MiniTheatre

After graduating from high school, Ito Kaiji moves to Tokyo to get a job, but he fails to find steady employment because the country is mired in its first recession since World War II. Depressed, he festers in his apartment, biding the time with cheap pranks, gambles, liquor and cigarettes. Kaiji is always thinking about money and his perpetual poverty frequently brings him to tears.

Kaiji's unrelenting misery continues for two years until he is paid an unexpected visit from a man named Endo, who wants to collect an outstanding debt owed to him in Kaiji's name. Endo gives Kaiji two options - either spend ten years to repay this outstanding debt, or board the gambling ship Espoir ("hope" in French) for one night to clear the debt. Using a con, Endo pressures Kaiji into accepting the deal, believing he will never come back from the voyage.

The manga is divided into four parts:
Part 1: Volume 1-13 (Complete) Tobaku Mokushiroku Kaiji
Part 2: Volume 14-26 (Complete in their country) Tobaku Hakairoku Kaiji
Part 3: Volume 27-39 (Complete in their country) Tobaku Datenroku Kaiji
Part 4: Volume 40-? (Ongoing) Tobaku Mokushiroku Kaiji: Kazuya-hen

Just to make things easier even though the parts are classified under different names they will all be found here. For those that have watched the anime the manga volumes 14 and following take place after it. Also Part 2 was just finished being scanlated in May of 2010, so look forward to releases soon hopefully :)