- and if you believe in God, you can sing it even now:

But thanks be to God!  He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. - I Corinthians 15:57

Poker Night 280: Good Things Come in Pairs?

"I'm getting a divorce," the man to our left said tonight at Soho Bar and Grill.  That admission was unusual enough -- but he said it in response to our question about what he's thankful for.  Now there's a new way to slam the door on a conversation.

But that man may have been more focused on winning at the poker table.  A big crowd showed up to do that, perhaps because it was Thanksgiving Eve.  For us, it was a change because our usual Thursday night room will be closed for the holiday.  And we hoped to change our trend line, because our last trip to Soho in May ended with a tie for fifth place.  Let's see if it happened....

BLINDS: 500/1000

IN THE POCKET: 8h-8c

We won a modest early pot by making bottom pair and betting people away.  But otherwise, nice cards have fallen short for us -- such as K-K losing to two pair.  We're down to 2,500 chips, and this pocket pair may be our last good hope.  We go all in, and two other people at the table of six call.

ON THE FLOP: 9h-10s-6h

This gives us a straight draw and a longshot chance for a flush.  But when one of the other players bets 2,000, we don't feel good about this.  (The fact that the third player calls didn't change things much.)

ON THE TURN: 4d

So much for a flush.  The other players check.

ON THE RIVER: As

We miss the straight -- and the player who bet earlier now goes all-in for 13,000.  His opponent folds, and we fear the worst.  He shows 9-J!  That's not much, but his pair is enough to top our pair.  We head home as the second player eliminated at our table.

MINISTRY MOMENT: We took a small card saying "Thank You" to the table, and tried to ask the players around us what made them thankful this holiday season.

"For life," the man to our right said.  "I don't have much to be thankful for."  At least that topped the man to our left.

"I'm thankful for life," we told that man after some thought.  "And I'm thankful for eternal life, through Jesus Christ."  We don't think either neighbor really heard us mention this.  But even if you're a pauper, the offer of eternal life is one you can claim.

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. - Romans 6:23

It's a "gift," yet an unusual one -- because Jesus indicated it depends on things you do while you're alive.

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.... I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.... [Others] will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life. - Matthew 25:35-36, 40, 46

So if you have to do some things to receive this gift, is it really a gift?  That's a deep Biblical topic - a classic clash between the grace of God and the works of humans.

We could liken it to fund-raising raffle tickets which are sold at some of the poker nights we attend.  Someone will have their name drawn at random to win a big prize -- let's say a TV set or a car.  But if you don't buy a ticket, you can't receive that gift.  In the same way, God's gift of eternal life appears to be offered based on our participation in acts of kindness toward others.  Do you agree, or have a different view?  Either way, please leave a comment with your thoughts.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 102 final tables in 280 nights (36.4%) - 16 cashes.

NATIONAL LEAGUE OF POKER TOTAL: Full tournaments - 175 point wins in 769 games (22.8%), 60 final tables, seven cashes.

POKER STARS.NET TOTAL: Pretend cash games - $68,252, down $315.

This. And That. And the Other Thing.

So there we were Sunday night, in an online weekly poker championship we didn't plan to attend.  And another project was underway simultaneously, which had been on the schedule for weeks.  In the end, we "sacrificed" a good poker result for that other project.

This situation reminded us of advice written nearly 2,000 years ago - long before "multitasking" became part of the vocabulary:

A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. - James 1:8 (KJV)

We played chess in our youth, and marveled at how grandmasters staged exhibitions walking around a room and playing 30 or 40 games simultaneously.  Thanks to the Internet, some poker players pull a similar stunt today -- playing three or four games at once, even at different websites.

Perhaps those people have the brains to accommodate such things -- but we think many people work at their best when they focus on one thing at a time.  That's what we do, when it comes to poker.  And we think Jesus supports that idea....

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.... - Matthew 6:24

We've heard ministers say Jesus's disciple Peter went against this principle when he attempted to walk on water toward the Lord, and "saw the wind" instead of Christ (Matthew 14:25-31).  So let's....

