Top 15 Best Gambling Manga With High Stakes Games Ever Created
If you’re looking for the best gambling manga recommendations, look no further.
In gambling manga, there are a variety of high stakes, and for many players, it's money, fame, and power. But for others, gambling is a way to seek thrills and elation, a moment of hope against the odds in compromised and often dangerous spaces. Whether you think gambling is a catastrophic vice or an exhilarating escapade into the unknown, you'll find the experiences you seek through these gambling manga recommendations. In them, characters are brilliant and often insane, navigating worlds as varied as underground casinos' backrooms to the elite's classrooms. But each of these gambling mangas has one thing in common: they are full of intense situations where protagonists and opponents can lose it all - reputation, money, and life.
1.Akagi: Yami ni Oritatta Tensai
アカギ ～闇に降り立った天才～ - Mahjong Legend Akagi
To many, mahjong is played with family and friends in a pleasant and warm atmosphere. But this strategic game is also popular in society's underbelly, where it is laced with banknotes and addiction. And it is in that underbelly that the story of this gambling manga takes place, following the life of Shigeru Akagi: a natural-born compulsive gambler. I still strongly encourage you to take on this story even if you're unfamiliar with mahjong, as it is riddled with detailed psychological conflicts and offers an in-depth narrative of a young man's journey through addiction and the world of gambling.
+Volume: 36
+Chapters: 306
+Published: 1991 to 2018
+Genres: Organized Crime - Psychological - Strategy Game - Action - Drama
+Authors: Fukumoto Nobuyuki [Art&Story]
+Serialization/Other work: Kindai Mahjong
2.Casino-GUI
カジノグイ
Casino-Gui unfolds at the crossroad of virtue and money in a world where gambling is synonymous with cheating, and players can lose their lives along with their money. The main character is a young adult, Gen Suzuki, who grew up in an orphanage with a girl he treats like his little sister. Although many of his friends are engaged in illegal activities to make money, he stirred cleared of that path to maintain a normal life for his sibling. But one day, she is left with a 10 million yen debt, leaving Suzuki with no choice other than to enter the gambling world. Be warned; this story can get highly graphic and violent.
+Volumes: 5
+Chapters: 50
+Published: 2019 to 2021
+Genres: Action - Psychological
+Authors: Nozaki Hanaichi [Story] + Yoshida Shirou [Art]
+Serialization/Other work: Manga Goraku
3.Kakegurui
賭ケグルイ - KAKEGURUI: COMPULSIVE GAMBLER
Kakegurui takes place at the prestigious Hyakkaou Private Academy, a school that prides itself on preparing students for future positions in the affluent world. With most students coming from extremely rich backgrounds, a bizarre eccentricity has risen: gambling during recess, and in-between class times, where both money and people are accepted as commodities. The games vary from typical card games such as poker to more insane ones like Russian roulette. Character’s reasons for gambling also fluctuate; some are money-obsessed while others sadistically enjoy the thrill of the unknown. Kakegurui explores a diverse array of psychology and gambling addiction profiles, and its insane characters will leave you wanting more.
+Volumes: +15
+Chapters: +85
+Published: 2014 to Present
+Genres: Psychological - Drama - Mystery
+Authors: Kawamoto Homura [Story] Naomura Tooru [Art]
+Serialization/Other work: Gangan Joker
4.Mudazumo Naki Kaikaku
ムダヅモ無き改革
What do Trump, Kim Jong Il, The Pope, Putin, the Dalai Lama, Xi Jinping, and Shinzo Abe all have in common? They’re all featured in this gambling manga as characters playing Riichi Mahjong against each other, with the stake of the world set as a wager. In this unusual and volatile world, politics and diplomacy are settled without wars or intimidation; instead: mahjong battles set the score.
+Volumes: 16
+Chapters: 144
+Published: 2006 to 2015
+Genres: Comedy - Drama - Strategy Game
+Authors: Oowada Hideki [Story & Art]
+Serialization/Other work: Kindai Mahjong
5.One out
Centering around the game of Baseball, this manga might not seem like a survival game type at first hand, but it is one of the most ingenious works on this list. One Out is the name given to a simplified version of Baseball, which consists of a duel between a batter and pitcher. The game does not depend on the physical abilities of its partakers. Instead, it heavily relies on playing mind games and deciphering your opponent's psychology to be able to read his next move and fake your own. The story follows Toua Tokuchi, an expert gambler with an unbreakable record of 499 wins to 0 losses. One day, he meets Hiromichi Kojima, a professional batter who dreams of taking his home team - the weakest baseball team in all of Japan- to the championships. As he duels with Tokuchi, he becomes convinced that this master gambling manipulator might hold the keys to his success.
