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Like a Dragon: Ishin

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How to Win at Chicken Racing in Like a Dragon Ishin

By
Jarrod Garripoli

There are a variety of minigames in Like a Dragon: Ishin, with the ability to play some of them as soon as you get to Chapter 2 in the main story. Chicken Racing is a new minigame, where you place bets on chickens racing.

Where to Play Chicken Racing in Like a Dragon: Ishin

(1 of 2) The location of the Chicken Racing minigame on the map

The location of the Chicken Racing minigame on the map (left), Look for this building with the blue curtains marking the entrance (right)

You won’t be able to access the Chicken Racing minigame until Chapter 3 of the main story. That is when you will be able to get to Rakugai and Rakunai, both north of Fushimi. After passing through the northern gate in Fushimi, head east at the first intersection, then stop at the second one. There will be a purple building marked on your map there, which is the Chicken Racing building, and its entrance is on the northern side.

How to Play Chicken Racing in Like a Dragon: Ishin

Chicken Racing is pretty simple, but also complex at the same time. When you first enter, you will have the option to play, buy tags, or leave. Note that the Receptionist will warm up to you and form a bond, so if you’re looking to 100% the game, then you will need to play this minigame enough to max it out. As pointed out above, you will need Wooden Tags in order to participate in Chicken Racing. Of course, you might have some Wooden Tags from the Gambling Den, as both that and Chicken Racing share them. The max bet you can do on any entry for this minigame is 300 tags, so adjust accordingly.

Once you have everything in order, you can play the minigame by selecting the top option. When you first enter the minigame, you will see four options, which are Buy Tickets, Start Race, Race Schedule, and Exit Chicken Race. Race Schedule just lists the types of races you will do as you participate, and the second and fourth options should be self-explanatory. The name of the race you’re currently doing is in the top left corner, along with the length (there are Short, Mid, and Long races). In order to actually bet, choose the Buy Tickets option. This is where things get a little more complicated, as you will see a chart and more options.

(1 of 3) The first page shows you mostly everything you need to know when placing bets

  • Single Win: Bet on a chicken for the 1st place position.
  • Quinella: Bet on two chickens for the 1st and 2nd place, regardless of order.
  • Exacta: Bet on the order of arrival, up to a maximum of five.
  • Dividend List: A list of all betting options (easier to see than other individual options).

So, you’re looking to bet on some chickens, but have no idea what all of the symbols and stuff mean. You should really only pay attention to the Condition and Payout, with maybe a sprinkling of the Prediction column. For Condition, the arrow represents the condition of the chicken, with the arrow fluctuating between pointing up and pointing down. You will want to keep an eye out for the arrows pointing upwards, as that means the chicken is in great condition. For Payout, the lower the number, the better the odds of them winning, but you aren’t going to be winning as much as if you went with a higher payout amount.

The symbols in the Prediction column represent what the game feels will win. The double circle is the best prediction, followed by one circle, then the triangle, x-mark and finally, no mark at all. Naturally, if the chicken you want to bet on has three double circles, then they are likely going to be a big favorite to win. However, and this is very important, just because the condition/prediction of a chicken is great, it doesn’t always necessarily mean that chicken will win. So, there’s some amount of randomness to Chicken Racing, which is why it’s a good idea to save before dropping a lot of tags on it.

Best Way to Win at Chicken Racing in Like a Dragon: Ishin

As mentioned above, there is some randomness to this, so it’s a good idea to save before attempting this method. When you first go to bet on the chickens, look at the Payout and find the two lowest numbers. Using the one example screenshot below, Chicken #1 and Chicken #2 have the lowest payouts, so you will be going with them. Once you’ve pinpointed the chickens, go to the Dividend List and it’s time to start betting. The first screen on the Dividend List lets you bet on Single Wins and Quinellas, so put the max amount (300) and press R1/RB to move to the next list.

(1 of 3) You can go from rags to riches with Chicken Racing

This is the Double Exacta list, so look for the two chickens and bet on both outcomes. Using the example, you will want to bet on 1-2 and 2-1, to cover your chances. From there, it’s time to move onto the final lists, for Triple Exacta and Quintuple Exacta. These are bets on the top three winners, as well as predicting the exact placements for all chickens. This is where the big winnings will come from, so you will want to cover all combinations where #1 and #2 are in the first two positions (three each for Triple Exacta and six each for Quintuple Exacta). In total, you need 6,900 tags in order to do the max bet.

Once you’ve done the betting, then you can start the race (or let the timer run out). Should you win big, then you can exit out of the building and save your game again. If not, then you simply reload that save from before the betting. You can win around 30,000 tags (or more) each time you get all of the betting options right. Upon getting enough wooden tags, you can head on over to the Gambling Den to exchange your tags for some items. The Golden Gun is a powerful firearm that costs 100,000 tags, and it’s available as soon as you have access in Chapter 3. Likewise, you can trade your tags for Platinum Plates, which sell for 3 ryo 7500 mon at a pawn shop.

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Guide Information
  • Publisher
    Sega
  • Platforms,
    PS4, PS5, Steam, XB One, XB X|S
  • Genre
    Action RPG
  • Guide Release
    17 February 2023
  • Last Updated
    20 March 2023
    Version History
  • Guide Author

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Like a Dragon: Ishin is set in 1860’s Japan during the Bakumatsu era at the end of the Edo Period. Take up the sword of Sakamoto Ryoma, framed for killing his father, and restore honor to his name while dealing with the political intrigue that he gets thrown in to. This guide for Like a Dragon: Ishin contains the following:

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