This is why we gamble. To face what is uncertain. To confront the unknown, the great unknown. You make your wager. The wheel spins. What will happen? To gamble is to prepare for death. To rehearse. This is the appeal.
-- Saad (chapter 10)

Importance: Saad conveys that the act of gambling inevitably requires confidence in spite of uncertainty. Gamblers must face the unknown in order to succeed. By gambling, the players prepare to place the ultimate wager. Curtis gambles simply by accepting Damon’s assignment in Las Vegas. Stanley makes a living by gambling and is fully prepared to die. Crivano repeatedly puts himself at risk in order to execute his plan. These characters thrive on the possibility of encountering an unknown world. As much as they scheme, they are still at the mercy of the odds and their opponents.

Take it from me, kid, this feeling [of omnipotence] can do funny things to...
-- Kagami (chapter 11)