+Volumes: 20
+Chapters: 175
+Published: 1998 to 2006
+Genres: Psychological - Sports
+Authors: Kaitani, Shinobu [Story&Art]
+Serialization/Other work: Business Jump
6.Seikimatsu Bakurouden Saga
世紀末博狼伝サガ - Legend of the End-of-Century Gambling Wolf Saga
Imagine the most stereotypical alpha-male gambler you can wrap your neurons around, and you’ll get Saga, a tall, muscular young man whose entire bodily system radiates with one primal function: to gamble. For him, gambling isn’t about money, sex, or power, it is akin to breathing, and a life without the rush and adrenaline of the game is not worth living. This manga follows him and Matsuoka Junichi, a recent college graduate enamored by Saga’s life, as they go through the highs and lows of fame, fortune, poverty, and disgrace.
+Volumes: 9
+Chapters: 72
+Published: 1995 to 1998
+Genres: Psychological
+Authors: Miyashita Akira [Story&Art]
+Serialization/Other works: Super Jump
7.Tetsuya: Jansei to Yobareta Otoko
哲也 ―雀聖と呼ばれた男― - Legendary Gambler Tetsuya
This story takes place in 1947 Japan, a postwar country undergoing political and economic turmoil. In this country - where many Japanese are unable to buy food or necessities - we find our main character: Tetsuya, a young man who decides to turn to Gambling to survive. As he spends his time at Mahjong parlors, he continuously whips the floor clean with his adversaries, but one day, he meets a man that destroys him, setting a fire in his body that he never felt before.
+Volumes: 41
+Chapters: 339
+Published: 1997 to 2004
+Genres: Dram - Historical - Strategy Game
+Creator: Sai Fuumei [Story] Hoshino Yasushi [Art]
+Serialization/Other works: Shounen Magazine (Weekly)
8.TOBAKU HAKAIROKU KAIJI
賭博破戒録カイジ - Gambling Heathen Kaiji
Jobless loiterer Kaiji Itou finds himself being tricked by an ex-co-worker and becomes responsible for paying back almost 4 million yen of debt. Shortly after, he mysteriously gets offered a place to participate in an illegal gambling tournament aboard a luxurious cruise ship. Kaiji eventually realizes the consequences of each gamble as lives are put at stake rather than money. This manga’s primary focus on deceit, mind games, and manipulation, as well as its exploration of themes of wealth and poverty, makes it the perfect read if you’re looking for a terrifying portrayal of the human survival instinct of a highly intelligent yet flawed character.
+Volumes: 13
+Chapters: 134
+Published: 2000 to 2004
+Genres: Drama - Psychology
+Authors: Fukumoto Nobuyuki [Story&Art]
+Serialization/Other works: Young Sunday (Weekly)
9.Liar Game
One day, a mysterious package appears at the doorsteps of Nao Kanzaki's home. Opening it, she finds one hundred million yen and an invitation to participate in the ''Liar Game'': an enigmatic series of competitions that focuses on contestants' ability to manipulate and deceive their opponents. Each game's prize constitutes an enormous sum of money, but losing is synonymous with insurmountable debt. Being a sincere and naive individual, Nao enlists the help of Shinichi Akiyama, a former psychology student and famous con artist whose last job bankrupted an entire company. The odd pair sets forth to participate in the games that seem only to have one rule: physical violence is illegal, but mental 'violence' is more than welcomed. Liar Game is an introspection on the human condition, incorporating real-life situations into perfectly crafted game formats.
+Volume: 19
+Chapters: 203
+Published: 2005 to 2015
+Genres: Psychological - Drama
+Authors: Kaitani Shinobu [Art&tory]
+Serialization/Other work: Young Jump
10.Gin to kin
銀と金 - Silver and Gold
Gin to Kin is a captivating story taking place in the ‘back world,’ a hidden part of society where psychological and physical crimes are a daily occurrence and survival of the fittest takes on new and more intense meanings. It is that society that Morita Tetsuo seeps into when he joins Hirai Ginji, a mysterious man known as the ‘Silver King.’ As Morita begins to work for Gin, he discovers a side of his character that laid dormant in civil society: a savage and manipulative gangster with a taste for gambling, politics, and action.
