Poker Day 533: Donut Bites

Our current situation (which we're not really comfortable posting here right now) presented us with a wide-open Sunday afternoon. And the pricey "deep stack" tournament at Kansas Star Casino might be our only opportunity to play all week. So we drove down the turnpike today, to be amazed by how packed the place was - in the poker room and outside.

BLINDS: 25/50

IN THE POCKET: King of hearts-King of diamonds

Even though we arrived 20 minutes before the starting time, we were third on a waiting list to play. We've barely sat down with our 12,000 starting chips, but clearly the stacks and small blinds have the full table in a betting room. So with K-K (which we call "the donuts"), we raise to 400 in late position. Three players call.

ON THE FLOP: 9d-4h-5h

So far, so good. The players check to us, so we bet another 500. As we remember it, two players call.

ON THE TURN: 6h

Now hold on here. Three hearts in a row open the door for all kinds of trouble. A man across the table seems to stir up some, by betting 800. Did he make a straight? A flush? Or both? We suspect the real answer is "none of the above," and he's testing the newcomer. So we call, since we have an overpair and our own flush draw. We're now heads-up.

ON THE RIVER: Ac

No flush, but not much more comfort. We're pleased when our opponent checks. So do we.

"I have Kings," we say. To this moment, we don't know what the opponent had. He folds, so we're left to guess it was a bluff. We win a nice pot of more than 2,000.

We won a couple of other hands, to hit a high of 14,800. Then we took our own chances with small blinds and a big stack, but they didn't work. We were 25 above our starting total at the first break.

Then in the second term, everything went wrong. A-Q missed the flop for us twice, and raising players made us fold. Pocket 8's lost as well. We endured the entire 80-minute period without winning a single hand! Our stack deteriorated to a lowly 900 at the break, leaving us one remaining hand. We tried with Q-5 of hearts, but diamonds showed up and a flush fight knocked us out.

We ended the day around 44th place, out of 79 entries. But at least we followed up on our blackjack success of Thursday night by going to a table and recovering $20 of our $95 entry fee.

MINISTRY MOMENT: "I'm an honest man," a young man said as he turned over his cards to end a hand.

"Not to mention humble," we added. This brought a few chuckles from our end of the table.

Then we remembered a story we'd heard on Christian radio. "A congregation gave a pastor a trophy for being the most humble man in town. He brought it to church the next week.... and they fired him."

That's the funny thing about humility, isn't it? The Bible says we're supposed to have it....

Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands. Seek righteousness; seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the Lord's anger. - Zephaniah 2:3

....and yet the seeking of humility can turn into a trap. Jesus told His own story about that:

Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: "God, I thank you that I am not like other men - robbers, evildoers, adulterers - or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get." - Luke 18:10-12

The Pharisee prayed, thanked God, fasted on a regular basis and tithed to the temple. Those are all good traits. But Jesus continued....

But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, "God, have mercy on me, a sinner." I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. - Luke 18:13-14

Translation: the Pharisee prayed with a sense of pride - even arrogance toward the despised other man in the temple. The tax collector humbled himself before God, admitted his sins and pleaded for God's mercy.

It's easy to get a "big head" in a poker room when you win a tournament or make a lot of money. We should thank God for whatever blessings come our way - but be careful to do so in a humble way. Give God the glory from start to finish. The result could be even greater blessings than you expect.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 192 final tables in 533 games (36.0%) - 40 cashes. Experiment update: Down $260.

Flop Friday Funny

As seen on social media....

(We wear glasses, and this has actually been a concern for us at times!)

Blackjacked Up

"There's no tournament tonight!" a poker dealer said when we neared the entrance to the Kansas Star Casino poker room tonight.

"Oh yes, there is," we answered. Poker, no. Blackjack, yes.

We qualified three weeks ago for the casino's blackjack championship semifinals. Tonight was the time to determine the winner. Out of 108 players who advanced (including 18 wild cards), 18 would make the final round and the top six would share $20,000 in prize money.

We drew a table in the middle of three semifinal sessions. After finding a great website for practicing casino "skills" for free, we'd developed a strategy for betting our 500 starting chips over 18 hands. We'd bet small at first, and increase the bets as our stack increased and the number of remaining hands dwindled.

The semifinal sessions started well, as we gained 60 on the first hand with a double-down bet. But then came a string of losses which made us concerned. At the mandatory chip-count after 12 hands, we were down to 375 - yet were surprised to find that was second at the table.

