Tobaku Datenroku Kaiji: One Poker Hen

If you've ever read a FKMT manga, you'd know that 99% of the time, "gambling instinct" beats math, logic, and even to a certain extent luck, within his universes in any remotely fair gamble

lol

Do you think I've started reading Kaiji with 5th series? No, gambling instinct doesn't beat math, logic and luck, hence Kaiji went from 500 million to zero and to putting his life on the line again. He had "gambling instinct" on earlier, was on a lucky streak and no one interfered with him and yet he lost due to insane luck that Kazuya has. From Kaiiji's perspective only luck was involved in all this, otherwise he wouldn't agree to play against Kazuya with no means to verify whether he's not being duped (and even if he was he could be killed if Kazuya wanted to and he would have no way of stopping it). We're talking about Kaiji's POV and from his POV betting his life on a super remote chance that Kauzya would have an ace again was retarded. On the other hand Cori admitted that he either read or saw the raws earlier so it's no wonder he was so sure Kazuya would have an ace, lol.

If you've ever read a FKMT manga, you'd know that 99% of the time, "gambling instinct" beats math, logic, and even to a certain extent luck, within his universes in any remotely fair gamble (in an unfair gamble, the better cheater wins, of course)

 

Akagi doesn't always make the most rational decisions, but he's always right (well, except for like 1 hand ever in Ten, but that's open to interpretation, he got a lot more playful in his old age), because he has the most well-honed gambling instinct of any FKMT character (even though Washizu and probably even Kazuya here have noticeably more luck, though Akagi has way more luck than Kaiji). Kaiji has actually come a long way building up his gambling instinct while fighting through from the bottom of the barrel. It's his loss because he let someone else's math & logic overcome his own gambling instinct.

Beyond this, it has been a recurring theme throughout Kaiji since the FIRST gamble on the Espoir that Kaiji loses when he lets someone else decide his fate.

lol

Chang's advise was sound and what Kaiji wanted to do was insane and his reasoning retarded. He basically had no reason to bet all on a remote possibility that it would be an ace again, there was much less than 1% chance of that happening and it only happened because it's manga. And in the end it won't matter because Kaiji will obviously survive.

If you've ever read a FKMT manga, you'd know that 99% of the time, "gambling instinct" beats math, logic, and even to a certain extent luck, within his universes in any remotely fair gamble (in an unfair gamble, the better cheater wins, of course)

Akagi doesn't always make the most rational decisions, but he's always right (well, except for like 1 hand ever in Ten, but that's open to interpretation, he got a lot more playful in his old age), because he has the most well-honed gambling instinct of any FKMT character (even though Washizu and probably even Kazuya here have noticeably more luck, though Akagi has way more luck than Kaiji). Kaiji has actually come a long way building up his gambling instinct while fighting through from the bottom of the barrel. It's his loss because he let someone else's math & logic overcome his own gambling instinct.

If it were Akagi, on this last hand (assuming Akagi was even pushed this far by Kazuya in the first place, and that for some reason Akagi hadn't told Chang and Mario to leave with Kazuya's goons), he would've just told Chang to be quiet. Not in a mean way, but in a "don't interrupt my gamble" way. And then he would've mounted his comeback rather trivially, because god damn it he's fucking Akagi.

lol

Chang's advise was sound and what Kaiji wanted to do was insane and his reasoning retarded.

That's the point, if you go with math & logic, there's no doubt you'd win in normal poker & blackjack with dealers. However, this is face to face, on enemy's turf modified card game. Kaiji deduced Kazuma's card based on his and the underling's reaction after seeing the card, there's no doubt that's from his years of suffering experiences.

Kaiji made a mistake, he listened to a gambling newbie like Chang instead of his own gambling instinct, because

Spoiler

it's definitely an Ace.

lol

Chang's advise was sound and what Kaiji wanted to do was insane and his reasoning retarded. He basically had no reason to bet all on a remote possibility that it would be an ace again, there was much less than 1% chance of that happening and it only happened because it's manga. And in the end it won't matter because Kaiji will obviously survive.

Kaiji made a mistake, he listened to a gambling newbie like Chang instead of his own gambling instinct, because

Next two chapters: Kaiji goes over the benefits of playing the two again.

Godamnit, we're gonna see the result on Volume 6 aren't we?
The next 3 chapters gonna be him rethinking everything again <______<

"WTF am I doing?"

Perfect line for a perfect chapter .

The fix is in. After Tobaku Mokushiroku Kaiji there's not been one straight game in the series. Chinchirorin, pachinko and mahjong were all rigged against our hero.

