Hermann’s fate lies in the hands of a romanticized and accidental fortune. In the mind of the poor officer shines the hope of being able to master the capricious power of “luck.” He comes to believe that if he can discover the secret of the three cards, an inexhaustible source of happiness and fortune will open before him. It would allow him to improve his social status, gain promotion in the military hierarchy, and attract the longed-for attention of the woman he loves.
Hermann calculates all of this with fervor. Inspired by the idea of becoming rich in a short time, the Countess becomes the instrument through which he hopes to realize his fantasy. In the performance, the Countess appears as a mystical figure: at once victim and power within Hermann’s game — yet in the end it is Hermann himself who becomes the victim of the very game he has devised.
False expectations, the belief in achieving instant success, a desperate thirst for happiness, and an excessive reliance on luck in gambling have turned betting into a dangerous pursuit for the present generation.

— Anželika Cholina

“The passion for gambling is the strongest of all passions,” said Alexander Pushkin, who himself was far from indifferent to it.