Film Name: 赌神3之少年赌神 / God of Gamblers 3: The Early Stage / 賭神3之少年賭神
I’ve watched this movie three times and revisited it again yesterday.
The film roughly recounts the Gambling God’s experiences in his youth, explaining why he loves chocolate, why he wears a ring on his pinky finger, and the origin of his slicked-back pompadour hairstyle.
Each of the three con artist siblings possesses a unique skill. Gao Ao specializes in sweating—marking cards—though this isn’t shown in the film. Qing’s specialty is card stealing. To master this skill, she must soak her hands in milk for 30 seconds daily. I noticed her dad probably timed her—even a few extra seconds seemed forbidden. Gao Jin’s skill is psychological warfare, involving ten practical mantras that make Gao Ao intensely jealous. In the final showdown, Gao Jin unleashes his tenth and ultimate move: “Borrowing Flowers to Offer to Buddha.”
The standout character in the entire series, in my view, is Long Wu, portrayed by Jordan Chan. Long Wu rarely shows emotion when he appears, yet his lines deliver deadpan humor that’s hilariously unexpected. The subway fight scene and the chaotic brawl in the villa arranged by the Australians are also incredibly thrilling.
Leon Lai in his youth was truly dashing. Playing the young Gambling God, he perfectly embodied the character’s aura. That final slicked-back hairstyle, while not as refreshing as the classic side-parted look, still worked well. The scene where Tony Leung chided Leon about his hairstyle was genuinely hilarious.
As for the plot setup, the overall story really resonated with me. The journey from initial swagger, to hitting rock bottom, and then the unexpected reversal at the end was incredibly satisfying to watch. There was one part, though, that left me scratching my head. During the final bet, Gao Ao raised the stakes to 15 million. Leon ran out of money and tried to negotiate with the Aussie for more, but to no avail. Then unexpectedly, the young apprentice sister steps in, producing a bank draft claiming it’s funding for Gao Jin. Later it’s revealed she actually swapped the cards for her husband and father. But here’s my question: if she hadn’t provided the money, wouldn’t Gao Jin have lost immediately for lack of a bet? Does that make logical sense? I haven’t studied stud poker, but this feels like a plot hole to me.
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