Ellen Bradford comes to the South Sea Island of Tonga to marry her fiancé and finds out that he is a drunk. She also finds out that she is the only white woman on the island and, as such, has three men taking a deep interest in her. She has written off her fiancé and has learned quickly that "Dutch Mike" Lutze is not to be trusted in any way. That leaves Jim Thorne, the only man who has ever bested Lutze in anything and, while Jim is an adventurer and pirate-at-heart, he knows how to be a gentleman, especially to the only white woman in town or on the island. Lutze is offended. They play poker for a plantation, Ellen, and all the pearls in the Pacific; the loser gets Poppi. Lutz has a marked deck of cards.