Tobaku Hakairoku Kaiji

Ne'er-do-well Kaiji Itou's shiftless existence is suddenly rattled by a visit from the yakuza. Burdened by debt and resentment, Kaiji is coerced into gambling for his worthless life. As the stakes grow higher and the rules become increasingly more bizarre, Kaiji must finally take the future into his own hands! (Source: Denpa) Note: Won the 22nd Kodansha Manga Award for general manga in 1998.

Itou Kaiji, now free of debt but without a penny is leeching himself in Mr.Sakazaki's new house, despite all the flirtings (extreme torment for Kaiji) from Sakazaki's daughter, Mikoko. Sakazaki attempts to kick Kaiji out, even by offering a farewell 'we never knew each other' money of 3000000 yen. While Kaiji ponders himself on the decision, he is visited by Miyoshi and Maeda, two of his 'allies' he had saved from the last part of the series.

Ootsuki, the foreman of the underground debt-slave labor camp, is finally using his one-day vacation above ground. The blacksuits of the Teiai Corporation follow him to make sure he doesn't escape, but are constantly baffled by the completely mundane ways he decides to use his time.

Ichijou Seiya is a young prodigy who is the manager of the Teiai underground casino and the creator of the diabolical pachinko machine "The Bog." Before his fight to the death with his nemesis, Itou Kaiji, he had a youthful period when he was still smoldering and unable to make anything of himself. The story is set in Ooyama, Itabashi, Tokyo, a "bog" that has swallowed up the dreams, hopes, and despairs of young people, and is about the ambitions and difficulties of freelancer Ichijou and his younger colleague Murakami who move into the capital and live in a tiny apartment.