This chapter flashed some of my favorite anime and manga gambling scenes through my head. Particularly when Jotaro watched for D’arby’s second deal in the battle of sight and touch, going so far to snap his finger in a huge double pager. And seriously Jotaro was cool as hell~! Getting a new deck of cards, and going so far to get an unknown boy to deal for them, he’s laying the law. Beyond that, he earned D’arby’s respect. It looks like it was correct to trust in his gambler’s pride, this is about him, not Dio. I am expecting Dio to know that D’arby is a risk if this is true and I’m concerned that he may have extra measures to deal with it. However, D’arby could also be seen as a mad dog under Dio, someone who is so strong, stated to be the most dangerous stand user yet, that even if not fully controllable, they are worth keeping around. I am expecting D’arby to have a good time in this match and I am expecting that kid to play a crucial role in the outcome. It would also be sick to see Jotaro bet all in at some point. By separating this from the realm of a physical fight, the outcome is especially interesting to me.
Unfortunately, Abdul has been relegated to the hype man. He screams, he’s confused, he represents the audience's shock and he brings forth explanations we couldn’t perceive ourselves. That’s his role and I do find it a little annoying. Speedwagon set a precedent that I struggle to imagine will be surpassed by anyone. His lack of strength and cowardice that he had to overcome were why he wasn’t firstly a fighter but support, and his love of commentating was evident. It didn’t feel like he was a plot device in the way it can feel the composed Abdul has become for the convenience of the audience.
