Line #86 Main/TheGambler


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4	%% This list of examples has been alphabetized. Please add your example in the proper place. Thanks!
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12	[[quoteright:350:[[VideoGame/{{Cuphead}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/xbox_clip_11_screenshot_2017_10_03_01_22_47.jpeg]]]]
13	[[caption-width-right:350:''"I never play nice, I'm the Devil's right-hand man!"'']]
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18	->''"You can think. Cards can't. They just lie there. You gotta make them work for you."''
19	-->-- '''Mr. Burt''', ''Series/TheXFiles'', "[[Recap/TheXFilesS09E13Improbable Improbable]]"
20
21	The gambler follows a [[PlayingCardMotifs card]] (or MediaNotes/{{dice}}) theme, uses [[DeathDealer cards]], dice, darts, [[HeadsOrTails coins]] and gambling implements as weapons, and is very well-versed in TabletopGame/{{blackjack}}, TabletopGame/{{poker}}, craps, slots, and all sorts of casino games. They rely much more on luck and cunning than on skill or outright power, and very seldom take it too hard on the occasions they lose, usually due to believing it was due to chance.
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23	They tend to be slick, either elegant or gaudy, just like professional card players from the past, and are more towards lean and nimble than strong and resistant. One would be hard-pressed to find a particularly slow-witted person, or a grunt, in the position of the Gambler.
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25	The entire theme around the gambler makes him usually either an AntiHero or an AntiVillain, due to a view that they usually revere luck and chance over pledged allegiances, and that they will usually be too chaotic to be too specifically good or evil, with [[ComicBook/{{Batman}} the Joker]] being a rather brutal exception to this rule. This trope is almost entirely populated by men, and it has been increasingly common as time goes by. See also: DeathDealer (using playing cards as weapons), as well as BornLucky and WindsOfDestinyChange (when the character has actual powers over luck).
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27	In a video game, expect their skill sets to revolve around GameplayRandomization even more than other characters, e.g. having {{Randomized Damage Attack}}s as part of their "luck" gimmick.
28
29	For ''actual'' gamblers, see TheGamblingAddict or ProfessionalGambler.
30
31	----
32	!!Examples:
33	[[foldercontrol]]
34
35	[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
36	* Rein Sunamoto from ''Anime/BestStudentCouncil'', who serves as a member of the assault squad but fights by throwing playing cards. She once took out a basement full of paparazzi with them.
37	** Also Rein's father, a traveling gambler who abandoned Rein at a young age, and who uses playing card sleight-of-hand to talk a troubled mother out of making the same mistake he did.
38	* Weaponized by David Swallow in ''Manga/BlackClover''. He uses Dice Magic, with its power dependent on the number of pips rolled.
39	* Princess Chinchiro of ''Manga/BoboboboBobobo [[TimeSkip Shinsetsu]]'' is a ''very'' rare female example of this trope.
40	* {{Kaitou}} Kid from ''Manga/CaseClosed'' sometimes uses a gun (mostly in his own series, ''Magic Kaitou'') that fires out razor-sharp playing cards. (That said, his day job is a stage magician.)
41	* Allen Walker from ''Manga/DGrayMan'', who was raised to learn how to cheat in most of the perilous situations forced upon him by his master's heavy debts.
42	* Hiruma from ''Manga/Eyeshield21'' is interesting in that he gambles, is very good at gambling, but doesn't rely on luck. Instead, he uses his scary brain to take advantage of any situation. Or he uses his obnoxious personality to goad his opponents into losing. Or he counts cards. As long as there's a 1% chance he can win, he'll play.
43	* Tubalcain Alhambra from ''Anime/{{Hellsing\|Ultimate}}'' OVA and manga is a vampire whose powers revolve around razor-sharp playing cards.
44	* Monaco and Macau from ''Webcomic/HetaliaAxisPowers'', whose descriptions and dialogue frequently allude to gambling. Monaco in particular is often illustrated surrounded by playing cards. Justified, as they're {{Moe Anthropomorphism}}s of places known for their casinos and gambling culture.
45	* [[MonsterClown Hisoka]] in ''Manga/HunterXHunter'' is first seen using playing cards to [[AbsurdlySharpBlade cut people with]]. When he has to go all-out against stronger opponents later in the series, we see him fighting using sleight of hand to trick his opponents.
