Our Real Story: 2018 in Review

With two days left in 2018, we're "putting the cue in the rack" as they say in Australia. We'll declare our poker-playing finished for the year, and review how we did.

All in all, we did very well! It was a year of transition, as we moved from a location with one nearby poker room (others closed by police) to another area with two competing casinos - one only ten minutes from home. So our live play increased, and that may be why our success rate did:

KANSAS STAR CASINO - One final table in nine games, one cash
FIVE-STAR BILLIARDS - Two final tables in two games, no prizes (the Wichita billiard hall closed in mid-January)
JACK CASINO CINCINNATI - 10 final tables in 16 games, four cashes (two of them "bubble boy" consolation money)
HOLLYWOOD CASINO INDIANA - 10 final tables in 13 games, one cash
DAYTON FORESTERS - One final table in one game, no cashes

TOTAL: 24 final tables in 41 tournaments (58.5%) - six cashes for $942!

After the move to metro Cincinnati, we made a stunning 70 percent of our final tables!

Admittedly, five of those 30 tournaments had only enough players for one table. And not many were large tournaments with more than two tables - at least eight, by our records. But in most cases, we had to play our way to the final group. And by God's grace and guidance, we did....

But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift. - Ephesians 4:7 (NASB)

NATIONAL LEAGUE OF POKER: No final tables in one tournament; 80 tokens lost in two cash games. Grand total: 290 point wins (top 10%) in 1,452 games, 93 final tables, 10 wins, 13 cashes.

NLOP's notorious connection problems seemed to be gone when we tried a tournament this past week. But overall, the cash prizes here don't thrill us now - especially when casinos are close. At least NLOP has added a cash game option for building tokens, even though we failed there.

POKERSTARS.net: Cash games - Up 93,476 play money chips. Welcome bonuses: 95,000. Total: 1,126,682 (yet for some odd reason, the website shows us with 6.1 million).

We sat down at "cash game" tables nine times in 2018, and had gains at eight of them!

This past year also will be remembered for our increased blackjack play, spurred by a Kansas Star Casino tournament in which we finished in the top ten. We gained $68.50 there, after being in the "minus column" a good part of the year.

What will 2019 bring? We can only guess. We had no idea when 2018 began that we'd be in Kentucky now, working at a different job and playing live poker nearly every week. But we ought to step up to one of the big-money weekend tournaments, to see how we'd do.

Whatever happens, we'll keep looking to God for wisdom and discernment - in how we play, as well as how we present Him and ourselves wherever we go. May you do the same.

The Day We Couldn't Play

On December 24-25, 2015, we did poker "back-to-back." After winning money Thursday night at a Wichita bar, we went to Kansas Star casino for a Friday noon tournament. That didn't turn out well for us, but 42 players showed up to make things competitive.

This year on December 24-25, we tried it again. This time both tournaments were at Jack Casino Cincinnati. But after a money win Monday night, this time.... the daytime tournament was canceled.

Only two other players plunked down the $80 buy-in. In fact, the poker room barely had one full table of cash game players. The managers huddled at the 11:15 a.m. starting time, then canceled the tournament. We regained our buy-in, and proceeded to add some money to that at a blackjack table.

Talk about a difference - 42 "Christmas poker" players in rural Kansas, versus only three in urban southwest Ohio. Is Texas Hold 'em simply a bigger thing in the Plains States? Or are there other factors?

Perhaps Cincinnati offers more things to do with your spare time. Or perhaps the area is more "religious" than we realized, with more people marking Christmas in some way or other. It's quite a Roman Catholic area - with at least two Catholic colleges, and Lenten fish fries which become big news items.

Long-time blog readers know we went to casinos because we do not keep Christmas. Despite what some advocates might indicate, there's no command in the Bible to keep it. And it's very likely Jesus Christ was not born in December at all....

She gave birth to her first child, a son.... That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. - Luke 2:7-8 (NLT)

When Mary gave birth to Jesus, shepherds were on the job outside. That would be chilly work in the Bethlehem in late-December. The Internet allows us to know weather conditions in that part of the Middle East, and nighttime lows right now are in the mid-40's F. It seems safe to assume conditions were the same 2,000 years ago.

