Cliff's pinochle partner becomes ill and cannot play in their monthly match against Russell and his partner, Homer (Bill Gunn). So Cliff teams up with his former English teacher, Professor Bennington Foster (Roscoe Lee Browne), who proves to be a formidable player. Russell tries to stretch the rules to beat his son, unaware that Professor Foster has a few tricks of his own. Meanwhile, love is in the air when Theo sends away for a $19.95 'diamondoid' ring for his new girlfriend, Tanya.