+Volumes: 11
+Chapters: 108
+Published: 1992 to 1996
+Genres: Drama - High Stakes Game - Strategy Game
+Authors: Fukumoto Nobuyuki [Art&Story]
+Serialization/Other works: None.
11.USOGUI
嘘喰い
The world of Usogui is one where gambling has transcended all of its known limits and is so entrenched in the way society works that some people go as far as to bet their own lives or that of the people they own as ante. To create a semblance of stability in the violence that often ensues, organizations of referees have risen to ensure that gambling participants respect the rules they set. The most powerful organization is known as ''Kakerou'' and has quickly overtaken the world. For them, as long as the rules are not directly broken, anything goes, including the incorporation of martial arts and torture into a game. The manga follows Baku Madarame, known as 'The Lie Eater,' an insane and psychotic madman who repeatedly puts his life on the line of his gambles and is determined to overtake Kakerou and become its chairman.
+Volumes: 49
+Chapters: 541
+Published: 2006 to 2017
+Genres: Psychological
+Authors: Sako, Toshio [Story&Art]
+Serialization/Other work: Young Jump
12.Tobaku Haouden Zero
賭博覇王伝 零 - Gambling Emperor Legend Zero
Zero Ukai, a boy who causes a stir as a so-called "Robin Hood" of society, is invited along with his friends to the Dream Kingdom, a part-gambling part-amusement park under construction by the wealthy Muryō Zaizen. Zero and the others are brought together because Zaizen is searching for a "king," in other words, his rep player, and he puts all his money on the line to succeed in that search, with the reward equaling no less than 100 billion yen. To save all the victims of the bank transfer scam with the prize money, Zero takes on the challenge to become the king, but the games are nothing short of the ultimate gambles of life, mind, and body.
+Volumes: 8
+Chapters: 70
+Published: 2007 to 2008
+Genres: Drama - Mystery - High Stakes Game - Strategy Game
+Authors: Fukumoto Nobuyuki [Art&Story]
+Serialization/Other work: Shounen Magazine (Weekly)
13.Gamble Fish
Although I mentioned a few political figures in one of the previous gambling mangas, I left out Obama, who conveniently appears in Gamble Fish. The story is set at Shishidou - a school attended by the rich and elite - and begins as a new transfer student from a public school shows up. Tom Shirasagi, a high-stakes gambler, has come to this new establishment with one goal: annihilating its foundation, teachers, and students through a series of gambling matches. One of the things that sets this manga apart is the tricks used during the matches: they can all be used in real life, albeit requiring a certain level of skill and luck.
+Volumes: 19
+Chapters: 168
+Published: 2007 to 2010
+Genres: Mystery - Ecchi - Harem - High Stakes Game - Psychological - School - Strategy Game
+Authors: Aoyama Hiromi [Story] Yamane Kazutoshi [Art]
+Serialization/Other work: Shounen Champion (Weekly)
14.ACMA: GAME
Akuma Game
Although he's still a high school student, Teruaki Oda has already gone through his fair share of life experiences: due to his parent's accidental death, he took over his family company, one of Japan's leading conglomerates. Thanks to his high intelligence and extraordinary motor skills, he was able to serve as chairman while maintaining near-perfect scores in national mock exams (You get the point, this gambling manga has an overpowered MC, and the events that unfold are ridiculously intense to counterbalance that trait). One day, the son of a mafia boss shows up at his office and activates the Akuma Game, a mysterious series of psychological and gambling contests whose winner will get the power to manipulate the political and economic world of Japan.
+Volumes: 22
+Chapters: 198
+Published: 2013 to 2017
+Genres: Action - Supernatural - Psychological - School
+Authors: Meeb [Story] Megumi Kouji [Story]
+Serialization/Other work: Shounen Magazine (Weekly)
15.The World Is Money and Power
세상은 돈과 권력
I don’t usually include manhwas in my manga recommendation lists, but this one was too good not to mention. It combines many different elements from some of the best gambling mangas: a school system like that of Kakegurui, the high-stakes intensity of Kaiji, and the brutality and violence of Usogui. This one is full of areas as morally grey as my grandmother’s hair. The story centers around Gunwoo Dahn, an enigmatic high schooler who, after transferring schools, immediately dives into the established system of gambling, political alliances, and high corruption centered around money and power.
+Chapters: +195
+Published: 2018 to Present
+Genres: Supernatural - Suspense - Strategy Game
+Authors: Han Dongwoo [Story] Lee Dohee [Art]
+Serialization/Other work: Naver Webtoon
