It starts with Bronco trying to transport a herd of cattle on a ship, which goes down in a storm, (having a herd of cattle on board probably didn't help). He saves the life of and befriends a San Francisco millionaire and meets a bespectacled schoolteacher, (Pat Crowley), who has a scheme that she says will entice the millionaire. And she's right. She has an uncanny ability to discern what cards each player in a poker game is holding. Even when they get a new deck from the front desk at the millionaire's men's club, her ability doesn't fade. He gets her a spot at the poker table, even though they have a "no petticoats" rule. She wins many thousands of dollars from the millionaire's normally friendly rivals, and they are to split the money.
She absconds with the loot and the millionaire blames Bronco, who he decides must be in cahoots with her, (was the herd on the ship a cover?) and he'd better get the millionaire's money back or he will have his thugs beat Bronco up, (as will a Chinese millionaire who lost money in the game played by Victor Sen Yung, shortly before he became 'Hop Sing' on Bonanza).
Bronco traces her to a hotel room where he captures her and the money. He allows her to change into 'traveling clothes' and puts the bag full of money next to her bedroom door while he examines her glasses, finding out that they reveal a code placed on the backs of marked playing cards. Anyone watching will know as soon as he puts the money bag down what is going to happen. Pat's hand reaches in from her bedroom and grabs the bag while she escapes out the window to link up with her partner, who is the card salesman who supplies the cards for the men's club.
Bronco again finds her about to leave with the card salesman on a boat but is accosted by the millionaire's and the Chinaman's thugs, as well as the millionaire's daughter, who has fallen for him. Bronco then commits as ungentlemanly an act as any western hero ever did. He addresses the daughter with the name of Crowley's 'schoolteacher' and the thugs close in on her while he escapes to knockout the card salesman and make off with Pat and the money in a fireman's carry, (Pat, not the money bag).
He then goes to the men's club with Pat and the money. All the players in the original game are there. Rather than just giving them their money back, he plays a new game while wearing the special glasses and lets them win their money back, (but how does he know how much each player lost?), then lets Pat go, (although the glasses are destroyed). Meanwhile the card salesman is on a boat to somewhere. That's what passes for a happy ending.
She absconds with the loot and the millionaire blames Bronco, who he decides must be in cahoots with her, (was the herd on the ship a cover?) and he'd better get the millionaire's money back or he will have his thugs beat Bronco up, (as will a Chinese millionaire who lost money in the game played by Victor Sen Yung, shortly before he became 'Hop Sing' on Bonanza).
Bronco traces her to a hotel room where he captures her and the money. He allows her to change into 'traveling clothes' and puts the bag full of money next to her bedroom door while he examines her glasses, finding out that they reveal a code placed on the backs of marked playing cards. Anyone watching will know as soon as he puts the money bag down what is going to happen. Pat's hand reaches in from her bedroom and grabs the bag while she escapes out the window to link up with her partner, who is the card salesman who supplies the cards for the men's club.
Bronco again finds her about to leave with the card salesman on a boat but is accosted by the millionaire's and the Chinaman's thugs, as well as the millionaire's daughter, who has fallen for him. Bronco then commits as ungentlemanly an act as any western hero ever did. He addresses the daughter with the name of Crowley's 'schoolteacher' and the thugs close in on her while he escapes to knockout the card salesman and make off with Pat and the money in a fireman's carry, (Pat, not the money bag).
He then goes to the men's club with Pat and the money. All the players in the original game are there. Rather than just giving them their money back, he plays a new game while wearing the special glasses and lets them win their money back, (but how does he know how much each player lost?), then lets Pat go, (although the glasses are destroyed). Meanwhile the card salesman is on a boat to somewhere. That's what passes for a happy ending.
