In Dead Man’s Deal, the story opens in a smoky, dimly lit saloon in the Old West, where card games and whispered rumour's go hand in hand. We meet Jeff Bronson, a gambler with a dark past and a reputation for uncanny luck at cards—luck whispered to be bought at a steep price. One stormy night, he wins a high-stakes poker hand against a wealthy rancher named Clay Murdock, who suddenly drops dead at the table.