No-Limit Hold’em in Vienna

While on a delightful Danube River cruise — which included stops in Budapest, Bratislava, Vienna, and several other large European cities — I spent some time checking out the poker action.

Budapest has at least a half dozen large casinos (many with Americanized names like Tropicana Casino and Casino Las Vegas), but apparently none of them spread live poker. I was told that hold’em, Omaha, and stud all are very popular in Budapest, but they are played only in private clubs.

In downtown Vienna, I discovered the large Casino Vienna and was happy to learn that they have a poker room. There was only one game going that afternoon, a no-limit hold’em table with €2-€5 blinds and a €100 minimum buy-in. I took the one available seat and bought in for €150 (about $250 US).

My first observation was that everyone was smiling, chatting, and seemingly having a wonderful time. There weren’t any grumps at all! Is this a cultural difference?

After folding several hands, I picked up pocket jacks and raised it to €20. An attractive young lady in a short skirt reraised €44 more, going all in. She had been playing every hand, so I had a very clear call. I smiled as she showed her K-10 off-suit. However, a king turned, and she won the pot. It took me almost an hour to win a decent-sized pot and go plus again.

On my big blind, I called a minimum preflop raise with Q 10. In four-way action, the flop came 10 and two small spades. The preflop raiser seemed to have an affinity for small bets.

I once wrote an article about betting as first to act after the flop. Perhaps the most important consideration is whether there was a preflop raiser. If you decide not to check, there are essentially three possible types of bets. A “small” bet or minimum bet (one or two times the big blind), sometimes called a “screening” bet, essentially is a prod or a temporizer and is not intended to fold anyone. A “normal” bet usually is three to five times the minimum bet. Any larger “big bet” usually is made for specific (often psychological) reasons.

Since the preflop raiser on this particular hand was not the type who always would “follow through” with a bet after any flop, I thought that I should bet here rather than risk giving everyone a free card. So I bet €20 (four times the big blind). There were two quick calls and one fold.

In three-way action, a low, non-spade card hit the table. As I looked at the 10-7-4-2 board, I suspected that neither opponent had me beat. There was about €100 in the pot. Rather than risk seeing another card, I announced, “All in,” and pushed my €100-plus into the pot. They both folded, as expected. Note well that if I’d had a much larger stack, it would have been a much riskier gambit.

On my button, I picked up A 5. It went crawl, raise to €15, several folds, and a call around to me. I called, as well, as did the big blind and the crawler.

In five-way action, 10-8-4 rainbow hit the flop, and it checked around to me. Normally, I would be folding to any bet here, but since no one else seemed interested in the flop, I thought I would try a €50 bet just to see what would happen. Lo and behold, they all folded.

On the very next hand, I picked up A 6. Again, there was a raise to €15 and two callers around to me. I fished in, as well. In five-way action, the flop came 4-3-2 with two diamonds. Although I liked the two diamonds, I would have liked this flop much more with my previous A 5. (I was experiencing “flop lag.”) There was a €50 bet from the preflop raiser, and then one caller before me. I called with my nut-flush draw, and there was yet another call behind me.

Yes, a diamond here would have been very nice — as there already was close to €300 in the pot — but unfortunately, a black 9 turned. The preflop raiser thought for a moment and said, “I’m all in,” and pushed in more than €500. One opponent folded, one called, and it was my turn with one player to act after me. I had about €170 left. The opponent on my left was counting his chips as if he was considering calling.

I certainly didn’t like the idea of calling a big bet on a draw, but spending €170 to win €800-plus seemed well within the odds. So, I called, and the opponent acting behind me called, as well — on a mere pair of pocket aces. (Where had he been until now?)

So, did a diamond hit and make my day? No — but the 5 rivered, which gave me a straight. However, a caller had pocket sixes and split the main pot with me. Half a loaf (almost €500) was a lot better than none.

So, when in middle Europe, Vienna is the place to find poker. I heard that there are several other casinos in Vienna that also spread “American poker.” ♠

Formerly a career lawyer with the U.S. Department of Justice, Mike Cappelletti has written numerous books on poker and bridge, and is considered to be one of the leading authorities on Omaha. Mike has also represented the U.S. in international bridge competition, and he and his wife were featured in a four-page Couples Section in People magazine. His books include Cappelletti on Omaha, Poker at the Millennium (with Mike Caro), and Omaha High Low Poker.