I think the Poker arc has been much better than the last one. The whole hostage game was kind of a slog, mostly since Kaiji wasn't really invested in it. He sure got emotional over it, but his head wasn't on the chopping block, which is what the series is about. I do like Kazuya, though, for being an absurd spoiled brat in the kind of fucked up way only someone from his family could be. I honestly expected the poker game to have more violent implications within it considering Kazuya's nature and how the setup for their game looks like one of his weird torture devices.
It's pretty refreshing seeing Kaiji pull off some major wins in the start, but I can't imagine this game going on without Kaiji being pushed to the edge. The simplicity of the game seems like a blessing and a curse. A blessing in that there's a lot of psychological games and strategies that go with it, like Kaiji's raise. On the other hand, there doesn't seem to be much room for shenanigans, which made Kaiji's other bets more interesting. His opponent is set, the game is set, there's no cheating and little apparent danger, other than the money they have at stake (which is a lot, but let's be honest, Kaiji would probably just piss it away regardless). It's still a fun read, though not nearly as thrilling as the first several gambles.