"Do not bet your life if you cannot afford it! Life is a gamble worth risking.
Beware of strangers...!
Goni, who lives a meager life working in a furniture factory, is a passionate young man who prioritizes money to escape poverty over going to college! One day, Goni finds himself involved in a card game organized by Park Mu-seok's group at the furniture factory. A game of 'Seotda' played with twenty cards! However, Goni ends up losing all the money he had saved for three years in that game. Only later does he realize that it was a setup by professional gamblers. Seeking revenge, Goni confronts Park Mu-seok's group and coincidentally meets the legendary gambler, Pyeong Gyeong-jang, in a warehouse where a dispute over gambling arises. Thus begins his journey into the world of professional gambling.
There are no eternal friends, nor eternal enemies...!
Finally stepping onto the path of a gambler, Goni! While traveling with Pyeong Gyeong-jang, he meets the designer Madame Jung in the midst of their journey. They both feel an extraordinary desire for competition and desire from each other. Goni wins big money in the games pre-planned by Madame Jung, ultimately breaking his promise with Pyeong Gyeong-jang. Choosing the glamorous life of gambling with Madame Jung, Goni parts ways with Pyeong Gyeong-jang. However, at a train station bidding farewell to Pyeong Gyeong-jang, he encounters the ruthless and deadly gambler known as Agwi. Subsequently, Goni meets Gogwangryeol, a warm-hearted gambler with a pragmatic mindset, and together, they dominate the gambling world.
Aiming at you, the final gamble risking lives...!
Goni and Gogwangryeol lead their own gambling lives while traveling. During their journey, they coincidentally meet Hwaran, the owner of a tavern. Although they are immediately attracted to each other, love is not easy in the ever-roaming life of a gambler. Meanwhile, Goni seeks out Park Mu-seok and the person controlling him, Gwak Cheol-yong, and finally succeeds in getting his revenge. However, Gwak Cheol-yong seeks help from Agwi for revenge, using Madame Jung as bait to lure Goni and Gogwangryeol into a high-stakes game. Remembering Agwi from the train station, Goni realizes that this is the 'game of death.' Nevertheless, Goni doesn't refuse. Ignoring Gogwangryeol's objections and leaving behind his first dream of a normal life with Hwaran, Goni boards the ship of the death match... A war of flowers with nowhere to retreat..! With each harboring their own grudges, desires, and fleeting hopes, a tangled game begins!"
The movie diverges significantly from the original manga's storyline, setting the backdrop in the 1990s instead of the 1960s and abandoning any plans for subsequent film adaptations. Furthermore, given that card games were transitioning from traditional Korean cards to trump cards during that period, it feels odd for everyone to be fixated solely on traditional card games. Despite the popularity of 'Seotda,' which prevailed until the 1990s and was associated with gambling issues, it's somewhat unrealistic to see it as the primary game.
The setting seems intentionally chosen by the director, portraying a dry and bleak atmosphere typical of the early to mid-1990s, devoid of the cleanliness of the 2000s or the rustic romance of the 1960s. Madame Jung's narration implies Goni's growth under Pyeong Gyeong-jang's tutelage while mentioning significant incidents of the 1990s.
Unlike the original manga, which spans several years and depicts Goni's growth through various independent events, the film compresses the timeline. From the initial incident at the furniture factory to training under Pyeong Gyeong-jang, partnering with Madame Jung, and later with Gogwangryeol, all events occur within a two-year period from 1994 to 1996. The confrontations with Gwak Cheol-yong span approximately two weeks after Gogwangryeol's death, followed by the final showdown with Agwi after Goni regains the use of his right arm.
Excluding the scene at the overseas gambling den in the latter part of the film, the events depicted occur within a span of just over two years. Within this time frame, Goni spends over a year and a half with Pyeong Gyeong-jang, while his relationships with Madame Jung, Gogwangryeol, etc., last less than six months. Consequently, less critical events and characters are omitted or condensed. Despite being the shortest part in the original manga, it's further condensed in the film.
While the original manga adopts an open narrative style, following Goni's journey linearly with intermittent appearances of new events or characters, the film takes on a closed narrative style, where Madame Jung, Chilseongpa, and Agwi are all somehow interconnected. This narrative style suits a standalone film better than the serialized format of a manga.
Deleted scenes were included in three possible endings. Two of them involve Goni fighting with Yongha and ultimately falling to his death while hanging onto a train handle, and the other depicts him escaping overseas and continuing his gambling endeavors. However, the protagonist's death at that time wasn't received favorably, and the scene where he doesn't quit gambling deviates significantly from the original work, leading to the adoption of the current ending.
