Dead Man’s Hand & Wild Bill’s Last Poker Game
What is the “Dead Man’s Hand”? This simple question leads to the incredible life of Wild Bill Hickok. Wild Bill’s adventures are well-known worldwide because they show the best and the worse of the Old Wild West. Read on to find out how Wild Bill got the “Dead Man’s Hand” in a poker game and more interesting details about him.
The “Dead Man’s Hand” meaning changed through time, but people still tell the tale of Wild Bill’s last poker game. The element below holds links to the different sections in this article. Continue down the lines and learn more about the notorious poker hand, Wild Bill’s influence on pop culture, and even what happened to his killer.
Wild Bill Hickok Before the Dead Man’s Hand
One of the main things Wild Bill stays in history with is the “Dead Man’s Hand” poker game. We know you are here to learn about the hand itself, but this will be impossible without knowing who the person who got it was. Wild Bill’s life was full of twists and turns, which show that he truly deserves to be called “wild”.
We know that some of the things you will read below may seem like unbelievable tall tales. Even so, they are based on facts and eyewitness testimonies from another time. Here is what Wild Bill Hickok’s life was in short:
| 📜 Name | James Butler Hickok |
| 🤠 Aliases | Wild Bill Hickok, J.B. Hickok, James B. Hickok, Shanghai Bill, William Hickok, William Haycock |
| 👨👩👧👧 Family & Friends | Born on 27th May 1837 in Homer (Troy Grove present-day), LaSalle County, Illinois, son of Polly Butler Hickok and William Alonzo; Annie Oakley, Buffalo Bill, Calamity Jane, Geronimo, Sitting Bull, Texas Jack Omohundro, Wyatt Earp |
| 🔫 Achievements | Gunslinger, Lawman, Gambler, American Frontiersman, Union Army Soldier, Showman, and more. |
| 💃 Love Relations | Agnes Thatcher Lake (wife), Calamity Jane, Libbie Custer, harlots, and more. |
| 💀 Death | Killed on 2nd August 1876 (39 years old) and buried in Deadwood, South Dakota |
Dying at the age of 39 sounds tragic, but Wild Bill Hickok was living in another time. In his short life, he managed to leave a mark in the history of the Old Wild West. It was a time when the criminal and the US gambling laws were yet to be forged, so people like Wild Bill often got away with murder.
What Wild Bill is Known For
Wild Bill’s “Dead Man’s Hand” is an example of a situation showing the freedom many outlaws enjoyed. Bill Hickok was involved in many crazy situations in his lifetime, and even though Dead Man’s Hand made his mark in history, he had more incredible achievements. The list below shows some of the most famous and notorious things Wild Bill is known for:
- 🕊️ Abolitionist: Joined the antislavery Kansas forces at 18 years of age.
- 🧸 Bear Killer: Killed a bear with a bowie knife.
- 🔫 Gunslinger & Men Killer: Wild Bill is known to have killed at least four men in a gunslinger standout (Davis Tutt, David and William McCanles, Phil Coe), but other sources claim that he sent over 100 men to the grave.
- 👮 Lawman: In Kansas, Wild Bill Hickok was a sheriff in Hays City and a marshal in Abilene simultaneously. His lawman career ended when he accidentally killed his deputy Mike Williams during a shoot with Phil Coe (Abilene’s saloon owner).
- 🃏 Poker Player: The professional gamblers in the Wild West were gunslingers, outlaws, and rich men. Wild Bill was a keen poker player way before the Dead Man’s Hand poker game we all have heard of.
- 🎪 Showman: Wild Bill replaced the gunfighting with stage performances in his own Old Wild West show. His venture failed, so he joined his friends Buffalo Bill, Sitting Bull, Geronimo, Annie Oakley, and thousands of other performers in the “Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West Show”.
- 🎖️ Soldier: Hickok was a Union Army soldier during the Civil War. That was the time when he received his nickname “Wild Bill”.
