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”

reader Aaron Lewis sent us this article in the Detroit News on prayer in Detroit sports. Thought it was a good read, so I’ll pass it along to you.

Prayer is a key Player

Merry Christmas everyone! Enjoy the great sports on TV, but enjoy the time spent with family and friends even more!

Bryan

According to Michael Silver of Yahoo! Sports, Kurt Warner has torn ligaments in his non-throwing elbow. Silver also said that Warner informed friends and family of the injury via email, reporting that:

Warner, scheduled for an MRI Monday, wrote in the email he believed that through the power of prayer he would be miraculously healed before undergoing the exam.

Michael Florio, editor of the always informative ProFootballTalk.com, seemed awfully perturbed at Warner’s request, saying in his Rumor Mill post this morning:

Frankly, I’ve got no remaining patience for these athletes who think that their God-given talents automatically qualify them for miracles that the rest of us don’t get. God’s will is just that, and His will isn’t going to be changed simply because Brenda Warner says “pretty please.”

The most common prayer in Christianity is the ultimate proof of this. It’s “thy will be done,” not “my will be done.” And the use of prayer as a vehicle for asking God to do anything other than provide us with the bare necessities of life and the strength to adapt to the changes in our lives that His will brings about is, in my own personal opinion and not the opinion of Football Talk, LLC or its sponsors, a direct contradiction of the way that we were taught to pray by the guy that God sent to teach us stuff like that.

I’m not saying that it’s useless to try to persuade God to exercise His will in a manner that meets our own perceived needs and wishes. But should a football player who has already seen more than his own fair share of blessings be asking for God to heal an injury that presents no threat to his life?

A few thoughts on Florio’s beef.

1. When did Kurt Warner say that he was qualified for “for miracles that the rest of us don’t get”? Answer: he didn’t (unless he did and I missed it). I bet Kurt Warner would tell Florio that prayer would be just as effective for him as well.

2. Florio argues that prayers “for asking God to do anything other than provide us with the bare necessities of life and the strength to adapt to the changes in our lives that His will brings about” is a direct contradiction of how Jesus taught us to pray. It’s an interesting point, though i know that elsewhere in the Bible it says “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” (Philippians 4:6). I think bodily injuries would fall under the umbrella of “everything”, but again, this is just my take on it.

3. Florio says “[God's] will isn’t going to be changed simply because Brenda Warner says ‘pretty please’.” Again, not to get all biblical on you, but James 5:16 says, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.” I’m guessing that Kurt is going to go with the Bible’s advice over Florio’s on this one.

4. Florio also asks, “But should a football player who has already seen more than his own fair share of blessings be asking for God to heal an injury that presents no threat to his life?” Answer: Why not? Is there some sort of limit on blessings I’m not aware of? Is Kurt hogging all the blessings that God doles out? Does God have a quota? What exactly is a “fair share” of blessings? And since when is “life-threatening injury” the line where it’s okay for a blessed athlete to ask for prayer?

My Take:

I appreciate Florio’s passion and honesty about the subject, but I think he jumped a little offsides on this one. Nothing Warner apparently said in his email struck me as arrogant, pious, or overly wacky (though admittedly I haven’t seen the whole thing). Seems like he’s a guy with a lot of faith and a strong belief in prayer reaching out to those around him for support. Would you or I send out an email like that? Maybe. Maybe not. But I don’t think it was wrong of him to do. (Though again, I give kudos to Florio for being honest and for airing his issues with the email.)

Speaking of which, this was an email sent to friends and family, not to the press. If Kurt would have used his post-game press conference to solicit prayer from fans across the country, I would have had an issue with that. But asking those you love to pray for you and showing faith that it will help your situation? I don’t think that’s anything to throw a penalty flag for. Your thoughts?

Of course, we’ll keep tabs on the MRI and see if the prayers actually changed the situation.

(h/t: Profootballtalk.com, Yahoo! Sports)