Paulina was surprised. “Why, but you too are clinging to a straw! A couple of weeks ago, you explained to me at great length that you were absolutely sure to win at roulette, and then you rushed away because I stared at you as if you were insane. Or perhaps you were joking then? No, I remember very clearly that you were absolutely serious, and it didn’t sound like a joke at all.”

“That’s true,” I said dreamily. “Even now, I am still convinced I’ll win. …”–Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Gambler, tr. Andrew R. MacAndrew