Poker Playing Priest

In one of the more bizarre gambling related news stories that I’ve come across

I just read that a South Carolinian priest took a gamble – literally speaking – on a poker tournament to raise the remainder of his church’s 5.5 million goal to build a new facility. I should add that he did seek (and was granted) approval beforehand from his pastor. Reverend Andrew Trapp took part in the PokerStars.net. The priest apparently holds the position that whilst he was playing in a poker tournament, he wasn’t actually gambling since the tourney was free to enter, and to gain access to the final round, a player had to finish in the top ten in the free tournament, and also submit an audition video. In the end missed out on the top prize of $1 million but he did win a respectable $100,000 which he donated back to his church (although this wasn’t quite enough to reach their target goal). Check out the video here and I’m sure he won’t match the image you had in mind for a priest. It was certainly a good PR exercise for the priesthood!