The way the cards were arranged was perfect for cheating. Kazuya doesn't want to win per se, he wants writing material for his weird books that serve to push his own ideas about people and gamblers. He set all the other hands predicting what a junky gambler would play. Now we as played an Ace and given the chance for Kaiji to win with a 2, and he thinks he will not play it. He believes in it like he said when he broke Kaiji's winning streak, which was only to get him drunk on gambling.

The end of his twisted tale would be perfect if the first two hand happened again, this time, even having the chance to win Kaiji “played it safe”.

Always remember the number on lesson his father told Kaiji: “The Mark of the King”. Play when you know you are going to win because you’re not playing the game (it’s rigged) but your opponent that accepted some stupid “rule” without realizing it was “the mark of the king” (Kazuya’s half of the deck was the only part not discarded by the machine, only Kaiji’s shuffled part which was on top).

It’s not even a gamble for Kazuya, it’s a plot for and of a book.

Calling it, he had a second 2, which Kaiji will tie with.

Even before this "one life statue" was introduced I predicted that Kaiji's friends' lives would end up as playing chips. I still think that's gonna happen.

Kazuya may verbally give him the option, but whether Kaiji picks "yes" or "no", I don't think Kazuya will actually let Kaiji bet his friends' lives (because "it's not programmed into Mother Sophie"). In this hypothetical scenario, he'll just want to see what Kaiji is willing to sink to to save his own life.

(and I personally imagine that Kaiji would say "no", because that's been his character all along)

Even before this "one life statue" was introduced I predicted that Kaiji's friends' lives would end up as playing chips. I still think that's gonna happen.

Can he play once he 'falls'? You'll fall when you lose the Red Statue and that's the last thing you can bet.

 

unless there's an even more hidden white statue

Red Statue represents his life. So he can bet it again. Normally you wouldn't be able to since you're supposed to die from the fall.

He'll almost certainly choose that route. Kaiji will fall and save himself, and the betting will continue. Kaiji will win it all back and make Kazuya fall to his death because the flow reversed.

Can he play once he 'falls'? You'll fall when you lose the Red Statue and that's the last thing you can bet.

unless there's an even more hidden white statue

Well, the author just blew my previous conjecture out of the water.

 

Kaiji can super-lose and still survive.

 

I wonder if the author will actually choose that route....

He'll almost certainly choose that route. Kaiji will fall and save himself, and the betting will continue. Kaiji will win it all back and make Kazuya fall to his death because the flow reversed.

I will be so hype if Kaiji manages to push Kazuya back after this, drops him down the shaft and Kazuya actually manages to survive due to his absurd luck.

Well, the author just blew my previous conjecture out of the water.

Kaiji can super-lose and still survive.

I wonder if the author will actually choose that route....

He'll probably use it in the last round before he wins or something, thus forcing Kazuya to put in his own red life as well or fold.

This game can only end one of two ways: Kaiji leaves with no money and a 3 in his hand (if he has a 2 while broke... he'll bet it all on Kazuya playing another ace), or Kazuya leaves with no money and a high card in his hand (because he actually doesn't care about money and can get more by doing some random gamble with anyone else). Neither of them is going to die--Kaiji won't die because the final battle has to be against the chairman, and Kazuya won't die because he doesn't actually care about money as much as his own life.

And by the rules of Mother Sophie, you Cannot™ be "forced to use your red life or fold". Maybe you didn't understand how that works? If kaiji and kazuya both are all-in betting 6 lives and kaiji chooses to bet his red life, kazuya can simply say "nah, we're continuing this gamble on 6 lives only" and then they will reveal their cards. Just like in regular poker--if you bet more than the other person has, that doesn't mean the other person folds. It means they can only win up to the amount they bet (from each person still in the pool). Unless _each_ person actively chooses to use their red life, it's like that red life doesn't exist. Like, that's the entire reason the previous explanation chapter existed--otherwise, kazuya could just bet 2 lives next time, and 4 lives the time after if he loses, etc.

The reason Kaiji is so nonchalant about the falling thing is because he happened to put on his ring of feather falling earlier in the day.

Meh, knowing Kaiji, like hell he won't use the red life again

He'll probably use it in the last round before he wins or something, thus forcing Kazuya to put in his own red life as well or fold.

Meh, knowing Kaiji, like hell he won't use the red life again

"Figured... it wouldn't be out of the question for you, Kaiji"

This guy knows a gambling addict when he sees one!

Still, we know Kaiji has to make his way out of this somehow or he'll never have the final showdown with papa.

(what we _don't_ know is how that final showdown will end. Kaiji could very well just die, knowing FKMT)

I saw it coming fro a mile away, but the execution was better than I could've hoped for.