The hand techniques showcased in the film were learned directly from Jang Byeong-yun, a former professional gambler, by the actors. During his heyday, Jang had won over 1 billion won in a single day. He now lives a quiet life in his hometown, running a farm and a duck restaurant. According to reports, actor Cho Seung-woo, who played Goni, struggled the most to learn the techniques, while director Choi Dong-hoon excelled, particularly in sleight of hand. Jang Byeong-yun has appeared on various television programs, showcasing his skills, but has faced difficulties as gambling addicts sought him out for lessons after seeing him on TV. A documentary featuring Jang as the protagonist has aired, highlighting his impressive abilities even though he has long retired from gambling.
Contrary to expectations, it was director Choi Dong-hoon who best replicated the techniques, with actor Cho Seung-woo struggling to mimic them, leading to the director personally handling Cho's hand double. The scene where Goni practices sleight of hand under Pyeong Gyeong-jang's tutelage is performed by Choi Dong-hoon himself. One can observe the sudden aging and roughness of Cho Seung-woo's hands. The scene where Cho Seung-woo himself performs sleight of hand is during the scene at the bar after the Ulsijang expedition, where the sleight of hand appears much less natural than the practice at home.
The famous line, "I'm a woman who attended Ewha Women's University," attributed to Madame Jung, is believed by many to be Kim Hye-soo's ad-lib, but it's actually a scripted line. Kim Hye-soo responded to a friend's question about whether Madame Jung actually attended Ewha, stating it was a lie representing Madame Jung's desires. However, when she asked the director directly, Choi Dong-hoon replied that while Madame Jung did attend Ewha, she didn't graduate, which surprised Kim Hye-soo. Nevertheless, Choi Dong-hoon added that if Kim Hye-soo interpreted it that way, then that's Madame Jung.
Lee Su-kyung, who played Hwaryeon, underwent actual beauty school training for the scene where she cuts Goni's hair. Interestingly, the woman complaining to Hwaryeon in the salon is not just an extra passing by but actually the wife of Jjakgui, although this is not mentioned in the story. She appears in the ending credits under the role of Jjakgui's wife (Nam Hyun-joo).
Baek Yoon-sik's son, Baek Do-bin, appeared as Yongha, adding to the family connection in the film. However, there's no interaction between them in the film, and both meet their demise by falling off the train in the end.
Choi Dong-hoon suggested to Baek Do-bin that to portray Yongha's sharp and ruthless image, he could get tattoos of dragons or snakes, but Baek Do-bin opted for a Medusa tattoo instead. Considering that all of Yongha's outfits in the film feature the Medusa logo, it's likely an intentional choice.
The Smith & Wesson .38 caliber revolver that Ohjanggun puts up as collateral is the same gun that Pyeong Gyeong-jang retrieves after Ohjanggun drops it just before Agwi's hand is crushed. Pyeong Gyeong-jang makes a gesture implying "you're dead meat," but Madame Jung's reaction is indifferent, indicating the tension between them. This item serves to highlight the crucial difference between Pyeong Gyeong-jang and Madame Jung; despite Pyeong Gyeong-jang's expertise, he always takes only half the winnings and avoids escalating the game unnecessarily, living modestly even with his national reputation as a top-tier gambler. Pyeong Gyeong-jang never insists on showdowns with opponents, demonstrating his carefree and non-risky lifestyle. Meanwhile, Madame Jung values money above all else, and when even Goni, whom she valued highly, chooses to leave with half the winnings, she appears almost delirious when her money is burned. Goni's departure with the money he took is a clear indication of his intention to part ways with Madame Jung, while Madame Jung's confrontation with a gun symbolizes her becoming a slave to money, losing her rationality in the process.
When Goni hands the money to Neoguri and watches it all fly away from the train, he suddenly seems lost in thought, then smiles brightly as if having an epiphany, letting go of the money. This scene suggests that he's released his attachment to money and gambling.
The scene where Goni burns Madame Jung's money was not originally planned but was improvised on the spot by Choi Dong-hoon. While Kim Hye-soo readily agreed when asked, the problem arose when the clothes used to extinguish the fire turned out to be very expensive sponsored garments from a famous designer. At 18 minutes and 47 seconds. Eventually, when the clothes caught fire, the staff became nervous, but Kim Hye-soo quickly bought new clothes on the spot to cover it up.
The scene where Jo Seung-woo wears sunglasses and exhales cigarette smoke while portraying a transformed Goni earned praise from most of the main cast. Choi Dong-hoon was satisfied with how he portrayed the changed Goni in a single shot, especially impressed by Kim Hye-soo, who marveled at Jo Seung-woo's restraint in portraying the character despite many scenes attempting to glorify Goni.