46	* ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'':
47	** The D'Arby brothers from ''[[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureStardustCrusaders Stardust Crusaders]]'', whose [[FightingSpirit Stand]] powers allow them to take the souls of losers. Interestingly, the two use opposing styles: the elder brother, Daniel J. D'Arby, mostly makes use of cheating to win, and is very good at recognizing attempts by others to cheat as well. Daniel considers cheating to be an integral part of gambling, and that this still results in a perfectly fair game since his opponent (if they were good enough) could also catch ''him'' cheating and/or cheat themselves in a way subtle enough to avoid his detection. He's defeated by Jotaro performing the mother of all bluffs against him (no cheating happening). The younger brother, Terence T. D'Arby, relies more on actual skill at games and is a LivingLieDetector, so bluffing against him is impossible. So Jotaro beats him by cheating at the game and rubbing salt into the wound by saying Daniel would have seen through the cheat easily.
48	** Kaato Higashikata from ''[[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureJoJolion JoJolion]]'', while never shown gambling, has several playing card motifs, such as her outfit having the back of playing cards on it, and her Stand taking the form of a deck of playing cards. [[MeaningfulName Her name even sounds similar to the Japanese pronunciation of the word "card"]].
49	* The Gambling King from ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf''. He even has the same face as one of the king cards. Subverted as the Gambling King is an idiot who can only win against small children and the feeble-minded (i.e., Soun, but also Ranma, who can't keep a poker face to save his life.) Even then, he can only win by cheating, either through time-honored methods like hiding cards up his sleeves, to ceiling-mounted mirrors to spy on his opponent's hand, to ''using a motorized chair'' to drive behind his opponent and spy their cards from up close.
50	* ''Manga/YuGiOh'':
51	** Jonouchi, naturally, uses quite a few cards that depend on chance, his deck having evolved from mostly Warriors with a few dice cards to one fully dependent on the chance-taking. (Although his dependence on it has gotten him in trouble a few times.)
52	** Ryuji Otogi (Duke Devlin in the dub) follows a dice motif and likes to play games that heavily boil down to chance. Jonouchi's Duel Monsters deck gradually accommodated a few chance cards to balance his lack of powerful cards. There were a few times where either luck was not in his favor, or it was to the opponent's benefit.
53	** Yugi's grandfather was also said to be a very lucky gambler when he was young, rarely losing. After winning every game of chance he knew of, he made a bet with himself that if he ever lost one, he'd retire, open a store, and wear overalls for the rest of his life. (At the time the series takes place, he runs a card shop and overalls are his standard attire. One can only assume he eventually lost.) He still made occasional small wagers, like betting his old friend Arthur a chocolate shake that he could find all the cards for the ancient Dragon combo before Arthur could.
54	** One duelist who appeared in the second season of ''Anime/YuGiOhGX'' (who called himself "Boy" in the original, and "Pierre" in the dub) seemed to be so good at gambling that he drew a royal straight flush while playing poker. (In actual poker, the odds against getting that hand are astronomical.) However, in Duel Monsters, he wasn't very lucky at all, needing a card that gave him two chances at a coin toss in order to use any card that depended on chance; when he tried to use his Fairy Box Trap without said card, he blew it.
55	** Charlie [=McCoy=] in ''Anime/YuGiOhZEXAL'' was a duelist with cards that relied heavily on chance (most of them with a one-in-six chance of success), but had a rather unfair advatage: a Number card that gave him supernatural luck. He lost after Yuma discovered the clause that broke the spell it bestowed on him.
56	[[/folder]]
57
58	[[folder:Comic Books]]
59	* ''ComicBook/OneHundredBullets'' has an entire story arc is devoted to a dice throwing conman named Chucky.
60	* The Joker, from ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'', downplays this trope quite a bit in that he usually only dresses like a joker, and in that he's a sociopath. He ''does'' use the occasional playing card gimmick, however.
61	** While we're on Batman, there's Two-Face, who does everything based on a coin flip. Also evil, though he is prone to [[FaceHeelTurn flip]] [[HeelFaceTurn back and forth at times]] considering his core gimmick and {{woobie}} backstory.
62	* ''ComicBook/TheFlash'': Double Down, a hard luck ProfessionalGambler who was cursed. Now he can turn his skin into [[DeathDealer razor sharp, magic playing cards]], and speaks in gambling metaphors and puns.
63	* The aptly named ComicBook/{{Gambit}}, from ''ComicBook/XMen'', energizes playing cards to explode on impact and tosses them with precision at his targets. He ''could'' use ''anything'' if he felt like it (various incarnations have used chains, billiard balls, and ''an overturned bus''), but playing cards are both convenient and stylish. The explosion is proportional to the size of the object, so cards, poker chips and other thematic objects are consistent and controllable.
64	** That, and other adaptations of the character show that his fondness for cards and gambling isn't just for show. He's had both a sleight of hand and a history of indulging in card games on occasions. It all fits with his general risk-taking personality.
65	* ''ComicBook/GreenArrow'': Death Dealer is a mercenary that uses playing cards as his motif and employs these cards as weapons and as trick cards.
