Never Bet Your Life

Ashita ni kakeru gyanbura (明日に賭けるギャンブラー) is the 151st chapter of the manga and the second chapter of the Gambler King Arc.

Synopsis
Akane goes over to Ukyo's to give Ranma a change of clothes. She sees Ukyo helping Ranma with some gambling training. Ranma hopes to beat the King at his own game and win back the dojo. As night turns into day Ranma realizes just how bad he is at cards.

Plot Overview
Having overheard Ukyo's invitation to Ranma to stay at Okonomiyaki Ucchan's until the issue with the Gambling King is settled, Akane decides to head back home. Once there, as Nabiki and Kasumi discuss Ranma betting away the dojo, Akane wonders just what Ranma and Ukyo are thinking with wanting to spend the night together, even if they are old childhood friends.

At that moment Nabiki breaks Akane's concentration by suggesting that Ranma might just switch to having Ukyo as his fiancé, with Kasumi adding that Ranma does love to eat so having a fiancé who's a cook would make sense. Continuing, Kasumi gives Akane a pile of clothes that she wants delivered to Ranma since he may be staying there a while.

Reluctantly, Akane heads out again to make the errand, all the time thinking how much better things were before Ranma came along. When she arrives at Ucchan's, however, Akane notices a closed sign on the door, but finds the door still open so makes her way up to Ukyo's room. As Akane climbs that stairs she hears Ukyo's voice telling Ranma to make a choice, whilst Ranma's voice retorts that he doesn't know which one to give up. Hearing this Akane wastes no time in sneaking up to the door to so more eavesdropping, where she soon decides that Ranma and Ukyo must be talking about who Ranma's going to marry. Just then Ranma declares he wants the one "right here", causing the infurriated Akane to storm through the door; only to find Ranma and Ukyo were playing the whole time.

After calming herself down, Akane learns that Ranma is having "gambling training" since this way he can win back the Dojo the same way he lost it, through gambling. Hearing this Akane joins in helping Ranma with his training, unfortunately, despite practicing all night Ranma finds himself no better at gambling than when he started.

Elsewhere, Genma (in his panda form) busily hands out flyers advertising a new casino, Casino King, located at the former Tendo Dojo. As the Gambling King defeats another child, Kasumi questions Nabiki why she's inside the casino, to which Nabiki reveals that she's doing her new part time job.

Suddenly, Soun enters and challenges the Gambling King, wagering the Tendo family living room in exchange for the Dojo. Following Soun's swift defeat, Ranma arrives with Akane to show the King the fruits of his training. Yet again, however, Ranma loses (forfeiting the Tendo's front porch), prompting Soun to send him flying through the roof in anger.

Infuriated, Soun begins gambling almost every room of the Tendo household, but loses each one-by-one. After having her own room gambled away, Nabiki intervenes and faces the King herself, as Soun is dragged off by Akane and Kasumi, but unlike the King's other opponents, Nabiki is actually able to beat him. This terrifies the Gambling King who decides that Nabiki must be in High School, which Kasumi deduces that this must mean the King can only beat people who know less than an Elementary School student. Having heard this, Soun is immediately brought to tears at being suggested to know less than a child, whilst Akane notes that it's not surprising that Ranma lost as well.

At that moment Nabiki declares she only has to win back is the actual Dojo of the Tendo's, which forces the King use his last resort.

Meanwhile, Ranma busily goes about her work as the new waitress of Okonomiyaki Ucchan's in order to pay off her recently acquired gambling debts to Ukyo. That evening, after going to the local Sentō, Ukyo suggests Ranma continue his gambling training, but quickly notices how oddly quiet Ranma is. Curious, Ukyo questions Ranma if he really wants to return to the Tendo Dojo, but Ranma adamantly declares he doesn't; and can't until he beats the Gambling King.

This news overjoys Ukyo as it gives her much more time than she's previously had to try and win Ranma's heart. Unfortunately, Ukyo's plans are soon ruined when she finds her home has been overrun by the recently evicted Tendos. As Nabiki angrily tells her father that the King cheated in their last game, Kasumi cheerfully explains to Ukyo that, whatever the reason, they had to move out of their home. At the same time Akane reminds Ranma he's the one who started this whole mess, to which retorts that he'll be the one to end it. Meanwhile, the Gambling King listens from street outside and quietly tells the "peasants" to come and get him.

Cast in Order of Appearance

 * Akane Tendo
 * Nabiki Tendo
 * Kasumi Tendo
 * Ukyo Kuonji
 * Ranma Saotome (male)
 * Genma Saotome (panda)
 * Gambling King
 * Soun Tendo
 * Ranma Saotome (female)

Quotes

 * (Kasumi) "Nabiki, what are you doing?"
 * (Nabiki) "Part-timing."
 * (Kasumi) "Maybe he can't beat anyone who knows more than an Elementary-School student..."
 * (Soun) "--And what does that say about ME?!"
 * (Kasumi) "Should I spell it?"
 * (Ranma) "I can't go back until I beat that "King"!"
 * (Ukyo) "Really? Oh, Ranma! That means you'll live with me forever!"
 * (Ranma) "Meaning exactly... what?"

Trivia
To be added