Priest beats poker pros to win $100,000 for parish church fund

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Comments: 9

Fr. Andrew Trapp

Los Angeles, Calif., Oct 15, 2009 / 03:54 am (CNA).- A South Carolina priest bested an NBA basketball star and two professional poker players, including former world champion Daniel Negreanu, to win $100,000 in a poker tournament and qualify for a competition with a $1 million grand prize.

Fr. Andrew Trapp, associate pastor of St. Michael’s Church in Garden City, played in the PokerStars.net Million Dollar Challenge held in Los Angeles, California. Among his opponents were retired NBA star John Salley, Team PokerStars.Net pro Vanessa Rousso and Negreanu, a four-time World of Series of Poker bracelet winner.

The young priest, who Fox News says is known as “Father Rambo” for his love of paintball, at one point held rosary beads while in a big hand against Salley. Fr. Trapp defeated Salley and Rousso before defeating Negreanu.Playing the final hand of a game of Texas Hold’em, the priest was dealt a Jack of clubs and an eight of diamonds while Negreanu took a six of spades and a five of diamonds.

The flop, the game’s first three community cards, consisted of an eight of spades, a four of diamonds and a two of clubs. This gave the priest a pair of eights, while Negreanu could make a straight with any seven or three among the next two community cards.

Fr. Trapp lived up to his name when he went “all-in,” putting all his poker chips on the line.

“I wish you wouldn’t have done that,” Negreanu told the priest.

“You told me to be aggressive, so I’m trying,” Fr. Trapp replied.

“You’re bluffing right now, right, you don’t have an eight?” the poker pro asked. “You have a pair of eights? You don’t have to answer that…”

“My gut says I’m going to hit it,” he continued. “I call.”

The priest again took out his rosary. The next card was a jack of hearts, giving him two pair.

The final card, a two of diamonds, secured Fr. Trapp’s win.

“It’s one of those ‘Thank you, Lord!’ moments,” the priest explained to the show announcer after his victory. He also thanked Negreanu for teaching him how to play poker.

Fr. Trapp said all the money will be used for a new church building for his congregation, according to his audition video. His parish is $1.5 million short of its fundraising goal.

He also explained that he hopes to teach people that gambling in moderation is acceptable in Catholicism.

“The Catholic Church teaches that there’s nothing morally wrong making a bet or games of chance,” the priest remarked.

Commenting on his MySpace page, Negreanu said that the PokerStars.net Million Dollar Challenge is “a game show first and a poker show second.” In his view, its fast pace benefits the amateurs facing the professional players.

Fr. Trapp will play for the contest’s $1 million grand prize in December.

Comments: 9

Subscriber comments:

Published by: Peggy Smith
Bensalem, PA 10/17/2009 12:02 PM EST

Way to go Father Trapp! I watched the show and you represented the Cathollic Church and the priesthood very well to all those viewing the gameshow. People should remember that Christ sat at table with sinners. It would be great if all priests went out into the communities to show and express the love of Christ and what a relationship with Christ would mean to their lives. I hope you win the million for the building of the church. God Bless you!

Published by: Shannon Swenson
Austin, Texas, USA 10/16/2009 10:01 AM EST

Way to go, Father! And thanks for wearing your collar. I'm sure you made quite an impression on the other players. Shannon | @shannonswenson

Published by: Fr. Andrew Trapp
Garden City, SC 10/16/2009 09:50 AM EST

Hi y'all, I am the priest in question. This is not a well written article... it does not explain that this is a *gameshow* and that no money was risked at any time. Also, going on the show had nothing to do with teaching about the Church's views on gambling, but rather to show that priests can be young, normal, and happy with friends and hobbies.

Published by: DLL
scituate Mass. USA 10/15/2009 09:01 PM EST

Steve: it is your comment that is a joke,because intelligence than must be a fairy tale and a joke,as both you and I are nothing more than a passing myth in time,with absolutely no relevance at all in the scheme of things,no matter what they propose to be? Nothing is what it seems because you and I are nothing and nothing equals nothing? In the end it doesn't matter if we all blow each other away because life is all futile? That is a cynic! Faithless! My friend think again,as life is God and God gives every aspect of existence significance,as God is the infinite creator of all that is,because God is the source of all intelligence,as all are the products of an intelligent design. Without this basic faith nothing is real because everything has an end in time and time will eventually end,or so we think! Gambling isn't the way to accomplish anything because we can rest assured that God sees to all our needs,if we express faith in him and HIM ALONE! All Priests can rest assured that it is the Power of the Holy Spirit that guides every decision! Faith is,as God Is,because God acted through the power of the Holy Spirit and became manifest in time,as Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior,as He was born as a gift to all of us through the Virgin Mary. No Gamble ! A real Miracle! Christ- Mass at the North Pole! Right! St Nicholas! Or Santa Claus! Fairy Tale? Steve? You call it ! It is your Gamble. Who wins! Time will tell? Dead Men tell no tales!

Published by: Steve
North Pole 10/15/2009 04:19 PM EST

Rate: Bad

Yeah!!!! More money that can go towards brainwashing kids into believing fairy tales!! Maybe if we're lucky we'll have another period of dark ages brought on by the church trying to surpress the truth.

Published by: Brian McNally
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada 10/15/2009 01:17 PM EST

Congratulations Father Trapp! $100,000 down on the New Church Building $1,000,000 more comining up in December. What a great gift from God and You to your community. I will pray for your continued success! Also, realizing that if you did not draw the 2 Jacks and 8s, you would have lost to the pro. 52 cards in a deck, and if you get poor cards, you lose, and if you get good or great cards, you win. It is mostly luck, with a little help from the Father, for Fr. Andrew Trapp.

Published by: Carl Cordonnier
Lapeer/MI/USA 10/15/2009 10:17 AM EST

I believe that Fr. Trapp's comments need to be revised. Yes, gambling my be allowed by the Church. But he needs to also say that if it affects the welfare of the family it is a sin. His "moderation" is correct. He also needs to explain that gamblin is addictive and any thing that is addictive (drugs etc) is a sin in the eyes of the church.

Published by: Dan in Calgary
Calgary Alberta Canada 10/15/2009 08:46 AM EST

I don't have a problem with this, as long as neither the priest nor his parish had to put up too much to get into the game, and as long as the priest knows what he is doing, including living by the caveat of awareness that one cannot always win at poker. On the other hand, I'm aware of a sad story in B.C. where a clergy member gambled away a significant portion of Diocesan resources on horses. Dan in Calgary

Published by: Jack
NY 10/15/2009 07:48 AM EST

I really think that this is wrong. whoever heard of priests doing things like this? I still think of what little Jacinta said at Fatima that priests should only be concerned with things of the Church. I'll keep saying it, priests seem to be involved in all kinds of activities, except offering the Traditional Latin Mass. They all should be learning it.

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