With over 6.4 million users registered on the three most popular Polish websites – lotto.pl, sts.pl, and lvbet.pl – gambling in the Land of Fields is on the rise.
But not only because of the notorious pandemic that forces punters to switch from their beloved brick-and-mortar venues to online sites – the other crucial factor is the ever-increasing number of professional gamblers from Poland.
Professionals and famous gamblers are role models for millions. People follow them on social networks, take advice from them, and sometimes even blindly copy the behavior of their idols. Whenever a renowned player competes in poker or blackjack, the game infallibly experiences a surge in popularity.
But how successful are Polish pros, and who of them are worth watching? Let’s take a deep dive into professional gambling along with the author of the piece, Aleksandra Maj from KasynoHEX. You can read more about the lady here.
Henry Orenstein
The living legend of Poland, 97-year-old Henry Orenstein is a Holocaust survivor toymaker from Hrubieszów. Currently residing in Verona, New Jersey, Orenstein made a fortune as a toy designer and manufacturer, but his love of poker has always been remarkable as well.
An avid poker fan himself – he won the $5,000 Seven-card stud tournament at 1996 WSOP, leaving behind renowned poker players T. J. Cloutier, Cyndy Violette, and Humberto Brenes – Orenstein came up with a genius idea of making poker championships more appealing to the audience by showing face-down cards to viewers.
As of 2009, the total tournament winnings of the legend exceeded $200,000, among which the most memorable victories were two finishes in the money in the WSOP main event (12th place in 1993 and 8th place two years later) and 7th place in the Seven Card Stud event at the 2005 United States Poker Championship, where in the first round, Orenstein outplayed Chip Reese before losing to John Hennigan.
Nic Szeremeta
The creator of the Late Night Poker TV series and the former publisher of Poker Europa magazine, Nic Szeremeta has played poker in over 10 countries, the most favorite destination being Vienna. But what made him famous is the fact that in 1996, he became the first non-American to win the World Series of Poker Media Event. With the most successful year bringing him over $50,000 and the total tournament winnings standing at over $200,000, Nic Szeremeta contributed to both the late-90’s poker boom in the UK and the popularization of the game in Poland.
Wiktor Malinowski
One of the most promising poker players of the new generation, 27-year-old Wiktor Malinowski started off with freerolls in 2014. It took him two years to grow to a consistent mid to high-stake games regular and two more years to win the World Championship of Online Poker, adding over $700,000 to his balance. In June 2020, he won over $400,000 at Partypoker High Roller Club Main Event, and a month the so-far biggest loot in Malinowski’s career was unlocked: a mind-boggling $840,000 pot from Michael Addamo while playing NLHE on Natural8, a popular poker site.
The proud owner of a sharp mind, Malinowski is also known for his unconventional approach to poker and love of fun plays. On Joey Ingram’s podcast, the poker guru offered anyone a ‘drunk poker challenge,’ the type of jokes Malinowski uses to break away from at times too-much-routine preparations and game dissection.
Where the Trend Goes: From Brick-and-Mortar Casinos to Online Sites
No matter the glitz and glam brought by celebrities, the world is moving online, and so is gambling. More and more tournaments are organized online by sites like Slottica, Vulkan Vegas, Energy Casino, and popular platforms alike. And it’s not bad at all! Even though the real-life vibe and camaraderie are hard to recreate (live casinos are working on it), online gambling is more private – you can pay using zdrapki online, cryptocurrencies, and e-wallets – and much safer since all big winners remain secret.
However, you should never forget that just like brick-and-mortar gambling, online gambling can cause addiction. If you or your loved ones show symptoms of gambling addiction, immediately stop gambling and ask for help at any of the international – Gamblers Anonymous, GamCare, BeGambleAware, etc. – or your local problem gambling organizations.
