Maverick rides into the fictional town of Crystal River intending to collect money owed to him, as he is $3000 short of the poker tournament entry fee of $25,000. His efforts to make up this $3000 provides misadventures. He meets three people he encounters at Crystal River-an antagonist named Angel (Alfred Molina), a young con-artist calling herself Mrs Annabelle Bransford, and legendary lawman Marshal Zane Cooper (James Garner, who played Bret Maverick in the original TV series).