Aces and Eights Are Important in Poker’s Dead Man’s Hand

Maybe no one appreciates a good legend more than gamblers. The dead man’s hand is one of the most well-known poker hands in the contemporary gaming scene in addition to being a well-known legend in the poker industry.

Thus, how did the myth of the dead man’s hand originate? What does the term “dead man’s hand” signify in modern game scenarios? What is the deal for the fabled poker hand? Come learn about all facets of the dead man’s hand in poker as we share our expertise with you. In today’s blog Rs7Sports, we’ll talk about all of these and more.

The Dead Man’s Hand Legend told by Wild Bill
Throughout the lengthy history of poker and gambling in general, there have been a number of well-known poker players whose names are still recognized and hold significant value for gamblers mksports worldwide. Among those illustrious figures is James Butler Hickok, popularly known as “Wild Bill” Hickok; it is owing to him that we still discuss the dead man’s hand.

Our tale begins and ends on August 2, 1876; Wild Bill’s saga begins in Illinois in May 1837. He was a showman, actor, gambler, lawman, scout, soldier, folk hero, and more during his colorful life. James Butler Hickock was his birth name. As an officer of the law, he frequently engaged in gunfights with criminals, assisting in the prosecution of several of them. Besides that, he enjoyed gambling and was a skilled card player.

All of that came to an end on that terrible August day in betway, Dakota Territory. It was not mentioned that on August 2, 1876, he did not typically sit with his back to the wall. It so happened that Wild Bill was sitting in the chair across from the entrance at the poker table at Nuttal & Mann’s Saloon No. 10 that day.


After losing to Bill the day before, Jack McCall went into the tavern and shot him in the back of the head, instantly killing him. The game they were playing was called Five Card Stud. Black aces and black eights are the two sets of cards that Bill is said to have had in his hands. We now refer to that specific poker hand as the “dead man’s hand.”

The story of Will Bill’s poker hand and his legacy endure even if he may not have had two aces and two eights in his hands when he passed away.