Oh, wait a second.  We got distracted for a moment (giggle), and didn't finish that verse with some more important words of Jesus:

You cannot serve God and Money. - Matthew 6:24b

Now this deepens the issue -- especially for poker players.  Are you so fixed on winning cash games and tournaments that you've pushed God aside?  What is your top priority in life?  We recommend learning from Peter's sinking feeling....

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. - Hebrews 12:2

While poker can be fun, challenging and even a career, life has a "final table" -- and you can't drag chips from this life to the next.  Jesus offers something more valuable than money: the opportunity for eternal life in His Kingdom.  Isn't that worth putting God first?

NLOP Weekly Championship 22: How Bad Do You Want It?

What a busy Sunday!  A NASCAR title on the line, a music awards show on TV, the MLS Cup, WWE Survivor Series night -- and if all that wasn't enough, we qualified for the National League of Poker's weekly championship because of top-five and top-50 finishes at mid-week.

To be honest, we didn't plan on getting into this week's "big game" because another project was a higher priority.  But we decided to try a little multitasking, and play online while working on that other thing.  Did it work?

:04 IN: We have 4-5 offsuit, and call a doubling of the blind.  The flop is Q-A-5.  We call a minimum bet with bottom pair.  The turn is 7.  Everyone checks.  The river is K.  Someone bets 490, and we know well enough to fold -- especially when the winner shows J-10 for a top straight.

:10 IN: We have 8-8. The flop is Q-7-9, and we call a minimum bet of 40.  The turn is 6; we call another minimum bet with an open-ended straight draw.  But the river is 4, and we fold another bet.  Good thing; the winner shows a Queen.

:13 IN: We have 10-8 of hearts.  The flop is 7-5-10 (7 is a heart).  Another player in the hand goes all-in for thousands.  With top pair and that other project going on, we dare to call -- putting us all-in with 650 left.  A third player calls.  The big bettor had 7-7 for three of a kind -- and wins the main pot when the turn and river are J-8.  But that river card saves us for the moment; we win a consolation prize sidepot of 180.

:14 IN: We're under the gun on the very next hand with J-A.  With little to lose, we push again.  Several players call.  But the flop is 7-8-Q, followed by 5 and 10.  We missed; a player with 10-K did not.

Oh well -- back to that other project.  We settle for 1,233rd place out of 1,458 players.  But we think there's a deeper lesson in tonight's game; we'll share that Monday.

Nothing Up Your Sleeve?

When we're in the dealer position at a live poker table, we like to think we're in control of the action.  But the other night, we missed something other players did not.

 

With a 2-3-4 showing on the board, one player turned over two pair at showdown.  As we recall, another man still in the hand declared he'd won the pot.  Then as the next dealer started collecting the cards, that other man turned over A-5 of hearts.

 

"That's a straight," someone else pointed out.  We frankly didn't notice it -- but it suddenly occurred to player #2 that yes, he hit a winning straight.

 

"It's too late.  He started shuffling the cards," a player to our left said.

 

But maybe not; the player with two pair counted out 6,000 chips, and tossed them to the straight-holder.

 

What's this?  A display of good sportsmanship in a poker room?!?!  Yes - and it happens more often than you might think.  In a free tournament like the ones we usually play, the prizes aren't that pricey.  So fair play and a good time tend to prevail.  In fact, it should be that way all the time....

It is God's will that you should be sanctified.... and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him.  The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. - I Thessalonians 4:3-7

The context here involves sexual conduct, but shouldn't it apply in everything else we do?

Do not steal.  Do not lie.  Do not deceive one another. - Leviticus 19:11

These concepts come straight out of God's Ten Commandments.  And if they've been "done away," as some believers claim, why are there laws against such actions in most countries on Earth today?

We should note the player who had the straight seemed prepared to accept his loss.  That might be an even harder thing to do at a poker table, especially when big money is involved -- but it's the godly approach as well.

