Released from prison after five years, con-artist Szu is sent packing by his young wife; he heads for the town of Lutyn where he runs a con and attracts the interest of Jurek, a young cab driver who imagines himself a great grifter. Szu ("Sharp") teaches Jurek a few tricks enabling the young man to win some money in Wroclaw, then Sharp departs with Jola, a prostitute who offers him a mark. How that plays out, Jurek's determination to win big, Sharp's cold calculations, and the wages of sin await.