But history shows shepherds were not out working in such chilly conditions. Sheep were kept in shelters, since there was little grass for grazing in winter. As Jesus would say after growing up....

So he explained it to them: "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep.... Those who go in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures." - John 10:7, 9 (NLT)

Sheep need good pastureland to thrive. Would a caring shepherd settle for less? The winter shelters help explain how shepherds could do what they did after they had a supernatural vision....

When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, "Let's go to Bethlehem! Let's see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. - Luke 2:15-16 (NLT)

Lots of sheep were "left behind" - but the shepherds later returned to them (verse 20). Jesus would expect a different reaction as an adult, but that's a topic for another post.

We didn't talk about Christmas or Christ at Monday night's tournament at all. That's because the church association we attend has indicated any action toward God on Christmas is the same as keeping the day, and we're not instructed to keep man-made "pagan" days.

A lot of "customs of the season" get debated at this time of year. We invite you to study how we responded to one book about it years ago. Have a Bible ready. Have an open mind. And have a willingness to react obediently to what God shows you - as those shepherds did.

Poker Night 563: We - One King

'Twas the night before.... naaaah. We won't annoy you with hackneyed lines about the night of the year when we're posting this. We'll simply say that we picked a good night to play poker at Jack Casino. And we picked some good moments to get tough....

BLINDS: 300/600

IN THE POCKET: A-K offsuit

One reason the night was good for us was because only eight people showed up for tournament poker. (As we told a man in the cashier line: "Don't people realize you're supposed to go to the casino on December 24th?") We've won a few small pots, but with no big breakthroughs.

Now we have "big slick" in the Big Blind. A woman around from us raises to 1,500. We've taken her on in the Big Blind before tonight and won. So we announce, "I will defend the Big Blind" - and call. We're heads-up.

ON THE FLOP: 5c-8s-Ks (suits may not be precise)

With top pair and top kicker, we decide to turn defense into offense. "Two-thousand," we bet. Our opponent nonchalantly calls.

ON THE TURN: 10c

This puts two of each black suit on the board. We don't think our opponent is pursuing a flush. But we also don't think she's suddenly sandbagging pocket Aces. So we maintain the attack until we're proven wrong, and bet 2,000 again. She calls again.

ON THE RIVER: 2h

We doubt this card would help anyone - especially someone chasing a flush. So we offer 2,000 once more. This time, she gives it some thought.  But after a moment, she calls.

"King with an Ace," we say and show.

The woman.... folds! She never shows what she had. (We're guessing something like pocket Queens or Jacks.) It's a big win for us, and a devastating blow to her; she's eliminated by someone else on the next hand.

We scored another huge win a short time later, when A-10 turned into a full house on the river to beat a man with a straight. With no one in a mood to rebuy, the field quickly fell to three - and even with the small turnout, Jack decided to pay three players. That meant money for us! But how much?

Our stack stood at 24,275 at the first break, then grew to 33,000 after that. One man admitted he was trying to maximize monthly poker points, and was in no mood to chop the prize money. So we pressed on, and called his all-in bet when our K-Q made two pair on the river. BUT.... we didn't notice three diamonds on the board. He had two more.

His flush knocked us out in third place. We won $96 - only $16 more than our buy-in. The Tournament Director said he wouldn't blame us if we didn't tip the dealer. So we didn't - and hopefully will remember that next time. In the meantime, we're happy to have our sixth cash of the year!

MINISTRY MOMENT: It didn't happen tonight. On purpose. Regular blog readers probably know the reason why. If you don't, check an upcoming post which will explain.

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 212 final tables in 563 games (37.7%) - 45 cashes. Since moving to our new home, we've made the money five times in 30 tournaments, or one out of every six!

The Wrong Crowd?

If you've read this blog for a while, you might find it puzzling. Why is someone making Christian and Biblical points about poker - and even playing poker in casinos?

We heard a sermon this weekend which helps explain our perspective. It came from the President of a church association, who's also a minister and a long-time member of a Rotary club. The club includes Jews and Muslims, as well as Christians.

