Ace Dawkins was a gambler,
Typical of the breed;
Used to deal cards dawn to dusk;
Played hard, with gamblers' greed.

Made himself a bundle;
Never met his match,
Until that day he hit Dodge
And the devil made his catch.

Ace walked into the Crooked Eye;
Had himself a feed;
Saw some cowhands playing cards;
Gloated, "These boys are mine, indeed."

The cowboys made him welcome;
Said, "Come on friend, sit down;
Every man's the others buddy
In this rip-roaring town."

Ace later dealt a hand,
Five cards all around;
Drew three cards and raised the bet.
But the opener held his ground.

Blue Barrett calmly called the bet,
His steely eyes amused
As Ace turned up four kings.
And now the gambler was confused.

Because Blue gathered in the pot.
After a few remarks;
Ace tried shake a gun from his sleeve.
Blue shot him through the heart.

The cowboys froze with startled eyes.
Blue said, as he showed two threes,
"He took one off the bottom of the deck;
The pot belongs to me."