Only the table winner would advance to the finals. So some of the five players around us went for broke, and lost. But we gained a big double-down win of 250 on #16 (might we be allowed to make it sound like golf?), putting us at 635.

We failed in the last two hands, betting 200 each time. Yet amazingly, we wound up "heads up" at the table - and the only other man in the running had only 150 chips! Our 235 (a 53-percent loss) won the table, and put us in the finals!

"You have a one-in-three chance of winning money," a bystander told us as we shared what happened. We knew that - 18 reaching the finals; six getting paid. And we knew we had been blessed, because one semifinal table had two players finish above 5,000.

Our final table included a few early triumphs. We advanced near the 700 mark early, then had small setbacks. At the 12-hand count, we stood at 580; players on either side of us were above 1,000.

We were still at 580 when we doubled-down 125 at #15. Our 20 lost to the dealer's 21, and that hurt. A loss of 110 at #16 left only 220 chips and two hands to play. But we won back 110 at #17 - then went for it all on the last hand, and watched the dealer bust!

Final score: 660 chips. We would not win the $10,000 top prize; the two players around us finished above 1,000. But could we make the money?

A casino manager took the public address mike to announce the top six. Sorry, we didn't make it. A man named Lloyd (pictured) won the championship. Our 660 put us in tenth place out of 18.

At a casino poker tournament, tenth out of 108 would have made some money. Thinking back over three weeks of qualifying, there was a maximum of 972 entries - and the top 98 in poker or golf surely would have made us some money. But in this format.... no.

That's OK, though. We drove home thankful to God for the excitement of competing - and for the ability to say we finished in the top ten of a blackjack competition, out of nearly 1,000!

MINISTRY MOMENT: While we watched the first semifinal session to get a feel for the action, we talked to a man about what we and some former co-workers had faced in recent months.

"It's an unfriendly world," he said.

"That's why I'm thankful that Jesus is my best friend," we told him. Then we asked the "Jesus question." That man considers Jesus his friend as well.

"He's kept me vertical," he explained. "My health is fair." Then came a surprising addition. "Jesus.... redeemed me."

We praised the Lord for that short testimony. But do you understand what he means by Jesus redeeming someone?

The Lord redeems his servants; no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him. - Psalm 34:22

The concept of redemption goes back to long before Jesus Christ appeared on Earth. David wrote these words during a time of persecution, appealing to God to protect righteous people like himself from evildoers (verse 21). Later on....

...For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. - Romans 3:23-24

Earlier in the day, we heard a pastor on radio talk about old-time S&H green stamp "redemption centers." People used to collect stamps while shopping, then turn them in at the centers for gifts and prizes. You may have a credit card that offers "rewards points" in a similar way.

Jesus redeemed us from our sins, by giving up His sinless life on our behalf:

For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. - Colossians 1:13-14

Jesus never sinned. We have. We do. More often that we'd like to admit. But Jesus redeemed us through His blood, shed for us. If we ask God to apply Jesus's blood to our sins, we can be part of God's glorious coming kingdom. That can be more exciting than any night of blackjack.

Will you take advantage of God's amazing offer? Leave a comment if you'd like to know more about how it works.

Poker Day 532: The Slippety-Slope

Thanks to freezing rain and sleet on Tuesday, the parking lot at Kansas Star Casino had a good bit of ice when we arrived today. Thanks to careful driving and walking, we reached the poker room in time for the 12:00 noon tournament. But the careful walk needed to continue, even after the cards were dealt....

BLINDS: 25/50

IN THE POCKET: A-Q of spades

We won the first hand of the day, to gain about 150 chips from our starting 3,500. Now we're in the Small Blind at a table of nine, with no one raising. We sense an opportunity.

"I'm raising.... 225."

Three players in a row across from us call.

ON THE FLOP: Ah-5s-2s

Opportunity really seems to be knocking now. We have top pair, a very good kicker and a draw for the nut flush. Since we're first in line, we offer a continuation bet of 250. A man who arrived a bit late intrigues us by raising to 500; the other two fold. We optimistically call, thinking our opponent has a lesser kicker.

ON THE TURN: Ac

Not a spade, but a third club makes us even more hopeful. We check to the raiser - and our opponent sets out 500 more. We conclude he has the missing Ace, and we're fighting for the best kicker. But no question; we call.