66	* ''ComicBook/GreenLantern'': The Gambler is a [[MediaNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks Golden Age]] villain and MasterOfDisguise who gets by mostly on luck. His grandfather was a riverboat gambler and bandit, and the primary inspiration for his villainous turn. He committed suicide after losing at a rigged casino. His grandchildren, the second Gambler and Hazard, follow much the same gimmick, though Hazard has luck ''powers''.
67	* ''ComicBook/JLA1997'':
68	** The Royal Flush Gang has always had a playing card motif, but not so much gambling... Except the ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' version, who first appeared in an episode that took place entirely in Las Vegas. They were also {{Shout Out}}s to the ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans''.
69	** In MediaNotes/{{the Silver Age\|of Comic Books}}, two gambling aliens named Rokk and Sorban force Comicbook/{{Superman}} and ComicBook/TheFlash to race to the edge of the galaxy and back, so they can settle a bet on which one is fastest. To keep things interesting, they imprison the rest of the Franchise/{{Justice League\|of America}}, and promise to destroy the home city of the loser. (It turns out these are actually two of the Flash's arch-enemies, disguised as the aliens--who are back on their home planet betting on volcanic eruptions.)
70	* ''ComicBook/JusticeSocietyOfAmerica'' foe Roulette is a rare female version.
71	* An occasional ComicBook/SpiderMan villain is Nick Powell, aka Chance. A high-demand ProfessionalKiller who has become incredibly wealthy from his career, he not only loves to gamble, but has a unique way of billing his clients. He doesn't charge a fee at all, but rather wagers with a client against his success. To Chance, winning or losing a gamble really means nothing; it's the thrill of the gamble itself that matters.
72	* Villainess Casino from ''ComicBook/TheUltraverse''. Her preferred weapons are [[DeathDealer razor-edged playing cards]].
73	[[/folder]]
74
75	[[folder:Films -- Animated]]
76	* Writer and producer Creator/TimBurton and director Henry Selick's ''WesternAnimation/TheNightmareBeforeChristmas'' has Oogie Boogie, who is shown to base his actions off the roll of a die when torturing his captives. He also has a couple of game-based traps in his dungeon: a giant spinning roulette platform, monolithic cards with swinging swords, one-armed bandits with guns, and the base of spinning propeller blades resembles an 8-ball. Like The Joker, another rare example that manages to be outright evil - he even admits to being ready to cheat in his VillainSong.
77	[[/folder]]
78
79	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
80	* Although the gambler was originally a villainous character in Westerns, ''Film/CaptainThunderbolt'' steals from the rich to feed the poor. He even humiliates the EvilBrit colonialist officials by beating them at cards.
81	* Luo Tian-guang, the protagonist of the martial arts film ''Film/TheCasino'', is a drifter and gambler who stumbled upon the titular casino, that turns out to be owned by Shanghai's most ruthless gang, and after rolling the dice once too many, ends up being knee-deep in a mob war.
82	* Ace, one of the gunfighters in the Quickdraw Tournament in ''Film/TheQuickAndTheDead,'' is this, mixing card motifs, gun tricks, and lots of pompous boasting.
83	[[/folder]]
84
85	[[folder:Literature]]
86	* Le Chiffre from about all versions of ''Literature/CasinoRoyale'' is something of a mathematical genius who uses his smarts to gamble about. It's when this doesn't work out so well for him that Bond steps in to deliver the killing blow.
87	* Matrim Cauthon from ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'', a compulsive gambler so famously known for his [[BornLucky impossible luck]] that when he becomes a general dice are on his standard.
88	** Mat is almost a subversion of this, noting that he's ''so'' supernaturally lucky that games of chance don't really qualify as gambling. He's naturally pretty good, but a side effect of his WeirdnessMagnet trait ramps this up, so much so that none of his friends will play cards or dice with him.
89	* Phileas Fogg from ''Literature/AroundTheWorldInEightyDays'' makes a wager that he can circumnavigate the globe and make it back to London in exactly 80 days with contemporary 1870s modes of travel.
90	[[/folder]]
91
92	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
93	* ''Series/SneakyPete'': Marius and, to a lesser extent, Eddie, are gamblers.
94	** Marius plans on running away at the very last minute to Pete's Aunt's place and pretending to be Pete. There are many hitches associated with this plan and Marius works with what he has and deals with problems as they arise. The whole thing was a huge gamble but it did pay off in the end.
95	* ''Series/TheTwilightZone1959'': Steinhart from "[[Recap/TheTwilightZone1959S3E7TheGrave The Grave]]". When he joins Johnny Robb in betting that Conny won't visit the grave, he describes gambling as his business. He seems to be good at it, as Mothershed says that the reason he can't bet either way is because Steinhart won too much of his money in a card game before Conny arrived.
