"Luck of the Draw" is the eighteenth episode of season 2 of Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman.
Matthew, desperate to earn funds to finish his homestead, becomes a gambler when con-man Julius Hoffman rides into town for the annual poker game at Hank's saloon. He quickly spots Matthew as his victim, and sees it as an easy way to make money for the homestead. When he brings presents home for everyone, Dr. Mike is not happy with Matthew playing poker. Hoffman goes to the Reverend and offers him a bribe and then threatens to tell everyone in the congregation about his past, which he again repeats in Hank's Saloon and The Reverend loses his temper with Hoffman. Unfortunately, Matthew must learn the hard way that the easier it looks, the harder it hooks. Ingrid gives Matthew money to help him finish the homestead, but he gambles it and although he wins a lot of money, she is furious with him. Matthew is later injured and badly beaten up. When he begins missing dinners and not making good on his promises. Meanwhile, Brian finds the money to buy a caged eagle from Loren, who reluctantly agrees. Hank offers Loren the opportunity to double his money. Brian's eagle refuses to leave its cage, to his disappointment. Loren, Jake, Horace, Robert E. and Grace and the other townspeople give money to Matthew to win money for them. Ingrid gives him her ring back and breaks off the engagement. We learn that the Reverend had a dark past with gambling before he came to the Lord, when he confides in Dr. Mike. In the big final game, Matthew loses everything to Julius, including Dr. Mike's ring which she gave to Matthew to give to Ingrid, who then makes off with his money. The Reverend finds courage though to stand up to Julius when he, Robert E. and Sully catch Julius and make him give Matthew's money back, along with the ring. Sully tells Matthew that a man can't learn if he doesn't make mistakes. However, Matthew feels so guilty that he ends up giving the money as a donation to the church. At the end of the episode, the family takes the eagle out to Matthew's unfinished homestead and it finally leaves its cage and is free.
This episode provides examples of:
- Dark and Troubled Past: The Reverend had one with gambling before coming to the Lord.
- Hustling the Mark: Hoffman hustles Matthew.
- The Only Way They Will Learn: Sully tells Matthew that a man can't learn if he doesn't make mistakes.
