Plot
Do Il-chul, a civil service exam student, is more interested in gambling than studying. At a poker hall, he meets a mysterious woman named Madonna, who dismisses his dreams of becoming a professional gambler. Il-chul insists he is a rising tazza (master gambler), but she abruptly leaves. Later, he spots her in a car that damages his bicycle. Il-chul challenges the car owner to a high-stakes poker match for compensation but loses badly and falls deep into debt.
When Il-chul is cornered by loan sharks, a mysterious gambler named "One-Eyed Jack" steps in and pays off his debt, claiming he owed a favor to Il-chul's late father, Jjak-gwi. Desperate to become a true tazza, Il-chul convinces Jack to take him in, on the condition that he can win at roulette. After succeeding, Il-chul joins Jack's team of gamblers, including Young-mi, Kka-chi, and Mr. Kwon, to scam a wealthy man known as Mool.
Things go awry when Il-chul encounters Madonna again, now linked to Mool. She claims her husband is dead and she has invested everything with Mool. Il-chul warns her to withdraw her money, and they share a passionate night together, but it is a trap. Il-chul is beaten by Mool's men, and the entire crew is in danger. Kka-chi sacrifices himself to help Young-mi and Mr. Kwon escape.
Jack saves Il-chul and confesses he once betrayed Jjak-gwi, Il-chul's father. Jack later confronts Mool's hired card shark, Ma-gwi, and loses his life. Traumatized and alone, Il-chul becomes a drifting gambler until a maimed Kka-chi reappears and tells him of Jack's death. Il-chul vows revenge and challenges Ma-gwi to a final game. Madonna, now revealed to have been colluding with Ma-gwi and Mool, tries to strike a deal with Il-chul, only to find she has already been outmaneuvered.
During the match, Ma-gwi falls into Il-chul's trap and loses. Realizing too late that Madonna betrayed him, Ma-gwi is dragged to a fish farm. Madonna, fueled by revenge for her brother's murder, severs his arm and watches him drown. Though she gains nothing materially, she finds closure and walks away.
Il-chul splits the winnings as promised with Mool, but Mool attempts to kill him to keep the money. However, Il-chul had anticipated the betrayal and bribed Mool's driver, who turns on Mool and kills him. When Il-chul offers the driver more money, he declines, saying a true gambler knows when to walk away.
Il-chul shares his winnings with his old teammates and returns to studying. He passes the civil service exam and becomes a government employee. In the post-credits scene, he is pulled into another poker game by his colleagues, unable to quit gambling for good.