96	[[/folder]]
97
98	[[folder:Music]]
99	* Music/{{Gorillaz}}: "Sweepstakes" turns BigBad Sun Moon Stars into a villainous gambler, playing with the lives of the people who make bets with him.
100	%%* In Hitsoshizuku's song ''Ikasama [[LuckyCharmsTitle <=>]] Casino'', [[Music/{{Vocaloid}} Rin and Len]] are both this.
101	%%* ''Music/HypnosisMic'': Dice Arisugawa.
102	%%* [[Music/KennyRogers You got to know]] [[KnowWhenToFoldEm when to hold 'em...]]
103	[[/folder]]
104
105	[[folder:Professional Wrestling]]
106	* Wrestling/{{WCW}} had [[http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/g/gambler.html The Gambler]], a generic-looking wrestler whose only references to his alleged gimmick were 1) a satin ring jacket with "The Gambler" embroidered on the back, and 2) playing cards that he flashed at the camera before his matches. In later years he upgraded his ring attire, actually dressing as a riverboat gambler, but his perennial {{jobber}} status kept him from portraying the character with any more depth than that.
107	* Before the Gambler, there was Vinnie Vegas, who wrestled in WCW in 1992, using a finisher called Snake Eyes which Wrestling/TheUndertaker still uses to this day. Vinnie was briefly part of Wrestling/HarleyRace and [[Wrestling/DiamondDallasPage DDP]]'s stables before leaving WCW to become...[[Wrestling/KevinNash Diesel]].
108	[[/folder]]
109
110	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
111	%%* ''TabletopGame/{{Champions}}'': Card Shark, and TabletopGame/{{Blackjack}} from ''European Enemies''.
112	* ''TabletopGame/{{Deadlands}}'': Hucksters are mages who cast spells by playing poker with demons, and most of their spells are card-themed.
113	* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'':
114	** ''[[TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragonsThirdEdition 3rd Edition]]'' has the Fatespinner and Luckstealer {{Prestige Class}}es. Both require training in the Profession (gambler) skill and have class features that revolve around manipulating both the players' and DM's dice rolls (which usually involves increasing/decreasing the difficulty of rolls or simply forcing rerolls).
115	** ''[[TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragonsFifthEdition 5th Edition]]'' has the Wild Card subclass for Rogue, which is centered around gaming sets that grant a Wild Card's Gambit to benefit the Rogue in various ways. The subclass also, at later levels, allows the Rogue to both escape while damaging their enemies within range and swap initiative orders with any one character they can see.
116	* ''TabletopGame/GeistTheSinEaters'': Sin-Eaters of the Forgotten Threshold, having been offered their [[BackFromTheDead Bargain]] on account of their death by random chance, often pick up a gambling motif. That "the {{Curse}}" is one of the common Manifestations available to all Sin-Eaters is just icing on the cake.
117	* ''TabletopGame/KingdomDeath'': An entity by this name serves as the core monster of the People of the Dream Keeper campaign, where the survivors of the settlement are in his service and under his protection. He seems fond of finding ways to cheat the normal flow of the game.
118	* ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'':
119	** Nivi Rhombodazzle is the goddess of gamblers and games of chance, reveling in the thrill of uncertainty in the moment when a wager is made and the dice are cast. Her worship is most common among those for whom chance and uncertainty are major factors in life, and she's worshipped and prayed to through real or symbolic bets and wagers.
120	** The Dealer is a character class by third party publisher Orphaned Bookworm Productions. They use [[DeathDealer combat cards as weapons]]; those are sharpened cards of bone, wood or steel that can be thrown like shuriken. They also get luck points which function similar to the grit of the Gunslinger and Swashbuckler classes. As long as they have luck, they get special abilities and can perform "Gambit" maneuvers in battle.
121	[[/folder]]
122
123	[[folder:Theatre]]
124	* In ''Theatre/TwiceCharmed'', Franco [=DiFortunato=] uses gambling motifs in his wordplay and songs.
125	[[/folder]]
126
127	[[folder:Video Games]]
128	* ''VideoGame/BugFables'' gives us Carmina, a velvet ant ProfessionalGambler who has gambling as her primary motif. Besides her design featuring the PlayingCardMotifs, she also uses [[DeathDealer playing cards]] and dice as a weapon, and she uses a roulette to determine what happens at the start of her turn.
129	* Sneff, from ''VideoGame/ChronoCross'', throws playing cards at his opponents, and two of his moves revolve around playing cards: Big Deal, in which he tosses an entire deck, and HP Shuffle, in which he shuffles the three numbers that make up his HP (091 might become 910, 901, 190, 109, 091 and 019).