- 📯 Stagecoach Driver: Worked as a Pony Express and Overland Express stagecoach driver, where he met Buffalo Bill (William Frederick Cody).
Anyone who has seen the best gambling movies on Netflix knows that gamblers often have more sins than they could count. Bill Hickok was no exception to his death.
Even though he was married, Wild Bill was known as a womanizer and a great lover, according to the ladies. He was often drunk and chewed or smoked tobacco all the time. It is fair to say that even without the event leading to the Bill Hickok “Dead Man’s Hand” situation, he would not live a long life.
What is the Dead Man’s Hand?
Now that you know how Wild Bill Hickok lived, it is time to tell you about the Dead Man’s Hand and his death. After many years of “western-style” out-in-the-street quick-draw duels, Wild Bill already had picked up a few enemies. Even though he joined the showbiz, he still had demons to fight, and his gambling addiction worsened.
A Deadly Poker Game in Deadwood
Anyone who has seen the movie Maverick (1994) and other Old Wild West-themed movies has an image of a saloon filled with tobacco smoke. The music plays in the background while the bartender fills the whiskey glasses. There are tables with poker players, drunks, and troublemakers.
It is easy to imagine that this was the Nuttal & Mann’s Saloon in Deadwood Hickok died in. On 1st August 1876, Wild Bill was playing high stakes poker against Jack McCall and other players. Hickok won. Perhaps as a joke or as a good gesture, gave Jack food money and recommended that he cover his losses before getting into new debts.
Why Is It Called a Dead Man’s Hand?
Jack McCall’s ego and hurt pride pushed him to seek revenge. Witnesses state that he returned to the saloon the next day (2nd August 1876). It was 4:15 p.m. when Jack pulled out his revolver Colt .45, yelled: “Take that!”, and fired the gun.
The bullet hit Wild Bill in the back of his head, killing him on the spot. The legend states that he was still holding his cards, which became known as the “Dead Man’s Hand”. Another common narrative is that the cards were retrieved from the floor by a man named Neil Christy, who then passed them on to his son. A fascinating story, isn’t it?
Cards in the Dead Man’s Hand
It is hard to believe that in those circumstances, someone will check the cards of the dead man. The legend goes that Wild Bill Hickok was holding black Aces and black 8s when he was shot. Ever since those cards put in one hand became one of the myths worthy of entering the history of gambling.
The Aces & Eights “Dead Man’s Hand” combination is feared, but all players and spectators are excited when it pops out on the table. Even the gamblers at the best online casinos in the USA will take the chance to share Wild Bill’s story and be grateful that things are not as they were in the Old Wild West.
5th Card in the Dead Man’s Hand
Many people wonder what the fifth card in a “Dead Man’s Hand” was. A couple of written sources mention the fifth card, but they all appeared many years after the poker game. Joseph Rosa, the official Hickok biographer, wrote that the “kicker” was a Queen of Clubs.
If this card had joined the Ace of Spades, Ace of Clubs, 8 of spades and 8 of clubs, Wild Bill could have won the pot. The truth, of course, has been twisted over time and will never be revealed. It has become one of the greatest legends in the world of poker.
After the “Dead Man’s Hand” Poker Game
The gods of gambling might have helped Wild Bill Hickock get great cards, but fate had other plans for him. After Wild Bill Hickok’s death , Jack McCall was on trial for murder. He claimed that he was revenging his brother, who Hickok supposedly killed. He was freed but soon after bragged about killing Wild Bill Hickok.
The US marshals attending the murder trial followed and arrested Jack McCall on 29th August 1876. Jack was extradited from Laramie to Yankton, South Dakota. There he was on trial for killing Wild Bill for the second time. The reason was that the first time there was a miss-trial because Deadwood was in an Indian Territory.
The second trial was short, and the jury decided the killer’s fate in two days. Jack McCall’s death sentence was announced on 3rd January 1877. A couple of months later, on 1st March 1877, Jack was hanged by the neck for Wild Bill’s murder.
