Ready to take your poker game to the next level? Want to learn more about the mysterious Dead Man’s Hand? Then you’ve come to the right place. We’re here to unravel the history and meaning behind aces and eights in poker, so grab your chips, shuffle your cards, and get ready for an intriguing dive into the world of poker’s well-known dead man’s hand.
The Wild Bill Story in Dead Man’s Hand
The Dead Man’s Hand is an iconic part of American folklore and, for many, poker. It consists of two pair , Aces and Eights, in addition to any fifth card. The phrase “Dead Man’s Hand” originated long ago as the notorious poker hand of Wild Bill Hickok on 2 August 1876 in Deadwood, Dakota Territory.
Wild Bill was one of the most famous folk heroes in the Old West. He was a great gambler and quick with a gun who supposedly left this card combination on the table when he was shot dead while playing poker in the Nuttal & Mann’s Saloon No. 10 – at the very height of his fame! The exact cards he held were two black aces and two black eights, with an unknown fifth card (assumed to be either red or black).
In honor of Wild Bill, Legends about ”Aces & Eights” still endure to this day – it has become immortalized as the so-called “Dead Man’s Hand” .Today it is revered by gaming halls across America and continues to hold a special place in poker history worth celebrating across generations old and young alike. Playing ‘Aces & Eights’ has come to signify good luck and success when gambling at a casino online.
Wild Bill Hickok
The Dead Man’s Hand is a poker hand that refers to two pairs of Aces and Eights (A♠ A♥ 8♦ 8♣) held by Wild Bill Hickok when he was fatally shot in Deadwood, South Dakota, in 1876.
The story goes that Bill had traveled to the cowboy mining camp of Deadwood with friends Charlie Utter and “California” Joe Milner. After settling at Nuttal & Mann’s Saloon No. 10, on August 1st, 1876 he took a seat to play poker (poker rules were not yet standardized at the time). Sitting with his back to the door, Wild Bill was suddenly fatally shot from behind by Jack McCall.
As legend has it, Hickok’s poker hand contained a pair of black Aces and a pair of black eights as his “hole cards” that he didn’t get a chance to play out – these would later become known as The Dead Man’s Hand. What’s more interesting is that after being arrested for murder, Jack McCall waved an insanity defense claiming Hickok had killed his brother during the American civil war which meant Hickok had become doomed ever since taking him down in battle years earlier. Ultimately however the court found him guilty and ordered his execution by hanging.
It’s hard to imagine this allegorical tragedy unfolding any other way than through the murder of Wild Bill Hickok over an infamous poker hand of Aces & Eights. Perhaps in death Wild Bill became more infamous than he ever thought possible during life – immortalizing himself into Poker history books forever
What Is the Poker Dead Man’s Hand?
The Dead Man’s Hand is a term for a two-pair hand of cards, usually black aces and eights. It is most commonly associated with the Old West, where it was supposedly held by Wild Bill Hickok when he was murdered in 1876. Although theories vary, the story goes that the poker hand had been dealt to him seconds before his death. While the traditional definition remains today, it has since been expanded to any two pair consisting of ace and eight in any suit combination.
In today’s poker and online poker game, The Dead Man’s Hand refers to any two pair hand consisting of ace/eight cards. This can be one or two aces, one or two eights, or even an Ace/Eight combo of different suits. Either way, this is known as having The Dead Man’s Hand.
The original Dead Man’s Hand may have included black aces and eights but many believe that this combination was changed over time as the story of Wild Bill Hickok’s death evolved and reinvented itself over the generations. Though there are some inaccuracies in its story now, The Dead Man’s Hand has still become an iconic piece of American folklore that continues to be remembered decades after its birth in 1876 due to its continued association with high stakes poker games and lure as an unlucky hand to hold during play.
Tech expert fresh from the Australian Coast. Been in the tech industry more than 9 years, as part of a Business Growth Group. His out of office days are 100% for freestyle surfing and waves chasing.
