The story, based on Alexander Pushkin’s novella, revolves around Hermann, a young and ambitious engineer whose obsessive drive to achieve wealth leads to his tragic downfall.
Hermann is a man of discipline, avoiding the distractions of aristocratic life such as drinking and gambling, yet he is consumed by an insatiable desire for fortune.
His life takes a dramatic turn when he hears a legend about an elderly countess who possesses the secret of three winning cards that guarantee success at the gambling table.
Despite her engagement to Prince Yeletsky, Hermann uses his growing affection for Lisa as a way to access the countess, intent on uncovering her secret no matter the cost.
Wracked with guilt and driven to madness, Hermann later sees the ghost of the countess, who reveals the winning cards—three, seven, and ace—sealing his obsession with gambling as his path to wealth.