prayers for suckouts
February 20, 2008 – 8:00 am Posted by bryan in » prayer, sports
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On Sunday night I was watching the 2007 World Series of Poker on ESPN when I came across this amazing exchange.
At the final table of the Main Event, chip leader Jerry Yang bets 1 million with unsuited A-9. Poker Pro Lee Watkinson then raises All In (9 million) with an unsuited A-7.
If Jerry calls Lee’s bet and wins, Lee is out of the tournament. The camera cuts to Lee’s fiancee among the spectators, and that’s when we pick up the action:
Lee’s fiancee: “If he calls, he will double Lee up. No weapon formed against him shall prosper.”
Jerry Yang: “I Call!”
*crowd stands to their feet in anticipation*
Lee’s fiancee: “C’mon Father! In Jesus’ Name, no weapon formed against you shall prosper!”
Jerry Yang: “C’mon Lord. You know Your purpose for me.
*the flop comes 2-6-4 and the turn is a King. Neither player’s hand improves and Yang is still ahead*
Jerry Yang: “C’mon Lord. Have a purpose for me today.”
Lee’s fiancee: “C’mon, make him a believer. Make Lee a believer, Father.”
Narrator Norman Chad: “I’m not sure who the Lord is listening to, but Watkinson needs a 7 or he’s done.”
Jerry Yang: “Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, c’mon, let me win this one.”
*River card is a jack, and Yang wins the hand. Lee Watkinson is eliminated*
(you can watch the clip here, between the 0:45 and 2:20 mark of the video)
It’s crazy enough to see one person praying for a poker hand, but two? That’s as rare as a royal flush.
Jerry Yang, father of five and former part-time missionary, went on to win the Main Event, and a $8.25 Million dollar purse. He said he would give 10% of his winnings to 3 charities (Ronald McDonald House, Make a Wish Foundation, and Feed the Children).
In his post-win interview he said “(The day i left the refugee camp in Thailand) was the happiest day of my life. But my win today also means a lot to me, because I know that i can use this money to do a lot of good for other people out there.”
No word yet as to whether Lee became a believer or not.
If you got a chance to watch that exchange, what did you think of it?
*by the way, a “suckout” is a poker term that means “a strong poker hand that is beat by another player’s hand because they hit their draw”
3 Responses to “prayers for suckouts”
By Linda on Feb 23, 2008 | Reply
First of all, big fan of the blog….I have read it in the past just haven’t commented.
Wow….I used to watch poker a lot but somehow I missed this exchange. So what Lee’s fiance was saying was Lee was God’s chosen one to win? I don’t think God was too pleased by either man’s exchanges at the table. My husband is into poker, and I am still struggling with whether or not God would be happy with Christians that play poker. $20 here or there isn’t a huge deal, but when you start playing for hundreds of dollars or more it becomes more about making money. Daniel Negreanu is a Christian and does very well in the pro circuit….and you can argue it’s not really gambling because a lot of it involves math, but I don’t know…..any comments on this? I’d like to see maybe you blog your ideas on this
By Scott on Feb 24, 2008 | Reply
Linda,
Let me start by saying that I use a great deal of analysis and statistics in my day job. I will also admit that I am an avid poker player and have been known to bet on sporting events as well.
I think that the heart of your question has to do with how we handle uncertainty in our lives.
Consider these 4 activities:
1) Investing in stocks, bonds, mutual funds
2) Starting a new business
3) Playing poker
4) Driving to the store
What do they have in common? All of them involve risk. All of them have a degree of uncertainty. All of them pose the potential for loss of money or worse. The difference is that only one has a social stigma attached to it.
In investing, business, or just driving your car, if you don’t know what you are doing you can lose it all - just like in poker. But, the uncertainty in all of these activities can be reduced by study and practice. Investors reduce risk by studying the market. Entrepreneurs seek to reduce risk by studying business, competition, etc. A professional poker player seeks to reduce risk by careful study and analysis of the game.
You mentioned that “it’s not really gambling because a lot of it involves math”. Did you know that you can have two aces (the best starting hand in texas holdem) and you will still lose about one out of 6 hands? Having the best cards does not insure success, even for Daniel Negreanu.
For me the question of morality in gambling has to do with the motivation of the individual. Do you approach is as an occupation or do you place your money recklessly for the thrill of the action? Are you prudent in your money management or do you risk more than you can afford to lose? Are you in control of your emotions and impulses at the table?
These same questions can be asked about investing, business, and driving your car. Whether poker is a business or an addiction depends on the mindset of the individual. I think that its this mindset that determines whether the action is moral or not.
But like Dennis Miller says . . . “That’s just my opinion. I could be wrong.”