The story concerns a young man named Toby Dammit who is very fond of saying, "I'll bet the Devil my head." Inevitably, the Devil eventually takes him up on that wager and things end badly for Dammit. Readers should be aware that "Never Bet the Devil Your Head" contains quotations in Spanish and Arabic (which Poe translates) and quotations in Latin (which are left untranslated by Poe). The story has been adapted for radio and film.