ON THE RIVER: 9c

We miss the flush, but three of a kind with a nice kicker still looks great. We check to our opponent again - but this time, he bets 1,100.

Now we're puzzled. Maybe he doesn't have that Ace. Maybe he also was on a flush draw, and is trying to bluff us away. Well, that's not going to work - but we're baffled about what he has.

"I may regret this," we say slowly as we think. "But I'll call. I have an Ace."

"I have a full house," our opponent says. He turns over A-2!

"Wow," we say as we show. That man got in for little, and won a lot.

That hand was a crippling blow, sliding us down to 1,300. After a couple of small misses, we had 7-7 with a flop of 6-5-3. We went all-in for 800, saw pocket Aces against us.... but caught a 7 on the turn to stay alive!

We reached the first break at 2,625, then hung around in the second hour by winning all-in pots with pocket 10's (beating A-Q) and pocket Aces (beating A-K). Our chip stack hit a high of 5,300. But losses followed, leaving us with 2,100 at the second break.

The first hand of hour 3 found us with A-9. With blinds at 500/1,000, we dared to go all in again - but the man next to us called with 9-9. No Aces came, so we had to leave in 14th place out of 48 players. At least the parking lot was drier when we returned to our car.

MINISTRY MOMENT: There were several today - including our mention of the big news of the day.

"It was sad to hear Billy Graham died this morning."

Several people around us had heard the news. "Some people considered him a quack, too," one older man said.

Was that "too" a reference toward us? Maybe so. But to be honest, many people who have preached about Jesus Christ have faced skepticism. The Bible actually predicted that....

First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, "Where is this 'coming' he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation. - II Peter 3:3-4

The apostle Paul wrote with anticipation, seemingly expecting Jesus to return very soon. But the apostle Peter seemed to take a longer view; some say this letter was written about 35 years after Jesus's death and resurrection.

But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. - II Peter 3:8

Some religious groups have interpreted this verse to mean God has a 7,000-year plan - and the return of Jesus will usher in the seventh thousand years, or "the millennium" of the Kingdom of God. Whether or not that's true....

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. - II Peter 3:9

While we personally didn't agree with every doctrinal point Billy Graham preached, we share the same faith he had - that we someday will see Jesus face-to-face.

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief.... You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. - II Peter 3:10, 12

Keep in mind: Peter witnessed a resurrected Jesus. He knew Christ existed. That's how he could be filled with faith of a second coming.

But hold on.... did Peter write we can "speed its coming"? Yes, he did. What do you think he meant by that? Leave a comment if you'd like, and we'll compare notes in a future post.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 192 final tables in 532 games (36.1%) - 40 cashes. Experiment update: Down $165.

Time Marches On

The man sitting next to the dealer had a big decision to make with his cards. But he barely had time to go into the cliché "tank" to think about it.

"Clock!" a woman two seats away said the other day at Kansas Star Casino.

"Floor!" the dealer said in response. The Tournament Director was called over, and the situation was explained.

Two things struck the other players about this moment. First, the man with the decision had been mulling things over for no longer than one minute. Second, the woman who called for a clock already had folded her cards.

"Anyone can call for a clock," the dealer told us - even if you're out of the hand.

Clocks can be a funny thing in poker. Sometimes we wish the blinds would slow down, to prevent  more of our chip stack from being put at risk. But there are times when we wish the clock would move faster, so we can get to a break and regroup.

Life around poker can be like that as well. We had to hurry through a morning schedule filled with hold-ups simply to get to the poker room that day. Yet if you're in a multi-day tournament, the wait for play to resume can seem like days instead of hours.

But consider the bigger picture. On one hand, our lives can seem long and filled with possibilities....

The length of our days is 70 years - or 80, if we have the strength.... - Psalm 90:10

For the teenager and young adult, that's a marathon. But many players who gather for midday poker tournaments already have experienced most of that. So the verse continues:

...Yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away. - Psalm 90:10b

And from the perspective of an eternal God, those years truly are short:

For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night. - Psalm 90:4

That's why it's a good idea to make the most of every day, whether it means playing poker or not:

Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. - Ephesians 5:15-16

The King James Version says "redeeming the time" - and our longtime Pastor in Georgia often noted "evil" can mean in Greek "hurtful in its effect upon you."

