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The dead man’s hand in poker is one of the game’s most intriguing bits of poker lore. The story dates back to the American Old West and involves the death of one of the most iconic names of the era, Wild Bill Hickock. In this guide, we’ll unpack the origin of the dead man’s hand, precisely what it is, and how to play it if you draw it.
What is the Dead Man’s Hand in Poker?
The dead man’s hand is a term that refers to a hand containing two pairs of aces and eights, specifically the black cards, ace of clubs, ace of spades, eight of clubs, and eight of spades.
The origin of the dead man’s hand is linked to the notorious Old West figure, Wild Bill Hickock’s death. In 1876 Wild Bill was shot in the back of the head while playing poker in Deadwood. According to folklore, he held in his hand two black aces and two black eights, and the name dead man’s hand was born.
What is the Fifth Card in a Dead Man’s Hand in Poker?
Like the reason McCall killed Wild Bill, the answer to “What is the fifth card in a dead man’s hand?” has never been definitively answered, and there is no historical record confirming what the card actually was.
In art, it’s often depicted as a red card, particularly the queen of hearts, the jack of diamonds, the nine of diamonds, and the five of diamonds. In a reconstruction of the original saloon in Deadwood, the fifth card is a nine of diamonds.
However, the Adams Museum in Deadwood claims to display the actual five cards that Wild Bill held in his hands. The fifth card in this hand is a queen of hearts, but more interestingly, it’s not two black aces and eights; it’s actually the ace of diamonds, ace of clubs, eight of hearts, and eight of spades.
Example of a Dead Man’s Hand
Let’s say that you are playing a game of Texas Hold’em at a poker site online and are dealt the ace of spades and eight spades. On the flop, you see the ace of clubs, the eight of clubs, and a random third card, let’s say the 7 of hearts. You now have the dead man’s hand-a pair of black aces and black eights.
How to Play Aces and Eights Dead Man’s Hand
A dead man’s hand in Texas Holdem can be a poker term that refers to holding just a singular ace and eight in their hand, as players only start with two hole cards. It’s somewhat of a marginal hand pre-flop, and if a player has raised, most players will fold if the ace eight are off-suit. If they’re suited, then depending on the size of the raise and the number of players in the hand, it might be worth calling.
Bluff Catching
The Ace-Eight two-pair combination might not be the strongest hand out there, but it’s still a decent hand and can be used to catch a bluffer. You can scoop a decent-sized pot from someone holding a pair or even two pairs, as your Aces will rank higher. If you suspect a player has any of these poker hands, then you’re in good shape and should go ahead and call.
However, to catch a bluffer, you need to be aware of what’s on the board and what hands the other player could have. It also helps to have some knowledge of the player and think about how they have bet in previous hands in the session or matches if you’ve played them before.
Is the Dead Man’s Hand a Good Hand?
The strength of the dead man’s hand cards depends on what poker variant you are playing. Whene playing Texas Hold’em, two-pair is a fairly strong hand, especially with Aces being your high pair. However, its strength depends on what community cards there are and which two cards are your hole cards.
For example, if you are holding pocket Aces and there is a pair of eights then you have a pretty strong hand but there’s a chance that someone else may have an 8 in hand for three of a kind so you’ll be beat.
In five-card stud or draw poker two pairs especially with Aces are strong and you have a good chance of winning. In a table with 5 to 6 players, you have a 40-50% chance of winning. If there are fewer players the chance increases significantly.
When you’re playing cards, the dead man’s hand is generally strong, but it’s by no means a guaranteed win. You still need to be cautious and assess the other players, their bet size, and consider your position within the betting, or you might be out of luck, much like Wild Bill.
Dead Man’s Hand Origin
The dead man’s hand story comes from the untimely end of the life of Wild Bill Hickock. Wild Bill was a notable figure of the American Old West. He had many jobs in his life, including actor, cattle rustler, and scout. However, he was most famous for being a soldier, then turned lawman renowned for his bravery and gunfighting skills.
It’s also thought that he was involved in the nation’s first quick-draw duel with Davis K. Tutt in 1865. This style of shootout has become synonymous with the Wild West, and you won’t find many Westerns that do not feature a quick draw duel.
His name is also synonymous with gambling, and the quick-draw duel with Tutt is thought to have stemmed from an argument over a gambling debt. This wasn’t the only time that gambling led to violence in Bill’s life.
In 1876, Bill was playing poker in Deadwood as he had done many times before. While he was playing, Jack McCall walked in and shot Bill in the back of the head. At the time he was shot, Bill was said to be holding a pair of black 8s and a pair of black Aces, and this is how this hand came to be known as “The Dead Man’s Hand.”
The reason McCall killed Wild Bill is not clear. Some have speculated that it was in revenge for Bill killing one of his relatives. Another theory is that he was hired by a local criminal gang who were worried about Hickock’s reputation for lawmaking. Others have suggested he did it just for notoriety.
One of the most commonly believed explanations is that McCall lost a lot of money to Bill in a game of poker the day before the shooting. After Bill took McCall’s money, it’s said he gave a small amount back and suggested McCall buy himself a meal. Rather than see this as a gesture of goodwill, McCall took this as a sign of disrespect, and Bill had been trying to humiliate him.
Whatever the reason behind the murder, McCall was most certainly guilty and was arrested the day after the shooting. Astonishingly, McCall was found not guilty in this trial and was released. However, he would face justice for the murder as he was rearrested a few months later when his acquittal was ruled invalid as the trial took place on Indian territory. He wasn’t so lucky in his second trial and was found guilty and executed in January 1877.
The Dead Man’s Hand in Pop Culture
Because Wild Bill was such a big figure of the Wild West, several TV shows and movies have featured him and depicted his death. For example, in the hit HBO drama Deadwood, Wild Bill was featured, and his murder was depicted in series one (as shown below).
There was also the 1995 “Wild Bill,” which was about his final days in Deadwood, and several western films from the 20th century dating back as far as the 1930s that feature the Old Bill Hickock character.
In addition, because of its grim backstory and the link to the sudden and tragic death of Wild Bill, the aces and eights meaning is one of bad luck, misfortune, danger, and death. The hand’s association with misfortune has been used as a symbol for death and bad luck and foreshadowing in shows like the X-files.
This is also the case in video games like Red Dead Redemption and Fallout as well as in books and comics like Marvel’s Daredevil and Punisher. It’s also been repeatedly used in music as symbolism, such as Motorhead’s “Ace of Spades” and Blue Oyster Cults’s “I am the Storm”.
Conclusion
The aces and eights dead man’s hand has a fascinating backstory, and it’s become one of the most well-known pieces of poker history. It’s a story that has cemented itself in poker lore but has also entered the mainstream, and references to it can be found in several movies, books, TV shows, comics, and songs.
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