TIL that the word Yakuza comes from a card game similar to blackjack or baccarat. In it, you need to score as many points as possible with three cards, but not 10 and not 20.
Yakuza means "the extreme path", meaning 20 points. Essentially, a loss in the spirit of "bursting from overeating", "swallowing more than you can digest", taking on more than you can handle, and so on.
The Japanese really are from another planet after all.