The message was tied to a Biblical proverb:

As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend. - Proverbs 27:17 (NLT)

For the sharpening process to work, he said, one item must be stronger and sharper than the other. He went on to explain good leaders should go beyond relations with friends who make them feel comfortable. Instead, you should pick people who are likely to resist your point of view.

If you think about it, that's how Jesus Christ related to other people. Take this example....

Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, "Please give me a drink.".... The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans.... - John 4:7, 9 (NLT)

This verse reveals Jesus was Jewish, but that's not our point here. The Lord was willing to talk with a Samaritan, even though Judea and Samaria had a history of national tensions (II Kings 17:24, for example). He spread His message to anyone who might listen to it - even Pharisees who wanted nothing of it:

What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and the Pharisees. Hypocrites!... - Matthew 23:14-15, 23, 25, 27, 29 (NLT)

When we enter a poker room, we have no idea what sort of people we'll meet at the table. Some may believe in Jesus; others have ignored Him for decades. So we try to share matters of faith when the moment calls for it. At the very least, we're a witness for God. And there have been several times when players sent us back to the Bible to reprove something.

Jesus didn't live His life on Earth in a bubble. Neither should we. As the Lord prayed for His disciples....

I'm not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. - John 17:15 (NLT)

Be sure you go into a poker room strongly - including spiritual strength. You might play a role in making a "wrong crowd" right.

Beyond That Name

Our last post explained the name of this blog. It's called "On the Flop" for several reasons.

But to be honest, there have been times over the years when we wonder if we misnamed it - and should have mentioned the two cards after the flop instead.

The turn card is fourth out of five on the board, in standard Texas Hold 'em. If you're one card away from a flush or straight on the flop, you could make it here. A lot can, well, turn on that card.

In the same way, God wants all of us to "make the turn" in life. That advice began early in history - long before "come to Jesus moments" became a cliché:

The Lord your God will delight in you if you obey his voice and keep the commands and decrees written in this Book of Instruction, and if you turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and soul. - Deuteronomy 30:10 (NLT)

That "Book" was what Jews call the Torah - the first five books of the Old Testament. The "turn" to God should be complete, not holding back anything in our lives. And it means obeying what God says - or in our time, what He has inspired to be written in the Bible.

So a great change can happen "On the Turn." And in poker, the river card comes after that. It comes out last, but many times it's not least. Big pots and tournament titles have been decided by a dramatic river card.

The Bible speaks of rivers as well, often in symbolic terms. Consider this one....

Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice, an endless river of righteous living. - Amos 5:24 (NLT)

The prophet (and, by extension, God) was not satisfied with simply "noisy hymns of praise" (verse 23, NLT). Praise music has its place, but living "On the River" in a godly way is even better.

But make no mistake - that "come to Jesus moment" still matters. In fact, Jesus puts it all together:

Now on the last day, the great day of the Feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'" - John 7:37-38 (NASB)

The "rivers" here refer to the Holy Spirit of God working in your life (verse 39). It comes when you repent of your sin - admitting you're a "flop" in God's eyes, then "turning" your life over to Him.

All that may sound hard to do - harder than winning any poker tournament.  But we're reminded of what NASCAR pit reporter Winston Kelly said one day during a race: "It takes a pretty brave man to admit he made a mistake." May you have the courage to admit your mistakes and sins to God - then start moving toward the river.

About That Name....

We realize people are at all levels, when it comes to poker. A woman asked via email the other day:

What’s the meaning of “on the flop” anyway?

If you're new to Texas Hold 'em, "the flop" is a key part of many hands. After you're dealt two cards and bid on them, three cards are spread face-up on the table. Then players bid again.

In a perfect world, your pocket Aces are greeted on the flop by two more Aces so you have quads. Or Ace-King of spades are met by Qs-Js-10s, giving you an unbeatable royal flush.

But of course, poker is far from a perfect world. Your hand probably will be something less - perhaps no pair at all. Then it's a real "flop" for you, under a different definition: "a failure."

And that brings us to the name of this blog. You see, it has a double meaning - not only about poker hands, but the person who's writing about them. We can be a "flop", too....