130	* King Dice from ''VideoGame/{{Cuphead}}'' is the wicked, [[NonHumanHead die-headed]] manager of the Devil's Casino. Although he works as an enforcer for the Devil, he does enjoy making bets with him. He bets that Cuphead and Mugman won't succeed in getting the soul contracts that the Devil wants, and when they ''do'', he is not happy. He proceeds to fight Cuphead and Mugman, forcing them to play a dice game and fight his QuirkyMinibossSquad of living gambling paraphernalia.
131	* ''VisualNovel/DanganronpaTriggerHappyHavoc'': Celestia Ludenberg got into Hope's Peak as the Ultimate Gambler because, despite being a high-schooler who has to gamble illegally because she's too young for anything legal, has made a name for herself by consistently winning gambling tournaments and cleaning out anyone who challenges her.
132	* Ace Visconti from ''Videogame/DeadByDaylight'' is a [[CoolOldGuy charming old guy with a silver tongue]] who loved to gamble before he was taken by the Entity to it's realm.
133	* Nero from ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry4'' has several moves named after gambling terms (Double Down, Maximum Bet, Roulette Spin, High Roller), so he could technically count. Plus, he's the only one who has to play [[ThatOneLevel that damn dice game]]...
134	* In the {{MMORPG}} ''VideoGame/{{Dofus}}'' and its sequel ''WesternAnimation/{{Wakfu}}'', the Ecaflip class is a based partially around gambling (with attacks that involve throwing cards or rolling dice, and spells that have completely random effects), partially around their [[CatFolk feline nature]]. The class symbol is a single die in Dofus and a pair of dice in Wakfu, and their [[SetBonus special class outfit]] is decorated with playing cards and card suits (including a cape that's just a giant ace of spades). Even their name is the French for "heads or tails" backwards.
135	* In ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'' series' lore, Sai, the DeityOfHumanOrigin God of Luck celebrated in the Iliac Bay region, is associated with gambling. Sai was BornLucky, with the uncanny ability to spread good luck to others but not to himself. After he was killed in battle (while all of his fellow soldiers survived), he was resurrected and granted immortality by Ebonarn, the Iliac Bay WarGod, so that he may continue to spread his good luck and help to balance the world. "Sai's Disease" is essentially gambling addiction. Those afflicted are driven to incessant gambling, seeking proof of Sai's favor.
136	* Setzer, from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'' uses cards, dices, darts and slots in his attacks. His airship is named TabletopGame/{{Blackjack}}. And he joins the party by losing a (rigged) coin toss. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nb2lnpKtl9k#t=2m13s This clip]] shows how badass a Setzer can be: he's a wispy, Silver-Haired {{Bishonen}} that sails his airship at top speed, unfazed by the wind as he stands at the rudder, who ''destroys a heavily-armed gunship'' by tossing a few sharpened cards at it. Ante up, indeed.
137	** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'' has no distinct character classes, but Cait Sith can be considered a Gambler for the fact that his two {{Limit Break}}s are based on rolling dice and spinning a slot machine, respectively.
138	** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'''s Wakka is normally [[FantasyCharacterClasses the ranger of the group,]] being the only character capable of using long-range weapons. His [[LimitBreak Overdrive]], however, involves spinning three reels to give him an attack with an added element or effect.
139	** In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX2'', the Lady Luck Dressphere grants gambling-themed abilities such as BribingYourWayToVictory, magical dice that damage enemies, increasing luck, and even Auto-Abilities that help with grinding. The main gimmick of this Dressphere, however, comes in the form of its [[DeathDealer Reels]]. Depending on the type of Reels used, she can use moves associated with other jobs. Once you've got the timings down, you're just owning things left and right with 7-7-7 being, more often than not, an instant win for battles.
140	*** '''Attack Reels:''' Shin-Zantetsuken is a group-wide OneHitKill, so she will make mincemeat out of any enemy not immune to instant death. Armor Break, Power Break, and Excalibur (which inflicts Holy-elemental damage) are learned by the Warrior, but with Lady Luck, you aren't lumbered with a slow-moving tank.
141	*** '''Magic Reels:''' Casting high-level WhiteMagic (most importantly [[AutoRevive Auto-Life]]) and BlackMagic (that being Flare and Ultima) is just a big "FU" to bosses.
142	*** '''Item Reels:''' She becomes an ItemCaddy for rare items like Dark Matter. Megalixir+ and Mighty Guard+ are superior versions of anything the Alchemist or Gun Mage can muster up.
143	*** '''Random Reels:''' CONGRATS! alone makes using this Reel more than worth it thanks to its ability to automatically end most, if not all, regular encounters on top of free Gil and items.
