How can someone who claims to stand on family values possibly support a policy of family separation that, in many cases, leaves no possibility for future reunification? How can someone who claims to follow a man who taught us to love our enemies possibly support an administration that refuses to provide children with basic necessities like soap, toothbrushes, or even a decent night’s sleep? It doesn’t add up, and it’s time Christians stood up and took notice because the religiously unaffiliated already have.

Jason Koon

Outcome

Jason Koon Tacoma

Preflop, with nine players remaining and blinds of 100,000-200,000 and an ante of 25,000, Jason Koon raised to 400,000 from the button. Aleksejs Ponakovs called from the big blind. On the flop Ponakovs checked. Koon bet 281,250. Ponakovs called. On the turn Ponakovs checked. Koon checked. On the river Ponakovs checked. Koon bet 675,000. Ponakovs check-raised to 1,687,500. Koon folded.

Jason Koon is an ordained Baptist minister who writes at the intersection of faith and politics. He lives in Western North Carolina with his wife and two teenage daughters. His “Almost Exvangelical” blog is at www.jason-koon.com. Jason Koon, locked in during Super High Roller Bowl Bahamas. Koon has been playing poker since 2008 and has seen it transform from a feel game with moves and tricks to “one of scientific precision and robotic execution.”.

Analysis

The Poker Players Championship

This hand sees Jason Koon go for a thin value bet on the river, only to have Aleksejs Ponakovs respond by turning his top pair into a bluff. Koon began the hand as the clear chip leader at the table, with his stack of nearly 50 big blinds being nearly twice as large as any other at the table. It folded to Koon on the button and he raised with 7-5 offsuit, likely more on the merits of his position and the stack dynamics than on the strength of his holecards. Ponakovs was the fourth-largest stack at the table, and he defended his big blind with his suited A-4. Ponakovs flopped top pair on a A´ K™ 9´ board and checked, likely hoping to control the size of the pot against the big stack. Koon had no showdown to speak of and no immediate draws. He fired a continuation bet with the hope of folding out Ponakovs’ hands that missed the flop. His bet was called though, and the turn brought another spade. Ponakovs checked a second time and Koon checked behind. The river brought a fourth spade, giving Koon a seven-high flush. Ponakov checked again and Koon decided to make a smallish bet of 675,000 into the pot of 1,687,500. Koon was likely hoping to receive calls from weak top pairs and lower flushes. Ponakovs had played all previous streets with the apparent goal of just making it to showdown with his top pair, weak kicker. Given the four-spade board texture, though, he had been presented an opportunity to instead turn his hand into a bluff designed to draw folds from Koon’s thin value betting range. Koon now found himself as the one who could only beat a bluff. He folded his middling flush and Ponakovs took down the pot. Koon lost a big pot not long after this to tumble down the leaderboard, and ultimately finished in seventh place for $285,808. The score brought his lifetime earnings to just shy of $31.3 million. Ponakovs placed fourth for the largest payday of his career: $719,700.