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A South Carolina priest made headlines this week when he starred in a new poker competition on US television this week.

Father Andrew Trapp, an assistant pastor at Garden City Beach's St. Michael Catholic Church, has so far won $25,000 in Fox TV's Million Dollar Challenge, which was set to air for the first time on Sunday night.

Trapp, who reportedly also goes by the nickname "Father Rambo" for his paintball skills, says the funds will go toward helping build a new church for his congregation.

He is competing against such celebrities as American football champion Jerome Bettis, NBA champion John Salley and four-time WSOP bracelet winner Daniel Negreanu for the $1 million prize, which will no doubt give a substantial boost to St Michael´s rebuilding plans.

Trapp said his participation in the tournament would be positive because "Even if I didn't win any money, it would be an opportunity for people across the country to see that there are still young men choosing to be priests, and that one can be joy-filled and have fun as one serves God."

"The poker-playing priest" is also fast becoming a YouTube hit, with thousands having already viewed a clip about his participation in the tournament before it even went to air.

There is a video on here

Priest [onlinecasinoreports.com]

Garden City Beach’s poker-playing priest wins $100,000 on game show


Father Andrew Trapp, an assistant pastor and priest at St. Michael Catholic Church in Garden City Beach, won $100,000 on a poker television show.

Trapp says he was lucky to be chosen to appear on the show after winning an online poker tournament and following up on an audition call for interested contestants to send an audition tape to the show’s producers.

The show paid for Trapp to fly out to Los Angeles and the episode he was in was recorded last week.

“I’m going to give every cent that I win to the church,” said Trapp.

Trapp says all of the prize money he won will be used to build a new church building for his congregation.

“It’s very much a temporary structure. It’s not adequate for our current needs. It’s not big enough, especially during the tourist season and during the winter months when a lot of the snow birds as they come back from up north,” said Trapp.

Trapp says he hopes to teach people that gambling in moderation is acceptable in Catholicism, by appearing on the show.

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

Father Trapp will be on the show again in December, as he aims for the one million dollar grand prize.

http://www2.scnow.com/scp/news/loca...g_priest_wins_100000_on_game_show/80289/

I've always taken Mt 6:24 as the final word on gambling. I have yet to see any good come from it - I visited a casino once on a business trip (put on by my boss) and was horrified at what I saw. People with babies (!) gambling at 10PM on a tues... Were I able I would have left. As it was I had to nurse a coffee at one of the eateries.

Such things (casinos, game shows, etc) strike me as the new Pagan temples.

I think the priest is just playing a friendly game of cards with his close friends.

I don't see a big problem with that.

It is not like he is taking tithe money to the slot machine.

I'm speaking only for myself - if he doesn't feel there is a contradiction with RC teaching, then more power to him!

Poker is a game of skill and not a game of chance, at least 90% of the time. So, it is not gambling!

Luck figures about 10% and Fr. Trapp had Lady Luck (and his rosary) on his side during the three progressive stages of this charity tournament.

Good professional players were pitted against him in this episode and we just don't know the caliber of his opposition during the last stage of the 1 million dollar challenge this coming December.

I hope and pray that the good Padre will again have Lady Luck on his side next time around. He knows his poker fundamentals.

Amado

Not to be snarky at all, but when does he have time to pray if poker and paintball occupy his time? It's hard for me to appreciate this example of the frolickin' fun priesthood.

Perhaps he's avoiding other types of "fun".. nothing wrong with paintball or poker.. I find the Fr. Trapp in the youtube videos to be endearing and faithful.