Highlights
- The best drama comes from high stakes, making even the smallest things seem intense in gambling stories.
- Skill plays a role in gambling, from the game itself to outsmarting others, like in
One Pair Lady. - Characters in manhwa like
The SSS-Rank Hunter’s Lucky Draw
have unique powers that add twists to traditional gambling plots.
The best drama occurs when the stakes are high. Even gentler stories will make small stuff like missing a school dance or needing a new outfit seem big. Heavy-duty tales need something riskier, where each victory can bring great spoils and elation, and each loss can be devastating, possibly even leaving the loser in ruins.
Which is why gambling stories can be as addictive as the games themselves. One roll of the dice, a flourish of cards, or another simple act can spell joy or doom for its participants. It worked for Kaiji and Kakegurui, and it worked across the sea in Korea with these great gambling manhwa.
6 One Pair Lady
MyAnimeList Score: 6.50
- Written by Yojeongyong
- Illustrated by Eonkyum Ju
- 75 Chapters
- Available in English via Tappytoon
The term ‘gambling’ suggests players are leaving everything to chance. But there is skill involved, be it in the game itself, or in trying to hoodwink the dealer or other players. It’s how Adel made her living in One Pair Lady, as knowing how to play with or against the odds was all she knew how to do as an orphan.
She was taken care of by kindly elders, so when she saw a young boy struggling, she thought she’d return the favor by looking after him. Suddenly, she gets sent a decade into the future, with no sign of the boy in sight. With no way back to the past, Adel tries to find out what happened to him by tracking down any clues left over after 10 years. Her efforts lead her to a casino cruise run by a noblewoman where, like it or not, she’ll have to use her gambling knowledge to find her lost friend.
5 The World Is Money And Power
MyAnimeList Score: 6.58
- Written by Dongwoo Han
- Illustrated by Dohee Lee
- 229 Chapters
- Available in English via Webtoon
The World is Money and Power is unique as, on top of it having a sequel, it’s part of its own manhwa universe. Characters from the romantic drama My Bad Boyfriend and action drama Get Schooled turn up for cameos, alongside references to organizations and gangs from those strips. Money and Power’s lead, Gunsoo, also turned up at the end of My Bad Boyfriend with its antagonist, Taeeun.
It’s tempting to learn more about this ‘Blue String Universe,’ but before Gunsoo can deal with Taeeun, Money and Power has him handle his high school first. It’s practically run by the heirs to rich families like the Taekyeong-Oh, who squeeze cash out of the other students via their gambling halls. The only way Gunsoo can stop them is to literally beat them at their own games.
4 The SSS-Rank Hunter’s Lucky Draw
MyAnimeList Score: 6.60
- Written by Shampion
- Illustrated by Seokjoon Yoon
- 89+ Chapters
- Available in English via Tapas
In The SSS-Rank Hunter’s Lucky Draw, the world was turned upside down when it went through ‘The Change:’ a mysterious cataclysm that brought monsters and other threats into the world. It also introduced mana, a magical power source humans could use to fight back against the beasts. Jin Jeongdo wants to join these ‘Mana Hunters,’ and he’s got the potential for it. However, his latent power is a little different from the others.
Also known as SSS-Class Gacha Hunter, the strip is very similar to another manhwa called SSS-Class Revival Hunter. The difference is, instead of its lead copying others’ abilities after he dies and respawns, Jin’s ability lets him draw powers from figures in the past and future. Only he doesn’t know what ability he’ll get. It’s like a gacha game, where he’ll either have to get lucky with his draws, or make do with whatever he gets.
3 Money Game
MyAnimeList Score: 6.93
- Written & Illustrated by Jin-Soo Bae
- 60 Chapters
- Available in English on Webtoon
Korean drama fans might find Money Game familiar as it got adapted into a live-action series in 2020. It has a similar premise to Squid Game with its reality TV plot device. The difference is that it preceded Squid Game by 2 years and, instead of putting people’s lives on the line, it puts their livelihoods in jeopardy instead. In this manhwa, the participants must spend as little as possible across 100 days to win the equivalent of $38 million.
That sounds simple enough, but it comes with some conditions. All 8 contestants are marooned on a special TV set with only the clothes on their backs and a rule book. There are shops, services, etc., available, but their prices are 1,000 times higher than the retail price. If they can’t figure out how to stretch their Won to the limit, they’ll be left destitute, or worse.
2 Like A Wolf
Anime Planet Score: 3.6/5 Stars
- Written & Illustrated by Sae-Hyung Lee
- 99 Chapters
- Fan Translations only
This manhwa comes with a variety of titles: Cry Like a Wolf, Cry Like Wolves, Fighting Wolf, and simply Like a Wolf. No matter the name, it still tells the story of the unfortunately named Gunt. He’s riddled with debt and has no way to settle them. Not until he’s given a way out, with the opportunity to participate in an underground fighting arena and take out his opponents.
It’s a more direct answer than Kaiji’s different challenges, but the scheme is similar, as Gunt isn’t the only one taking a chance to settle his affairs. They all owe money to the same shadowy figure who’s making them fight in this bloodsport. What will happen to them if they lose? Readers will have to check it out to find out.
1 Psychic Gambler: Betting Man
Anime Planet Score: 3.7/5 Stars
- Written by Doldom
- Illustrated by Seong-Won Hwang
- 198 Chapters
- Available in English via Lezhin Comics
It takes a keen mind and a keener eye to make a living at gambling. The slightest gesture or tic can give someone away in poker, or conveniently pass on messages if they’re in on a scheme. Now if someone had special powers, like the ability to read minds or look through objects, they wouldn’t need to bother with all that. They could learn their opponent’s hand, or the dealer’s next draw, with little to no fuss.
Or at least that’s what Jin-goo thinks in Psychic Gambler: Betting Man. His psychic vision helped him get what he wanted from women, so he’d surely get similar results using it in the casino. However, things turned out to be more complicated than that. He might have the advantage over any ordinary gambler, but he finds out the hard way that he’s not the only player with special abilities.
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