It nullifies the effect of wrong moves to a significant extent. Russia’s possession of nuclear weapons, in fact, gives it a crucial advantage. He inherited from the Soviet Union the status of a nuclear superpower, and expanded its arsenal of nuclear weapons. He had, at his disposal, the military manpower deemed to be the second most potent in the world. At the start of the war, Putin seemed to have all trump cards in his hands. This explains his intention to win at any price. Ukraine is Putin’s ultimate game, one that put his power to the test. In the others, a good memory and a well thought out strategy help win.

Some card games, the game of roulette or, in the extreme case, Russian roulette, are pure games of chance. Mikhail Bakhtin, a Russian philosopher and an insightful interpreter of Dostoevsky, explains that when much is at stake in a card game, the player “feels himself on the threshold.” Good luck makes everything possible for him.

Fyodor Dostoevsky devoted his novel The Gambler to the card player’s psychology. The card game metaphor is emblematic of Russian culture. A player can win either because he has trump cards or because he uses a sophisticated strategy regardless of the cards. Differences between power and luck can be easily perceived in a card game.

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