The Gambler is the tale of a man named Alexei with a passion for -- no, an addiction to -- roulette. In Dostoevsky's own words, ". . . all his vital sap, all his energies, his impetuosity and boldness will be absorbed by roulette. He is a gambler, but not just an ordinary gambler . . . My hero is, in his way, a poet, but he feels ashamed. . .and he feels its ugliness [the ugliness of his addiction] deeply.