| Director | Choi Dong-hun |
|---|---|
| Genre | drama film |
| Runtime | 139 min |
| Country | South Korea |
| Budget | $5.5 million |
| Box office | $39.2 million |
In 1994, Goni (original name Kim Gon), a recent university graduate, has lost his entire savings, and money stolen from his family (his older sister), after being swindled by professional cheating gamblers (Park Moo Sik and Kwak Cheol Yong). In order to regain the money, from 1994 to 1995, Goni begins training in the art of trickery under one of the best gamblers in the country, Mr. Pyeong (also translated as Officer Pyeong). He is the top three gamblers, along with Agui of Jeolla Province and JJakgwi (One ear of Gyeongsang Province). He becomes well-known, traveling to different gambling places throughout the country with Pyeong.
Madam Jeong, who runs an illegal gambling operation and plays the role of the architect of setting the plot in their gambling fraud schemes, begins to show interest in Goni. Over some philosophical differences in the art of gambling, Goni leaves Pyeong and begins working for Jeong, whom he also has a love tryst with. A concerned Pyeong tries to encourage Goni to leave the gambling scene by cutting his finger, but while Goni tries to cut fingers, he accidentally meets Agui, who is known to kill his opponents after a gambling match with him.
Goni receives a call that Mr. Pyeong was found dead with his wrist sliced off (initially implied to be a result of losing the match against Agui, as Agui murders his opponent). An angry Goni, seeking revenge, prepares to have a proper match with Agui. While he is playing another match that leads to the arrest of Madam Jeong, he meets another cardsharp, Ko Gwang Ryol, who joins the dream team to help Goni win his match with Agui. Goni meets JJakgwi, from whom he learns the art of lying. Goni also develops a relationship with Hwa-ran, and delivers money to his family. Before he meets Agui, he tries to beat Kwak Cheol-yong at his own game. He is later caught, but Goni murders Kwak Cheol-yong's squad in an impromptu car accident.
Meanwhile, Raccoon finds that Madam Jeong is the real murderer of Mr Pyeong; she had her bodyguard kill him. Ko Gwang Ryeol plays against Agui and gets hurt. Goni finally gets a match with Agui, with Madam Jeong helping Goni, and leads to Agui losing the bet. However, as the game progresses it is revealed Goni has suspected Madam Jeong, and makes Agui and Madam Jeong lose everything they have. After a fight on a train, Goni mysteriously disappears. Goni, hiding his previous life, becomes involved in another form of gambling.