Poker Web Watch / Matthew Pitt / 12 October 2009 / Leave a comment

The poker playing priest reported on Friday finally played his tournament in Los Angeles and is now even closer to the $1,000,000 first prize than ever before.

His first heads-up match saw him lock horns with former Chicago Bulls and LA Lakers star, John Salley. As part of the rules, Trapp was allowed to ask the advice of Daniel Negreanu once per round in order to help him progress. It was not long before the priest needed to ask the Canadian for advice.

Trapp raised preflop with Qs6s but saw his opponent re-raise him. After some thought the Father made the call, meaning both players saw a flop of 5-K-9 with one spade. Trapp used his time out and asked Negreanu for some guidance and thenb moved all-in after being prompted to do so. Salley called with Ace-ten but running spades on the turn and the river saw the priest win a seat to the 2010 PCA in January and a match against Vannessa Rousso.

Rousso has been in tremendous form this year, even finishing as runner-up in the National Heads-up Poker Championship so would provide a much sterner opponent than the former basketball star. She nearly eliminated him early in the match when Trapp found himself all-in holding 8-7 to Rousso's 8-4 on a 5-6-7 flop. However, the say the Lord moves in mysterious ways and this may have been confirmed when a four fell on the river to split the pot!

The final hand saw Father Trapp limp-call an all-in shove from Rousso with K-7 which again hit on the river of a J-J-4-2-7 board to claim his first professional scalp and with it $25,000 in prize money. He then had the option to take the money and run or gamble it in a match agsint his coach, Daniel Negreanu. After saying before the tournament started that his goal was to win $1,000,000, Trapp decided to take on 'Kid Poker'.

It was a real David and Goliath encounter, the amateur holy man versus one of the biggest names in poker, but it was a battle that was almost over quickly as Trapp called an all-in move with second pair on a board that Negreanu had made a straight on and he found himself crippled.

Maybe it was another bit of divine intervention or maybe just luck but Trapp fought back and was actually in front when the final hand took place. Negreanu called preflop with 6-5 and Trapp checked with J-8. Both players saw a flop of 8-4-2, giving Trapp top pair but Negreanu a double gutshot straight draw. Both players ended up all-in and when the turn and river came a jack and another deuce, Trapp was crowned the winner and he got his hands on $100,000.

Along with the money, Father Andrew Trapp also won a seat at 'The Table of Champions' where he and four other will have the chance to take on Negreanu once again, with the winner taking home a cool $1,000,000.