Table of contents:
- Why did Pushkin prefer card games, and how his hobby affected his life and work
- Everything is on the line: Dostoevsky's addiction as a "stimulus" for creativity
- Professional gambler, or how the poet Nekrasov managed to turn his addiction to the game into a worthy source of income
- An aggressive player, or why it was scary to play cards with Mayakovsky
Video: Why were they afraid to play cards with Mayakovsky, how much Pushkin lost and other amusing stories about the classics-gamblers
2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55
Gambling addiction is recognized as one of the most widespread psychological problems of our era. Some scientists call the reason for the uncontrollable craving for gambling a deficiency of the so-called hormones of happiness - endorphins, which is a consequence of the constant stress created by the intense rhythm of modern life. However, gambling addiction cannot be called a product of the twenty-first century. This problem has been going on for hundreds of years, and many people, regardless of their origin, education and social status, have had an unhealthy addiction to gambling, both ordinary people and world-famous geniuses.
Why did Pushkin prefer card games, and how his hobby affected his life and work
The whole life of the great Russian poet Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin was closely connected with gambling. Receiving substantial royalties for his works, he managed not to get out of debt. The reason for this was a passion for cards. Pushkin loved a risky game with high stakes, and often lost significant money. There is a known case when in one evening he had to part with a fabulous sum of 25 thousand rubles at that time. Another time, the poet paid with a handwritten collection of his poems. There was a moment when Alexander Sergeevich put on the line two chapters from Eugene Onegin, which, fortunately, he managed to play.
The passion for the game left an imprint on Pushkin's work. Many of his literary characters were more or less fascinated by cards. The most famous hero of the story "The Queen of Spades" Hermann, ready for any sacrifice for the secret of the three cards. This work with elements of mysticism was written based on real events and largely reflected the author's personal emotions experienced during the game.
The passion did not leave the great poet throughout his life, and as a result of the 60 thousand rubles of debts remaining after his death, more than half were cards. They were redeemed from the personal funds of Emperor Nicholas I.
Everything is on the line: Dostoevsky's addiction as a "stimulus" for creativity
Roulette did not go unnoticed by Russian writers. This invariable attribute of the casino played a fatal role in the life of the giant of world literature Fyodor Dostoevsky. Once, while staying abroad, he visited a gambling establishment. The spinning wheel, the cries of the croupier, the agitated faces of the visitors - all this had a magical effect and subjugated the mind and will of the writer for a long time.
Like most people affected by gambling addiction, Fyodor Mikhailovich could not stop after winning, and as a result, he lowered everything to the last penny. Left penniless, he took loans from friends and acquaintances, sent tearful letters to his wife, who often even had to hand over personal belongings to a pawnshop in order to help her husband with money. And he immediately ran with them to the gaming table.
But, as they say, every cloud has a silver lining: the extreme need and requirements of creditors have become an effective incentive for creativity. To pay off debts, Dostoevsky signed a contract with a publishing house and in a record short time - 26 days - created the brilliant novel The Gambler. This work can be considered autobiographical, because it was based on personal experiences and impressions received in the casino.
Gambling addiction kept Fyodor Mikhailovich captive for more than one year. Having paid off debts, he immediately made new ones. And only tragedy - the death of his beloved little daughter - saved the writer from vicious passion.
Professional gambler, or how the poet Nekrasov managed to turn his addiction to the game into a worthy source of income
Contrary to the assertion that addiction to cards is evil, some writers managed to derive considerable benefit from such a pastime. Nikolay Alekseevich Nekrasov was known as a true professional of poker, preference, whist and other games. It was the cards that helped him get out of poverty, when his poetic creations were not successful and did not bring profit.
Observation, great composure and concentration were the keys to success. In addition, Nikolai Alekseevich managed to learn the right lesson from the history of his family (many of his ancestors were avid gamblers and lost entire fortunes because of this passion) and observed maximum caution during the game and when choosing partners.
His opponents were very wealthy people, for whom the evening at the card table was entertainment, and the lost amount, even a significant one, was nothing. He preferred games where the element of randomness was minimized, and the ability to analyze and reason logically came to the fore. Nekrasov did not leave the card even when he began to receive royalties that provide a solid prosperity. The winnings were regular and truly colossal. For example, the wallet of the Minister of Finance of Russia Alexander Abaza has become lighter by more than a million francs. Easy money helped Nekrasov maintain his brainchild - the monthly literary and socio-political magazine Sovremennik.
It was rumored that the writer had his own game system, thanks to which he did not know defeat. And ardent envious people whispered that Nekrasov was simply dishonest. However, no one managed to catch Nikolai Alekseevich of cheating.
An aggressive player, or why it was scary to play cards with Mayakovsky
Vladimir Mayakovsky, an emotional and temperamental man, was often inspired to work by the excitement of the game, which was his all-consuming passion. Cards, billiards, shooting at a range or a simple bet - it doesn't matter. The main thing is to amuse self-esteem, to feel superiority over an opponent. Contemporaries noted that in the course of the game, Vladimir Vladimirovich became noisy and aggressive. He could not stand failure and perceived each failure as a personal tragedy. The defeat caused anger, insulting attacks against partners, accusations of cheating. There were times when it came to a showdown with the help of fists. Therefore, not everyone could decide to sit down at a table of cards with a proletarian poet.
Who would have thought, but pictures on popular decks of playing cards had real prototypes from the imperial family.
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