There's no guarantee how much time we have left on this earth. But Jesus made a sobering promise about what happens when that time is up....

But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned. - Matthew 12:36-37

If you haven't cleaned up your words, we don't think you need to wait for "spring cleaning" to do it. Start it now - than expand that concept to cleaning up dirty, sinful areas of your life. After all, someone may find a way (perhaps without even realizing it) to have God call "clock" on you.

Two Things Not to Do

It was a quiet day in the poker room for us - at least in terms of speaking. We mentioned in our last post that we didn't bring up issues of faith and God at all.

Why? Because of two events on the Wednesday calendar that the church association we attend opposes.

1. Valentine's Day. It has its roots in a Roman pagan festival. Therefore, even though it's presumably named after a saint, it is considered "detestable" in the eyes of God:

You must not worship the Lord your God in their way, because in worshipping their gods, they do all kinds of detestable things the Lord hates.... See that you do all I command you; do not add to it or take away from it. - Deuteronomy 12:31-32

The day currently promotes love and romance. But one church writer has said it's wrong on February 14, "because the expression of that kind of 'love' is still rooted in a former pagan holiday." We concluded from that statement that we should not love God and Jesus on that day, either...

If you love me, you will obey what I command. - John 14:15

Thus God is love (I John 4:8, 16) - but on one day a year, our group says love is wrong.

2. Ash Wednesday. We even heard someone in a buffet line at the casino mention the day. Some believers began the season of Lent and self-denial, even attending special services to mark the occasion.  But the day and season are nowhere found in the Bible.

It's another case where the dating is wrong, but the concept is a good idea....

Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." - Matthew 16:24

This sort of denial can start at any time of year. We think it's better to deny sinful behavior, more than chocolate or social media. And even better, it should last for more than 40 days.

...But he who stands firm to the end will be saved. - Matthew 24:13

Jesus wants people to be life-long followers. That may sound cultish, but it's what the early disciples did after Jesus was resurrected.

So that's why we played poker Wednesday, but didn't say much - even trying to avoid complimenting players on a good hand. (Wouldn't that be a small expression of love?) We didn't thank God for our success until we prayed this morning - after our "double-down day" was over. Your comments on this (and other topics here) are welcome.

Poker Day 531: 2 Works For You

Before a modern-day version of the St. Valentine's Day Massacre occurred in south Florida today, we were in the poker room trying to repeat last week's success. A big moment came early at Kansas Star Casino....

BLINDS: 25/25

IN THE POCKET: 2-2

The cards are small. But the blinds are small, and it's a late-arriving crowd. It's only about the third hand of the day. Of course we'll call with these, in mid-position. About four players get in for the minimum.

ON THE FLOP: 2-6-7

Our title borrows from the slogan of an Oklahoma TV station - and it's now live and in color! Two players check to our well-disguised three of a kind. We invite people in with a 50-chip nibbler. But a man to our left raises to 200. Too bad - that chases the others away. But not us; we call.

ON THE TURN: J

Obviously we didn't bet enough before for our remaining opponent. So now we drop down 200.

"Are you trying to take all my chips?" the man groans. (Actually, that is the object of the game.) Despite some obvious reservations, he calls.

ON THE RIVER: K

We'd determined this bet even before the card came out. We quickly toss out 500.

"Jiminy Christmas," the man whines. Then he enters the tank, thinking for the better part of a minute. We simply stare at him, but we think about calling for a clock.

"I'll call," he finally decides. "I have two pair." He shows a 6-7. But we show our 2's, and he acknowledges a good hand. We're rolling with a pot of about 1,900 chips.

A couple more winning hands came early, allowing us to reach a first-hour high of 5,900. We fell off by the break to 4,200. Then after a woman hurt us with pocket Kings against our Ace high, we made a huge leap and eliminated a player with A-10. Pocket Aces which we pushed also brought a nice win. After two hours of play, we stood at 8,500!

But then the cards went dry for us, as the field dwindled and we were cut to a six-player table. Finally we went all-in with A-J when a man next to us bet big. He had pocket Kings, and they held up. We came close to the final table, but fell short in 12th place on a 47-player day.

MINISTRY MOMENT: We did not have one today. On purpose. We'll explain the two reasons why in our next post.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 192 final tables in 531 games (36.2%) - 40 cashes. Experiment update: Down $115.