Inside Straight

In 1870 San Francisco, Ada Stritch's bank is hit by a run that threatens to close it. She needs $3 million to keep the bank open and solvent. Desperate, she turns to Rip MacCool, a wealthy man she despises, hoping he will help.

Rip offers a winner-take-all poker hand to settle the crisis. If Ada wins, she receives the $3 million to save the bank; if she loses, Rip takes control of the bank. The gamble sets a tense deal between enemies turned reluctant partners.

Johnny Sanderson and Flutey join the stakes, each bearing their own old grievances against Rip. The group recalls past encounters as the game looms, intertwining present danger with former loyalties. Ada confronts both the man she despises and the history she once shared with him.

Fifteen years earlier, Ada, then a widow, owned a small hotel she wanted to sell. Rip and Shocker were guests there; Rip wooed her and offered $3,000 cash plus shares in the Mona Lisa mine. Ada accepted, only to learn later that the stock was worthless.

Rip's stock suddenly becomes valuable when a vein is struck at the Mona Lisa mine, inflating his fortune. The windfall makes his wealth seem limitless and reshapes his view of money. The Mona Lisa investment ties many fates together and foreshadows future conflicts.

Johnny Sanderson loves Lily Douvane, but Lily marries Rip for his money, creating a loveless union. They have a baby boy named after Johnny, cementing a bond that will complicate everyone later. The marriage is driven more by money than affection.

Lily catches Rip in a compromising position and demands a divorce, along with $1 million and custody of their child. This confrontation deepens Rip's betrayals and cements his reputation for ruthlessness. The ripple effects threaten all the intertwined relationships.

Rip interferes with Zoe, the nanny caring for Johnny and the child, and she resents him. Zoe mortgages their home to cope with the strain, and she becomes pregnant by Rip. The couple's instability foreshadows further personal losses tied to his wealth.

Rip regains his money thanks to the Mona Lisa mine, restoring his status and power. However, he loses Zoe and his new baby in childbirth, a cruel double blow that scars his outlook on life. The cost of wealth becomes painfully personal for all involved.

Shocker explains to the group how Rip became the cold-hearted man he is. At 16, unable to pay his parents' funeral costs, he started working in a mine with Shocker. Money then came to mean everything to him, shaping his ruthless demeanor.

Having heard the backstory, Ada agrees to the winner-take-all arrangement. She commits to risking everything to save the bank and challenge Rip's control over her fate. The decision reframes the stakes of their reconciliation and rivalry.

Rip plays the hand and loses gracefully as Ada claims victory. The bank is saved, resolving the immediate crisis, but it becomes clear that Rip's act may have hidden a real, if cautious, heart. The crowd murmurs about the surprising mercy in the moment.

Even with Ada's win, the story leaves Rip's humanity ambiguous—the winning hand may have masked a warmer core. The bank is saved, and the characters drift toward quieter consequences, wondering what the future holds for their tangled affections and fortunes. The film closes on the note that Rip may have had a heart after all.