Everyone enjoys a good legend, perhaps even more so than gamblers. One of the most well-known poker folktales and one of the most well-known poker hands in the contemporary gambling industry is the tale of the dead man's hand.

Consequently, how did the myth of the dead man's hand come to be? What does it mean to play the dead man's hand in modern gambling? Playing the fabled poker hand: how to do it? Stay tuned as we spin our tale and reveal to you everything there is to know about the dead man's poker hand.

The Wild Bill story in Dead Man's Hand

In casino online, numerous well-known poker players have existed throughout the long history of gambling (and, more specifically, poker), and their names continue to be remembered and hold significant significance for gamblers all over the world. One of those legendary figures is James Butler Hickok, also known as "Wild Bill" Hickok, and it is because of him that we continue to discuss the dead man's hand today.

While Wild Bill's story began in Illinois in May 1837, ours begins on August 2, 1876, and ends on August 2, 1876. His many titles—including those of soldier, scout, lawman, gunslinger, actor, showman, gambler, and ultimately folklore hero—were earned during the course of his colorful life. He was born James Butler Hickock. He was a man of the law who helped put many criminals away and frequently engaged in shootouts with outlaws; as a gambler, he was known to play a mean game of poker.

Wild Bill Hickok

In Deadwood, Dakota Territory, on that fateful day in August, everything came to an end. According to reports, he usually sat with his back to the wall, but not on August 2, 1876. As luck would have it, Wild Bill chose the only available seat at the poker table that day in Nuttal & Mann's Saloon No. 10 - the one that was facing the door.

The day after Bill defeated Jack McCall in a game of five card stud, Jack McCall entered the saloon and shot Bill in the back of the head, killing him instantly. According to legend, Bill held two pairs of black cards in his hand: black aces and black eights. The phrase "dead man's hand" now refers to a specific poker hand.

Whether Will Bill actually had two aces and two eights in his hands on the day he passed away will never be known, but both his legend and the legend of his poker hand endure.

What Is the Poker Dead Man's Hand?

So, in today's poker and online poker, what do we mean by the dead man's hand? Simply put, the dead man's hand today is a pair of black eights and a pair of black aces in the form of two pairs in poker. Thus, it is essentially the same as what Wild Bill allegedly held in his hands in his last moments, according to legend.

A pair of black aces and a pair of black eights make up the dead man's hand.

The dead man's hand has its place in history and folklore, but it isn't as prized as, say, a royal flush, a straight, or a full house in poker. A dead man's hand will ultimately fall short when up against a flush or full house, despite the fact that it contains the highest valued card in poker—the ace. Not fantastic, not awful, as the saying goes.

Understanding Dead Man's Hand

If you are already proficient at playing poker, you might want to try out the dead man's hand game as well, if only for fun. The dead man's hand isn't currently thought to be one of the best poker hands, as has already been established.

The dead man's hand in Texas Hold'em, for instance, might be a marginal hand, so how to play it will depend on the player in question. Experienced gamers will only follow through if they believe the circumstances to be favorable. It might not be the most profitable strategy if that is the case.

A Dead Man's Hand: What Card Is the Fifth?

I see it now—the elusive fifth card. Reverting to the story of Will Bill once more, we "know" that the two pairs were black aces and black eights, but we are unsure of which card he was holding as the fifth one. The Queen of Hearts is one of the most widely held theories, but you can see evidence to the contrary in some artwork.

The fifth card is depicted by some artists as the five of diamonds, while others argue that it should actually be the nine of diamonds or Jack of Diamonds. They usually check to make sure the fifth card isn't an additional ace or eight because that would complete a full house.

Pop Culture's Use of the Dead Man's Hand

Who doesn't enjoy watching poker-related films, right? While many movies have indeed made reference to the dead man's hand, other media have also occasionally made mention of Wild Bill and his renowned poker hand. Games, songs, novels, and TV shows are all on the list!

The following are some of the most well-known examples of the dead man's hand in popular culture:

In the classic John Wayne films Stagecoach (1939) and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), the dead man's hand serves as a prophecy of death.

The death of Wild Bill Hickock was a central plot point in the adored HBO series Deadwood, which ran from 2004 to 2006.

The X-Files, a well-known science fiction program, was known for making references to well-known urban legends. In the episode "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose," the title character was seen playing poker with Agent Scully while holding a full house of aces and eights, with the ace of hearts representing the fifth card.

Fallout: New Vegas, in particular the Dead Money expansion, made sure that players could gather cards and obtain the fabled dead man's hand in the ruins of the Sierra Madre casino.

a number of songs, including "Dead Man's Hand," "Ace of Spades," and "Rambling, Gambling Willie" by Motörhead, as well as "Rambling, Gambling Willie" by Bob Dylan, to name a few.

We sincerely hope you've enjoyed learning more about the legend of Wild Bill Hickock and his, perhaps, immortal hand with us, whether or not you decide to try your hand at playing black aces and eights yourself.