144	** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXI'' has Corsairs, who are gambler ''{{pirate}}s''. WordOfGod claims that they went this route due to market research revealing that gambling has a negative connotation in the US. Their Phantom Rolls boost specific stats by random amounts, and can be improved through a TabletopGame/{{blackjack}}-like mechanic.
145	** Ace from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyType0'' uses cards as his weapon and most of his abilities involve drawing cards in order to create some sort of effect. He has one ability that randomly allows him to attack, restore HP, or restore MP. He also has four other abilities that increases the likelihood of drawing a certain type of card for attacking, support, HP restore, or MP restore.
146	** The Trickster class in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTacticsA2'', who throw playing cards and use magical chants to, for instance, ''convince'' opponents that they've been poisoned (which is the same as poisoning them). The Tricksters fought in the mission to unlock the job are all dimwitted thugs though.
147	* Joshua in ''VideoGame/FireEmblemTheSacredStones'', though he just has no luck at it. And he's a swordsman, so he doesn't use cards or such.
148	** Although he is a swordsman in a class which specializes in critical hits, aka luck, in terms of actual gameplay mechanics.
149	** Also we don't get to see much of his gambling luck; he knows how to cheat very well, even using normal coins.
150	** In ''Path of Radiance'' is Makalov, whose only interests are gambling and doing as little work as possible.
151	* Johnny from ''VideoGame/GuiltyGear'' is one. He attacks using coins and his Instant Kill move turns the opponent into a Joker card before he slices them in half. Additionally, some of his move names have a gambler motif to them.
152	* ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'' - Luxord, the Gambler of Fate fits this trope to a T. He uses card based attacks, minigames which award currency, and his power to control time to engage Sora in a very unorthodox time-based battle involving timed [[ActionCommands reaction commands]]. He also possesses an advanced vocabulary and a classy British accent, which give him an air of sophistication. If one is skilled enough in his minigames, he can be defeated easily even in his data rematch in the game's remake, as his normal attacks are not much of a threat, and losing the minigames results in ForcedTransformation. Of course, as the minigames in the data rematch can be quite difficult, CuttingTheKnot may be advisable in some cases by just attacking him normally and/or using Reflega when he tries to lure you into a minigame.
153	** The same goes for the [[TheHeartless Nobodies]] under his command - the appropriately named [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Gamblers]]. Gaining victory over them in their minigames causes them to take damage and drop currency and items.
154	** The Juggle Pup Dream Eater in ''VideoGame/KingdomHearts3DDreamDropDistance'' is a lesser example of this, rolling a die for one of their primary attacks, which will then proceed to attack a random target (be it friend or foe) based on which side lands face up.
155	* Oswald of ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters'' uses playing cards to cut his opponents. The names of his special moves are the names of suits and some cards (up to the level of ShapedLikeItself in the official movesets). The name of his Leader Desperation Move is Joker, and one version of his Four Suits DM hits, ideally, 21 times (an important number in TabletopGame/{{blackjack}}, a card game). Furthermore, his color scheme is the one of playing cards: Black suit, red shirt (not [[RedShirt that kind]] of red shirt) and glasses, white hair, and yellow tie for the details in the figure cards.
156	** Just to drive the Gambler point home, he has a move called Ace that could either do very little damage and expose him terribly to his enemies, or done right, end with [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4HQnR5IRg8 these.]]
157	*** This even extends into the game's ''soundtrack'': "Joker" is the New Hero Team's theme (Oswald is on this team, by the by), "Queen" is the Rival Team's Theme, "King" is Adelheid's theme, and "Jack" is used for some sub-bosses.
158	* Twisted Fate of ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends'' is a mage with abilities named after gambling terms, many gambling-related quotes, and throwing cards as his primary weapon. One of his signature abilities is picking between three cycling colored cards to determine his next attack's effect. His ultimate ability shows the opponent's hand, so to speak, by [[DefogOfWar revealing all enemy locations]] and allowing him to teleport a huge distance to either ambush a lone foe or escape from impending danger.
159	* In ''VideoGame/Left4Dead2'', Nick used to do this before the infection hit.
160	* Ronfar from ''VideoGame/LunarEternalBlue'' uses dice and cards in some of his special attacks. Interestingly, he used to be a priest before indulging in games of chance.
161	* ''VideoGame/MegaManXCommandMission'' has Spider, who has the look of a gambler with a "well-dressed card shark" design motif with gloves, folded 'sleeves', tailcoat, and his nice hat. He also uses cards as his weapon, and his LimitBreak requires a combination of luck and knowledge of five-card poker. The better your hand, the better the resulting attack will be. Oddly enough, he is never shown actually gambling, and while he'll make references to his cards, he mercifully spares us from any [[{{Pun}} bad gambling puns]].
