Dead man's hand facts for kids
The dead man's hand is a famous set of cards in the game of poker. Today, it's usually described as a two-pair poker hand made up of two black aces and two black eights. This specific hand became well-known because of a story about Wild Bill Hickok. He was a famous lawman and gunfighter from the American frontier. The legend says he was holding these cards when he was killed during a poker game. However, no records from that time actually say what cards he had. The idea of the dead man's hand being black aces and eights became popular much later, after a book was written in 1926.
Contents
The Famous Poker Hand
The combination of cards now known as the dead man's hand became famous because of a legend. It's said to be the hand that James Butler Hickok, also known as "Wild Bill" Hickok, was holding. He was playing either five-card stud or five-card draw poker. On August 2, 1876, he was killed by Jack McCall in a saloon in Deadwood, Dakota Territory. The story claims Hickok's final hand included the aces and eights from both black card suits.
What Cards Were They?
According to one story by a historian named Carl W. Breihan, a man named Neil Christy picked up the cards from the floor. Christy then passed them on to his son. The son later told Mr. Breihan what the cards were. He said they were:
- the ace of diamonds (with a heel mark on it)
- the ace of clubs
- the two black eights (clubs and spades)
- the queen of hearts (with a small drop of Hickok's blood on it)
However, no one reported these details right after the shooting happened.
Another writer, Joseph Rosa, who studied Hickok's life, wrote about the hand. He said the commonly accepted version is:
- the ace of spades
- the ace of clubs
- two black eights
- the queen of clubs as the "kicker" (an extra card that isn't part of a pair or set)
Still, Rosa also said that there's no proof from Hickok's time that this was his exact hand. The idea of the dead man's hand being two pairs of black aces and eights only became widely accepted after 1926. This was when Frank Wilstach's book, Wild Bill Hickok: The Prince of Pistoleers, was published. That was 50 years after Hickok's death.
Where the Phrase Came From
The phrase "dead man's hand" was used even before it was linked to Wild Bill Hickok. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, it meant different card combinations. For example, in 1886, it was described as a "full house" with three jacks and a pair of tens. Later, in 1903, a book about superstitions said it was jacks and sevens. By 1907, a famous game guide called Hoyle's Games said it was jacks and eights. It wasn't until the 1920s that the phrase became strongly connected to Wild Bill Hickok's specific hand of aces and eights.
Modern Uses of the Hand
The famous aces and eights dead man's hand is sometimes used in real life. For example, some police departments use a version of this hand in their official symbols. This includes the Homicide Division of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Also, the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System uses a similar design in their insignia.
See also
In Spanish: La mano del muerto para niños
