The file seems to have either deleted itself, or I corrupted it in some way. Both the main file and the backup file for some reason just reverted back to a new career. Genuinely not sure what happened, whether the game doesn't like you saving and reloading too much, or what, sadly it will probably be a while before I return to this game.
Goal is to earn all special chips, earn all bracelets, and unlock all of the other unlockables. The first game I plan to savescum through every hand, but the next playthrough(s), I plan to try to 100% the game legitimately. I might also have a side file where I never quit out of a tournament and reload a save. When I finish this playthrough, I plan to do a retrospective video/review about it. Hopefully can serve as a guide to others as well.
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