162	* The South Korean's head honcho, Agent Mitchell Buford, in the first ''{{VideoGame/Mercenaries}}'' title. The folksy CIA man enjoys spinning Poker metaphors, beginning with the struggle for Kaesong which Buford warns they "can't afford to lose this early in the game." He later takes to calling you the "ace in the hole" and your final assignments the "last hand." This is contrasted with Buford's Chinese foil, Colonel Peng, and his love for [[TheChessmaster chess]] metaphors.
163	* The Gambler class of trainers in ''VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue'' and their [[DubNameChange bowdlerized equivalents in later games]] use effective, inaccurate moves and ActionBomb attacks to fit their signature of relying on luck.
164	* Genjuro Kibagami of the ''VideoGame/SamuraiShodown'' series of fighting games uses gambling as his sole source of income. He is, apparently, an avid player of Hanafuda, and cards from the game figure heavily (though it would seem figuratively, at times) into many of his moves.
165	* One of the three semi-final bosses of ''VideoGame/ShadowTheHedgehog'' is an Eggman robot called the Egg Dealer, which selects its attacks slot-machine style... a fact that can easily be turned against it.
166	** Eggman actually does this a lot. In ''Anime/{{Sonic X}}'', he had all of his robots on cards, which he then stuck into a slot machine to pick which one to use. Also note that every single one was situation appropriate, and this was practically OncePerEpisode.
167	** In ''Knuckles' Chaotix'', Metal Sonic first fights by inserting himself into a large roulette nearby (which is normally used to pick stages to visit next). Four of the five spaces cause weapons to come out and attack the player character if the roulette lands on any of them, with the fifth disabling one of them. You have to disable all four weapons to defeat him.
168	* Tai Ho, member of the 108 stars of destiny in the [[VideoGame/SuikodenI first]] [[VideoGame/SuikodenII two]] ''VideoGame/{{Suikoden}}'' games. An unapologetic DeadpanSnarker, you must prove your luck to him via gambling in order to advance the plot of at least one of the games, and in the second game you must beat him at gambling in order to recruit him.
169	* ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'' has some examples:
170	** [[VideoGame/LuigisMansion King Boo]] seems to have a love of gambling. In his debut in ''VideoGame/LuigisMansion1'' the keys to the various parts of the mansion have playing card suit motifs. Later, in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioSunshine'', he hides in Hotel Delfino's casino, where he battles Mario while holding a water-powered slot machine that can summon enemies, coins, or fruit.
171	** Funnily enough, his worst enemy Luigi seems to have developed this in ''VideoGame/SuperMario64 DS'': the green plumber's ''whole'' mini-game gallery revolves around casino games he organizes ''himself''.
172	* In ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWars'', gambling is a frequent bad habit of [[VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsCompact2 Kyosuke Nanbu]]. He doesn't really use card-based attacks, but his HumongousMecha's strongest attack is called "Trump Card" and his [[CharacterCatchphrase catchphrase]] is ''"[[MillionToOneChance I don't mind betting]] [[ILikeThoseOdds on the tough odds!]]"'' Of course, "the devil's luck" is practically his superpower, and he's frequently [[NoOneCouldSurviveThat seen surviving impossible odds]]. Presumably, {{Fanon}} dictates he doesn't do too badly in poker either.
173	** What's odd about Kyosuke's luck is it's mostly a plot-centered mechanic: it only kicks in during scripted events, and isn't a game mechanic like the "Luck" Spirit Command[[labelnote:]]Doubles money earned for one attack, doesn't really fit this theme[[/labelnote]] or the "Lucky" pilot skill[[labelnote:]]When activated, the character automatically evades or makes a critical hit, regardless of normal chance to hit[[/labelnote]] other characters carry.
174	** Haken Browning from SpinOff ''VideoGame/EndlessFrontier'' makes up for every card and gambling pun Kyosuke didn't get to make. His attacks have names like Texas Hold'em, Five Card Stud and Jackpot, uses exploding cards in some of his attacks and his [[LimitBreak Overdrive]] involves switching his gun to "Klondike Mode". Unlike Kyosuke, however, he apparently cheats: one of his exclusive accessories is called "Loaded Dice". Naturally, after he met him, he plays with Kyosuke from time to time in ''The Moon Dwellers''.
175	* Patty Fleur, of the ''VideoGame/TalesOfVesperia'' [=PS3=] remake, uses many luck based skills and attacks, most notably her [[LimitBreak Mystic Arte]], where you have a chance to heal everyone, max out everybody's Over Limit, or summon [[VideoGame/TalesOfDestiny Barbatos]] to punish allies and enemies on field while also disabling items, amongst many other things. Also notable that it takes on the look of a gigantic roulette table with poker chips all around.
