Kaiji is a heavy gambler that lives in poverty. One day, he meets a loan shark named Yūji Endō, who tells Kaiji that he owes ¥3,850,000 (around $37,500) for co-signing a loan with a former coworker that has disappeared. Endō gives Kaiji the option to try to earn all the money quickly, by participating in an unknown gambling event on a ship called Espoir, which Kaiji agrees to.
