gamble, bet

賭 is composed of 貝 (shell) and 者 (this, person). 貝 refers to wealth or money, while 者 depicts a pile of firewood being used to start a fire for cooking, and from the pile of firewood it extends to the meaning of gathering or accumulation. When competing over money for victory or defeat, one must first gather wealth, and the one with more wins. Therefore, 賭 is used to represent gambling.