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard. - Romans 3:23 (NLT)

Jesus Christ told believers they are to be perfect, even as God in heaven is (Matthew 5:48). But if when we sin, we're not perfect anymore. Come to think of it, doesn't that make us all "flops" in life?

But the good news is that we don't have to live forever in the "flop house"....

But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. - I John 1:9 (NLT)

God wants to forgive your sins and clean your records. But you need to "'fess up," as they say in the U.S. South. That means admitting God exists, then asking Him to have mercy for the sins you admit doing. After that....

So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbor the truth.... If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work.... Don't use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful.... - Ephesians 4:25-29 (NLT)

Yes, we know what some of you are saying: "That's easier said than done! I'll go right back to being a flop again!"

But there's more good news. God wants to help you become perfect. We'll explain how He does that in a future post.

Poker Night 562: Better by the Dozen?

"We're at table 12 on 12/12," our dealer properly observed at Hollywood Casino Indiana Wednesday night. "And we start with 12-K" - as in 12,000 chips.

In fact, one donut chain called it the "Day of the Dozens" and offered a special discount. But instead of driving there after work, we drove to Indiana. The five-dollar buffet special was (pun intended) a more well-rounded meal. But would the number of Jesus's original disciples (Matthew 10:1) and the tribes of ancient Israel (Revelation 21:12) have deep meaning for us? A test of that came early....

BLINDS: 25/50

IN THE POCKET: 6-6

We joked with the dealer before the tournament started about playing A-2 (sort of like 1-2). But 6 + 6 = 12, right? So in the first few minutes, this pocket pair is a must-play! With no one raising, it's even better. As we remember, three players at a slowly-growing table of eight are in.

ON THE FLOP: 10-8-2

Not much to brag about there - and no one is betting. So we toss out 125, hoping for a quick win. Except one player calls; the others fold.

ON THE TURN: 8

The board pairs. We have two pair. Our opponent now checks. But what if he has a third 8? We decide to be cautious, and check as well.

ON THE RIVER: Q

Finally a face card - and our opponent acts on it. He bets 300. We suppose he could have been waiting for that. But we conclude this is a "test your mettle" bluff, maybe with Ace high. We call. Are we right?

The other man shows.... 10-5! There was no bluff. He hit top pair, and simply waited us out to win the pot.

But on this night, more good cards came. Our stack went up and down, but was a healthy 17,575 at the first break. Hour Two was worse, with bad decisions leaving us at the edge of the cliff with 6,700. But then came Hour Three - and back-to-back pushes with A-Q and A-J led to double-ups, and a total of 24,800!

After we lost to A-K to a man's pocket Aces, we reached the final table with 17,400. But setbacks struck as blinds went up, and finally we pushed again with King-Queen of spades. A man with A-J pushed first and won the race. On a night with 21 players (come to think of it, that's the reverse of 21), we finished a respectable seventh. (Only the top three earned money.)

MINISTRY MOMENT: "Is that a pager or a pencil sharpener?" a dealer asked at one point about our card protector.

"It's a reflector," we explained to our table, holding up the small red item we'd taken before. "It's a reminder to me that I should reflect the light of Jesus Christ."

Perhaps you've been a bit confused about that light. Two Bible verses can seem contradictory at first reading....

But while I am here in the world, I am the light of the world. - John 9:5 (NLT)

Jesus called Himself "the light." Yet He also declared....

You are the light of the world - like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. - Matthew 5:14 (NLT)

So which is it?

Actually, it can be both. And that's where our reflector comes in. We can reflect the perfect light of Jesus to other people. As one great song puts it, believers can "shine like the moon" which reflects the sun shining on it. Jesus seemed to understand that:

Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, "I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won't have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life." - John 8:12 (NLT)

If you hold a flashlight close to a mirror, the intensity of the light should be stronger. So how closely do you follow Jesus's life and example?

For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps. - I Peter 2:21 (NLT)

That's the part of "following" which might scare some people. Not everyone appreciates God and Jesus Christ. They might put you down, and occasionally even beat you up. But reflecting God's goodness now will be rewarded someday with eternal life. Upon reflection, isn't that worth it?

UPDATED POKER SCOREBOARD: 211 final tables in 562 games (37.5%) - 44 cashes.