The Dead Man’s Hand is one of those poker terms all players know, akin to Snake Eyes in craps and Blackjack in, well, blackjack. While there is no denying the ancestry, lineage and specifics concerning the latter two gambling terms, the Dead Man’s Hand is shrouded in mystery, save for the fact that it is associated with Wild Bill Hickok. Join Go Spin as we explore the topic in our latest blog and reveal all we know about this hand, otherwise known as Aces and Eights.
The Legend of Wild Bill’s Dead Man’s Hand
According to history, Wild Bill Hickok, a legendary gunfighter and gambler in the American Old West, was playing either Five-Card Draw or Five-Card Stud in Nuttal & Mann’s Saloon No. 10. While playing in Deadwood, in what was then Dakota Territory, Wild Bill gives money to a drunk gambler, Jack McCall, apparently taking pity on him following McCall’s heavy night of losing. Insulted, McCall takes the cash anyway.
McCall accepts the money, then returns to the tavern the following day and shoots Wild Bill in the back of the head, shouting, “Take that!” and killing him instantly. Hickok regularly played facing the door. On the day he dies, he can’t switch his seat, leaving him facing away from the door, and thus, McCall, when he fires the shot from his .45-caliber revolver. The poker hand Hickok holds at the time of his death has since been called “the Dead Man’s Hand.” What is the Dead Man’s Hand’s meaning, though? Let’s look at that in the next section.
What Is the Dead Man’s Hand?
Hickok’s final hand (upon his death) was a pair of black aces and a pair of black eights. This gives rise to the term the Dead Man’s Hand, also known as Aces and Eights. There is plenty of historical dispute about whether the suits of the hand, although most agree that the hand was as follows:
- Eight of Spades
- Eight of Clubs
- Ace of Spades
- Aces of Clubs
What about the fifth card in the Dead Man’s Hand? The truth is that nobody really knows. Aces and Eights were Hickok’s up cards, and nobody has ever revealed with any accuracy what the hidden card was. In Deadwood, South Dakota, where the saloon still exists, a display claims the missing card was the Nine of Diamonds.
While there’s plenty of conjecture regarding the hand, it isn’t the first time a poker hand has been called the Dead Man’s Hand. In fact, while Hickok died in 1876, the earliest reference to a Dead Man’s Hand stretches back to 1886 and refers to a full house consisting of three Jacks and two 10s. Later references cite three Jacks and two red sevens, even a pair of Jacks and 8s, not aces. The first mention of the Dead Man’s Hand with Wild Bill occurs in the 1920s.
The Cultural Significance of Aces & Eights
While history is hazy about whether Wild Bill Hickok’s hand truly is the first ever Dead Man’s Hand, it certainly is the most famous. Today, the hand features in countless movies and television shows. It even appears on the Deadwood Police’s uniform as a patch.
One of the best interpretations of the story occurs in the television series Deadwood. In the fifth episode of the first season, Keith Carradine plays the famous gunslinger, and he meets his end holding the Aces and Eights hand. That series clearly has no reservations about why Aces and Eights is called the Dead Man’s Hand.
Today, the Dead Man’s Hand remains a talking point amongst poker players. Naturally, if that’s the hand they’re holding, many will play it rather than risk losing. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t prick up the hairs on players’ necks. While it is pure superstition, and there is no scientific basis behind the logic, many poker players consider the Dead Man’s Hand to be bad luck.
Using the Dead Man’s Hand in Modern Poker
The Dead Man’s Hand, obviously, still appears in poker today. It isn’t limited to the games of Wild Bill’s era, such as Five-Card Draw or Five-Card Stud Poker. On the contrary, you will find the famous Dead Man’s Hand in virtually any poker game, no matter how many decks feature in the game.
Indeed, the hand is so renowned that there is even a video poker variant named after it – sort of. It goes by the name of Aces & Eights video poker.
Aces & Eights Video Poker
Most video poker games offer slight twists on the rules, and this leads to unique hands and bespoke payouts. Aces & Eights does this without the use of wilds, so only conventional hands are possible. The key thing about this game is that it takes elements of two different definitions of the Dead Man’s Hand.
Firstly, having a Four-of-a-Kind full of 7s results in a better payout than a conventional Four-of-a-Kind. The presence of sevens may indicate one of the earlier versions of a Dead Man’s Hand, as we’ve already said. Outside of a Royal Flush, the best-paying hand in the video poker game is reserved for either a Four-of-a-Kind filled with Aces or Eights. Admittedly, neither of these hands is the true Dead Man’s Hand, but the inspiration is clearly there. There’s a chance that the hand is simply too unlucky to warrant a specific combo on the paytable.
In terms of conventional Hold’em, Draw and Stud poker games, there is no specific ranking hand or payout for a pair of aces and a pair of eights.
FAQ
Which cards appear in the Dead Man’s Hand?
Most agree that you need a pair of black aces and a pair of blackjack eights. Beyond that, it doesn’t matter what the hole card is.
What was Wild Bill Hickok’s fifth card?
Again, nobody knows with any real historical accuracy. In the saloon where Wild Bill Hickok met his demise (and where there is a table honouring the incident), the Nine of Diamonds is displayed and favoured.
Are there any other famous poker hands?
Yes. American Airlines (a pair of Aces), Cowboys (a pair of Kings), and Antony and Cleopatra (Ace and Queen) are just a few, but they involve a pair of cards, not two pairs like the Dead Man’s Hand.
Is the Dead Man’s Hand strong in Texas Hold’em?
Not particularly. While the hand is famous and unlucky (for some), it’s still just a Two Pair. That’s unlikely to see you walk away with the pot when playing against skilled competitors.
Is Dead Man’s Hand featured in video poker?
Yes and no. There is a video poker game (Aces and Eights) that focuses on combos of four aces, four eights, and four sevens, but it doesn’t reward you for having the real Dead Man’s Hand.
