PokerStars.net Million Dollar Challenge, the hottest new poker game show on television, left audiences stunned back in October when South Carolina priest Father Andrew Trapp knocked off NBA Champion John Salley, Team PokerStars.net Pro Vanessa Rousso and Team PokerStars.net Pro, and four-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner Daniel Negreanu to win $100,000 and a chance to come back earlier this month for a crack at the $1,000,000 grand prize.
Fr. Trapp lost in the final round of Fox TV’s “PokerStars.net Million Dollar Challenge” which aired on Dec. 27; but he was able to take home $100,000 in winnings. The winner was a 9-11 first responder at the World Trade Center.
Known as “Father Rambo” for his passionate paintball play, the poker priest pulled out all the stops, at one point holding rosary beads while in a big hand against Salley. Then after dispensing of the former Detroit Pistons Bad Boy, Trapp then shocked Rousso, before taking home the six-figure prize when poker star Negreanu misread the strength of Trapp’s cards.
Trapp immediately donated all of his winnings to the St. Michael’s Church in Garden City, SC, where he serves as associate pastor. His goal was to win the million dollar grand prize to help St. Michael’s build a new church, which is currently $1.5 million dollars short of its goal.
In an interview with the Sun News Trapp said, “I think I represented the church well and the priesthood well, which was my main goal…I think my parishioners will be proud of me.”