176	* Invoked with Whiskers from ''VideoGame/{{TinkerQuarry}}''. His [[OurSoulsAreDifferent Essence]], Risk, looks like a die.
177	* Before the zombie outbreak hit, Javier Garcia from ''VideoGame/TheWalkingDeadSeasonThree'' was a professional baseball player and [[TheGamblingAddict gambling addict]] whose addiction eventually got him kicked out of the major leagues.
178	[[/folder]]
179
180	[[folder:Webcomics]]
181	* ''{{Webcomic/Homestuck}}'': [[WildCard Vriska Serket]] is an interesting variation on this. She fights with a set of eight [[InfinityPlusOneSword Infinity+1]] TabletopRPG dice, the Fluorite Octet, in keeping with her characterization as a quite ''literal'' KillerGameMaster who loves high risk games of chance. The dice execute [[ConfusionFu a wide range of]] [[WildMagic highly unpredictable attacks]] when rolled. Her dice once belonged to her FamousAncestor, leader of a fleet of pirates known as "Gamblignants", famous for their obsession with pure chance. They eventually died out because they took too many crazy risks. Although in her case, it's not really much of a gamble because [[WindsOfDestinyChange she has all the luck]]. [[MemeticMutation ALL of it]]. She can literally [[LiquidAssets steal luck away from other people]], making bad outcomes happen for them and [[BornLucky good outcomes]] happen for her.
182	[[/folder]]
183
184	[[folder:Web Original]]
185	* On the ''WebVideo/DreamSMP'', Quackity plays into this throughout his "[[TheCasino Las Nevadas]]" arc, being a cunning, manipulative man who takes high risks for high rewards, and is associated with TabletopGame/{{poker}} to boot, though it should also be noted his persona during this arc is at least partially crafted on trauma.
186	* Tetras in ''Webcomic/TheMotleyTwo'' (a fanfic of sorts of ''{{Webcomic/Homestuck}}''), a descendant of ''Homestuck'''s Vriska, as described above. She also uses WildMagic dice as weaponry, though her IMPERIAL DUET has powerful effects with both extremely low and extremely high rolls. Which is good, since she's unlucky and tends to roll low.
187	[[/folder]]
188
189	[[folder:Western Animation]]
190	* On ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'', the Royal Flush gang were a villainous team example who modeled themselves off of playing cards. A different version was featured in a ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' episode.
191	* Toad Liu Hai from ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales2017'' runs a casino named "The House of Lucky Fortune", enjoys making bets, and has a gambling theme in general, [[spoiler: including magic that manifests in the form of play cards, as he is a spirit of chance and fortune that feeds on people's luck]].
192	* In one episode of ''WesternAnimation/JackieChanAdventures'' (specifically, an episode parodying the ''Film/JamesBond'' series), Dr. Necrosis' [[TheDragon Dragon]] had power over playing cards, and always spoke in metaphors and puns related to them. "The deck is stacked in our favor! We have the upper hand!" "Dealer calls a new game!" "I thought he folded..."
193	* The young squirrel in Frank Tashlin's ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' short "Now That Summer Is Gone" does this to his fellow young squirrels, in spite of his father's warnings not to on the threat of corporal punishment. When on his way home from the bank to withdraw some nuts for the winter, the young squirrel is tempted into a game of chance with a stranger only to lose it all to him. When the kid returns home and lays on a huge lie to his dad that he was attacked and robbed, dad reveals that ''he'' was the stranger.
194	** WesternAnimation/BugsBunny can do no wrong at gambling but only using this KarmicTrickster ploy to get even with who wronged him or to deal with malcontents.
195	** No money is exchanged in 1951's "Early to Bet," only a gullible cat's dignity and personal health. The Gambling Bug's bite gets the cat involved in a game of gin rummy with a bulldog, but every time he loses, he has to suffer physical punishments based on where a "penalty wheel" lands.
196	* Ezekial Clench of ''WesternAnimation/SamuraiJack'' was a WildWest style villain with a slight playing card motif; The spurs on his boots were shaped like spades, he had a card in his hat... Oh, and his cybernetic hands, the wrists of which had the playing card suits on them. The hands had a special ability depending on which suit was facing up. He's also a BountyHunter, and on the run from his ex-wife, so luck is a big deal to him.
197	* Poker-Face, from ''WesternAnimation/SilverHawks''. His weapon is a staff that releases a card-suit shaped laser. His eyes are slots that change to match the occasion ($ signs when thinking about money, for instance).
198	[[/folder]]

Context Main / TheGambler