Cappelletti in Poland

Contract bridge has become very popular in Poland. In recent years, the Poles have been doing very well in international competition, and Polish pairs are often hired to play in the United States in regional or national competition. In mid-March, I went to Poland for five days on bridge business.

I must admit that I had a preconception that Poland was going to be cold and perhaps a dull place. I had read about Auschwitz and a bland skyscraper that Stalin had built in Warsaw.

Wrong! Poland is a wonderful place. There's lots to see and do. Both Warsaw and Krakow rival Prague, Rome, and Paris for old-world charm and modern, vibrant life. Choice foods are plentiful in excellent restaurants for less than half of what you would pay in the United States. I understand that many European jet-setters frequent Krakow on their summer vacations.

At the casino in the Hyatt in Warsaw, there were several tables of stud poker. They play a spread-limit game with a minimum bet of 20 zlotys (about $5) and a maximum bet of 100 zlotys (about $25). I played for several hours and was impressed with the aggressiveness at my table; reraises were frequent.

My second-biggest win occurred when I had the J 9 in the hole and a 9 showing. A queen raised and two of us called. My fourth card was another jack (giving me two pair). The Q-8 bet, I raised, the third player folded, the Q-8 reraised, and I called.

Both fifth-street cards were threes; he bet, and I called. On sixth street, he paired his 8, and I caught another jack (giving me jacks full). Since I knew he would bet, I checked. He bet, I raised, and he reraised! Did he have queens full? Wimp that I am, I merely called.

My final downcard was a queen. Since that made it less likely that he had queens full, and because I thought I had wimped out on the previous round, I chose to bet out, and he instantly raised! I was impressed and merely called.

His first two downcards had been an ace and a queen. His last card was another ace, improving his queens up to aces up. And he never stopped betting!

There was another lively hand in which I had a straight-flush draw after four cards. The hand had started with a bet and a raise in five-way action, and there was a raise and reraise on fourth street. I was in there merely calling. My fifth card was an offsuit 4. Again, there was a bet, a raise, and a reraise. Two players folded, but I kept putting my money in.

I caught a 9 on sixth street that gave me a pair of nines, which really wasn't what I had in mind. I checked, there was a bet, and the third player folded. I was relieved that I did not have to call a raise to see my final card in this huge pot.

I squeezed my final downcard. No straight flush - it was another 4, giving me nines and fours. I checked. My opponent, who I suspected had started with kings, bet the 100 zlotys. I made a Polish call - mostly because of the pot size. Lo and behold, he hadn't improved his kings, and I won lots of zlotys!

Note that "American" poker is proliferating not only here in America, but also in Europe (including Poland and Russia) and the rest of the world. Although the English, French, and Spanish play mostly pot-limit poker, the Dutch, Austrians, and other Eastern European casinos play limit poker.