[2][3] In a small seaside town lives Aleksei 'The Greek' Grekov, a former katala a slang term in the criminal circles meaning professional gambler.

Despite various efforts Shota falls into the hands of the criminals and they brutally kill him, but The Greek helps Anna and her young daughter escape to Moscow.

In Moscow, The Greek meets his longtime acquaintance, a criminal named Crucian, and soon they begin to win money playing cards against underground businessmen, bandits and simply gullible citizens.

The amount of money accumulated by Aleksei is growing, but The Greek clearly understands that only by obtaining a huge jackpot he can finish once and for all this sordid matter.

Lola, the criminal boss's assistant, draws attention to a certain oddity: during the game Aleksei goes to the toilet every two hours allegedly to freshen up.