The Arizona town of Cave Creek settled a tie election using a deck of cards to pick the winner of a seat on its governing council.

Cave Creek voters placed votes in equal numbers for an empty seat on the town's seven-member council, with 660 votes each going to Thomas McGuire, 64, and Adam Trenk, 25, the New York Times reported.

McGuire and Trenk, both in jeans and open-collared shirts, waited nervously while the town judge selected a deck of cards from a Stetson hat. In a heated draw, the seat went to newcomer Trenk, who drew a king of hearts to his opponents six of hearts.

McGuire was a retired science teacher and two-term incumbent.

"It's a hell of a way to win-or lose-an election," McGuire told the NYTimes.

When faced with a tied election, Arizona's constitution mandates a game of chance,be it cards or dice, decide the outcome, the UPI reported.

Cave Creek's mayor served as an M.C. for the event, which drew supporters of both candidates.

"Originally we thought of settling this with a paintball fight but that involves skill, and skill is not allowed in this," Mayor Vincent Francia told the NYTimes.