Eighth episode

Andou's descent into greedy madness. Understandably, Kaiji is none too pleased with this grotesque change.

The eighth episode is so packed full of memorable moments that it becomes an exercise in futility trying to
describe them through a review drawn up by a simple mortal person. 

So you're talking back at me?

How to tame people with itchy fingers.

Andou backstabs the group for a second time.

Somehow, I can commiserate deeply with anyone bounding around for joy

With a heart full of the hatred which drove Kaiji's decision to step up and let everyone know that he was in possession of a buttload of cards, Kaiji exposes Funai's true intentions. That is, after Funai publicly dressed down a man nicknamed "four eyes" for listening to Kaiji's request to play. Turns out Funai had rigged the whole reshuffling act and was biding his time to gather even more stars. First he put a mark on scissors cards before handing them back to their rightful owner. Of course, he just gave scissors to people who had one card left, so Funai had booked himself a string of guaranteed wins. All he had to do is collect the spoils of his cunning sleight of hand. Lucky for the honest folks (if there was any) that Kaiji was quick enough to realise his rival's bamboozling move and point out to everyone that the reshuffling was a ruse for Funai to use up his remaining rocks by picking off opponents with one card left: invariably,a scissors card. Funai is unable to play anyone now out of distrust, so Kaiji demands they play one final death match with 5 stars at stake. Both Kaiji and Funai know who is to win since Funai had one rock remaining and Kaiji has all of the other cards which are still playable. Funai is reluctant to play (who wouldn't) and recalls that there is someone hiding somewhere, with three scissors cards, according to the scoreboard. He even wrenches out one of his own star pendant and offer to give it away if this certain someone was to show up and fight his remaining cards off with Funai. However, Kaiji is not in the least afraid of raining down on a despicable foe's parade and assures him that his attempts will bear no fruit as there was an earlier incident in which one of the black suits warned everyone of someone who tried to flush his remaining cards down a toilet. Since they weren't doffed the usual way, they didn't get tallied on the scoreboard's system.

The scene of this picture is both haunting and heart wrenching

Proper disposal of personal attire

A very few moments more and Funai slowly ambles forth to take on Kaiji's challenge. Turns out Kaiji made up his mind about being sent off to the dreaded other room for having an even number of cards. His group will hold an odd number of cards after they play Funai, so they can't finish their remaining cards off by playing themselves. Kaiji, as usual, offers to be sacrificed for the sake of his "friends". Yet, he places an astoundingly simple quest on their whiny shoulders before heading off to the gloomy compartment: they are supposed to use three star pendants to free him (they have 10 now). Simple as it seems, something happens to render the ties of true friendship asunder...