By Kevin Felix | March 13, 2008

When Josie Richards decided to run for the office of Town Trustee of Estancia, New Mexico, she probably thought she would win the election by conventional means.You know, like getting more votes than her opponent, Michelle Dunlap.

So much for ballot boxes.

Because the election ended in a tie, New Mexico state law required that the winner be decided by a game of chance.That game: poker.  

Of course, many of you poker fans will argue that poker is a game of skill.But, in this case, it really was a game of chance, as there was no betting, no folding.Just a single hand of five card draw.When the hole cards were flipped up, Richards held the winning hand, a pair of nines.And so the election was won.

"I was very nervous," said Richards afterwards. "I'm a big competitor and I wanted this position."

Maybe she should have actually expected something like this to happen.Her sister lost the mayoral race a few years ago the same exact way.

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