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

There's an element of "getting even" built into all sorts of human activities -- from poker to competitive sports.  But we need to be willing to accept losses, even if they hurt.  After all, everyone "loses" in the game of human life -- because we're all eventually doomed to die.  May our focus be toward God, because....

The sting of death is sin.... But thanks be to God!  He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. - I Corinthians 15:56-57

Poker Night 279: The King of Nothing

"Buzzed driving is drunk driving," warns messages on radio in our city.  But is a "buzzed" poker player a bad poker player -- or simply more dangerous?  We gained an answer to that question tonight at Lil Kim's Cove, and we were in the middle of it:

BLINDS: 25/50

IN THE POCKET: A-K offsuit

It's only the second hand of the night -- but a big bust occurred on the first hand, so we realize anything could happen at this table of five.  A man next to us raises to 250.  But waking up with these cards this early, we decide to wait and see if this man will do something rash.  We simply call, as does most of the table.

ON THE FLOP: 2-K-7

Top pair plus top kicker equals a good bit of confidence.  But the man to our right makes a continuation bet of 250.  We choose to keep following the leader, and call.  Three players remain in the hand.

ON THE TURN: 8

The bettor to our right now checks -- and we decide to step forward, with a bet of 200.  But a woman across the table raises to 700.  She says she's been at Lil Kim's Cove since 12:00 noon, building a huge chip stack by purchasing drinks.  In fact, she tells other players a few minutes after this hand she's "buzzed."  So we're leaning toward concluding she's bluffing.

The bettor next to us thinks it over, and folds.  That surprises us, but we're committed to that King -- so we call.

ON THE RIVER: 3

There's no threat of a flush on the board, so we still feel confident and say, "500 more."  The woman across from us calls.

"I have two pair," she announces.  Ouch -- she shows 7-8, proving she knew what she was doing.  We wind up losing about 1,900 chips.

That woman topped us again only minutes later, when we both had three 7's; her Ace kicker topped ours.  We rallied a bit to win one pot and split two more in the first hour, then "triple up" early in the second hour when 4-4 brought a 4 on the flop.  But higher blinds and missed flops did us in -- and finally we went all-in with 9-2 in the big blind and a 9 showing on the flop.  But two 4's eventually appeared, and a chip leader had a third to knock us out.  We improved to 12th place, but missed the final table.

MINISTRY MOMENT: "Don't tell a lie, or God will strike you dead," a man across from us said during the first hour.  This man knows about this ministry, and may have said those words to provoke a response from us.

"I've never seen it happen," the scoffer added.  To be honest, neither have we.

"I've read about it, but I've never seen it," we said.  We didn't cite the chapter and verse, but we could have done so.  It's in the New Testament....

Then Peter said, "Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money that you received for the land?.... You have not lied to men but to God."  When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. - Acts 5:3-5

Could this simply be a coincidental heart attack?  The scoffer probably would claim that -- but read the entire chapter and you'll find three hours later, Ananias's wife Sapphira suddenly fell dead as well after making a similar misstatement (verses 8, 10).  Is that a double coincidence?

Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events. - Acts 5:11

These members seemed to conclude God was behind the sudden end of this couple.  While those were physical deaths, the New Testament adds an even graver warning about lying:

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 21:7

 You may consider the Bible a giant religious bluff -- but these words serve as a warning to all of us.  Do you want to take a risk, which could leave you disqualified from eternal life?

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 102 final tables in 279 nights (36.6%) - 16 cashes.  Lil Kim's Cove tends to be closed on Thanksgiving, which is next Thursday.  Stay tuned to see how we adjust to that.

NATIONAL LEAGUE OF POKER TOTAL: Full tournaments - 175 point wins in 767 games (22.8%), 60 final tables, 7 cashes.  We finished fifth in a 71-player tournament Wednesday night, to qualify for the November Seniors Championship.

POKER STARS.NET TOTAL: Pretend cash games - $68,567, up $985.  We briefly topped $70,000 Monday night, after several big gains.