“Dead Man’s Hand” & The Legend Wild Bill Hickok
Today, the Aces and Eights “Dead Man’s Hand” is a legend in the poker world. The Old Wild West fans and gunslinger historians also can tell the story about Wild Bill’s last poker hand. As the legend spread, more people began using the reference in other fields in life.
The sinister combination of cards and its holder’s amazing life is so popular that they inspire many artists, writers, and composers. We can find over 14 novels, 22 movies, songs, TV series references, animations, comic books, and documentaries dedicated to Wild Bill Hickok. Don’t be surprised if you even find a gambling meme.
There is also lots of memorabilia and merchandise for the collectors. Undoubtedly, one of the most valuable gifts for poker lovers who are also fans of Wild Bill Hickok, and the Old Wild West is a trip to his resting place. Just like many other famous outlaws and gunslingers, Wild Bill has a memorial statue over his grave in Deadwood, South Dakota. You can also visit it next time when you are in town.
The Dead Man’s Hand & Other Gambling Superstitions
The Dead Man’s Hand in poker is not the only bad omen players are afraid to get. There are many superstitions and situations gamblers are doing their best to avoid. Some players pray to the betting gods, while others depend on lucky charms and rituals to prevent bad luck. Here are several of the notorious omens, jinxed objects, and situations that strike fear in player’s hearts:
- ♦️ 9 of Diamonds: the Dead Man’s Hand game is not the only notorious card combination. In Scotland, the 9 of Diamonds is considered a cursed card.
- 🔥 Bad Luck Numbers 13 and 4: Western cultures consider 13 a bad luck bringer, but this number has brought fortune to many players. In China, the number 4 is similar to the word “death”, so try to say it away from it.
- 🦵 Crossing Legs while betting will stop your luck. This superstition is why players rarely cross their legs while playing at the tables.
- ✋ Itchy Palms: Some players believe that when your palm is itchy, you will either gain or spend money. Figuring out which palm is for winning and which is for losing depends on the cultural difference of the player.
- 💸 Lending Money to Another Player: Nobody likes to give money. On top of this, some players believe that if they lend money to another player, they will also give away their own good luck that brought the cash in their pockets in the first place.
- 🤑 Never Count Your Money at the Table: This wise advice can be heard in Kenny Rogers’ song “The Gambler” and is perfect for our list of gambling phrases, idioms, quotes, and slang. Counting may stir your brain and boost your greed. After that, a bad bet can drain you out of cash.
- 📚 Reading Books at the table is bad luck in the Chinese culture because the word for book is similar to the word for loss.
- 💵 Using $50 Bills: This fear is a remnant of the times when the mafia ruled Las Vegas. The gangsters used to stick a $50 note in their victim’s clothes before burying them somewhere in the Nevada desert. This superstition pushes players to reject $50 notes at the casino cage.
- 🏛️ Walking Through the Casino’s Front Entrance: This fear appeared because, in the beginning, MGM casino’s main entrance resembled a lion’s mouth. Players wish to be winners, so they don’t want to enter the beast’s mouth.
- 🎶 Whistling: It is possible that whistling whilst playing brings bad luck. Dreadful things may happen mostly because the whistling is annoying to other players or because someone may suspect you of cheating.
Many things can help prevent the bad luck from either one of those situations and stop the fear of the Dead Man’s Hand. Many players rely on good luck symbols like four-leaf clovers, mojo bags, and other lucky charms, while others rely on rituals like blowing on dice. Do whatever works for you, but don’t forget that no charm can save you from forgetting when to stop playing or making the other players angry.
Interesting Questions About Dead Man’s Hand
The “Dead Man’s Hand” is a well-known bad luck reference in poker and daily life. We collected and answered interesting questions related to this popular phrase. Read them, and if you get curious to learn more, follow the links in the answers.
