Team Poland; winners of the World Cup of Poker 2006
Since the Polish team won the World Cup of Poker 2006, the intrest in poker has grown in Poland. Alas the reputation of poker sometimes isn't viewed upon very positively, for poker was regarded as mere game of chance that was not only simple but also dangerous, because in the Wild West the game often ended in shootings. In these days Five Card Draw poker has been known as the “Dead Man’s Hand” since Wild Bill Hickock was allegedly shot as he held a hand of two pairs (eights and aces). Also at that time, the first form of the Texas Hold’em game which is so popular today was created. Back then, this variation was referred to as “Wild Widow.” No need to explain why it bares such a dark nickname.
Ultimately, the sport really became serious in the beginning of the 70's with the rise of the “World Series of Poker” (WSOP). Poker was a very physical sport in these days, as, apart from their hand (playingcards), they'd also had to impress their opponants with a pokerface [answers.com] and make sure, the opponants could not read their hand because of the expression of face or body. This is still very much true in retrospect of real life tournaments and surely it was at the World Cup of Poker 2006. Though the Polish team never won a heat to reach the final in Barcelona, they yet played consistently well, earned their points through five top four finishes, and then put in a great performance at the final table. Many neutrals also claim, with the Polish team, the best team won the World Cup of Poker. Poland therefor, as a team, has put itself on the worldmap of international poker with their clean victory. Unfortunally there seems to be no online video available of the event despite it allegedly was videotaped.
The history of poker in Poland is fairly recent. It all began after the fall of the USSR. In late 1989, the economy was transformed to a free market, references to Communism were struck from the constitution, and the country was reborn as the Republic of Poland. As early as in 1989, Casinos Poland, thus also the game of poker, began life in Poland, as the political climate changed across the country. Since then, there are three poker powerhouses that call Poland their place of origin.
- First up is Michael Gracz, born in Warsaw but based in Raleigh, NC. He has three significant first-place finishes.
- Henry Orenstein is a Holocaust survivor who, long after making it to the States, has had a succession of careers. He also got a WSOP bracelet in Seven-Card Stud from 1996.
- Last is Nic Szermeta, who created one of the first televised poker series, Late Night Poker, and was a commentator for that show.
Nowadays, many professional and amature players all over the world play online poker in so called 'Poker Rooms'. These online pokertables demand of live poker players to change their tactics fully, as their pokerface is totally useless because there is no physical appearance. When I personally got introduced with online poker, I played at the free playmoney tables; but after an invitation, which, in my case, involved a ticket that allowed entrance to a tournament, I started off in a private freeroll. A freeroll is a free tournament, that enables you to win real dollars, a ticket to a (big) tournement or physical objects such as an iPhone or even such trivial things as a signed T-shirt. Some, often free to join, pokerschools even give away free dollars when one completes an evenly free course. As this is a serious topic about my and many others favourable sport and hobby, also for that reason avoiding the impression of spamming, I will not mention any rooms or schools, but a quick Google with the expressions 'freeroll poker online' will allow anyone to start off for free, without anyone in between, so they can explore the world of online poker without making any costs or obligations whatsoever.
By the way; did you know, there is something called Polish Poker [Wiki.answers] ? It isn't really a poker game as such, nor is it the drinking game of the same name; but it is a cardgame with different rules then the average poker. Quote : "To score (the Polish pokerplayer with) the lowest number of points ... is declared the winner."
Another variation is strippoker, but that subject goes way and way beyond this decent topic ...
Visit one of my sources to read more about the history of poker and also very interesting to read overthere is the fact, that poker developed near Poland in the 15th century, as I quote : "The game 'Pochspiel' existed much earlier in the 15th century in German-speaking territories."
Team Poland supporters
[Source two]
[Source three]
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