Everybody loves an excellent legend and gamblers, perhaps, much more so. The story of the dead man’s hand is not just one of the very most well-known folk tales in poker circles but also one of the very most famous poker hands in the modern gambling world.
So, how did the legend of the dead man’s hand come into being? What do we mean by the dead man’s turn in gambling today? So how exactly does one play the legendary poker hand? All that and more is likely to be explored in the present blog, so stay even as we spin our tale and tell you all there is to know in regards to the dead man’s turn in poker.
Dead Man’s Hand – The Legend of Wild Bill
In the long history of gambling (and, more to the point, poker), there has been numerous famous poker players whose names still manage to ring a bell and mean a good deal to gamblers all around the world สมัคร ufabet Some of those legendary names is James Butler Hickok, a.k.a. “Wild Bill” Hickok, and he is the main reason we discuss the dead man’s hand to the day.
While our story begins and ends on 2nd August, 1876, Wild Bill’s story began in May, 1837 in Illinois. He came to be James Butler Hickock and during his colourful life he acquired many titles, one of them that of a soldier, scout, lawman, gunslinger, actor, showman, gambler, and ultimately folklore hero. As a person of what the law states, he helped store numerous criminals and had shootouts with outlaws on a typical basis; as a gambler, he was known to play a mean hand of poker.
All that ended on that fateful August day in Deadwood, Dakota Territory. He was said to own usually sat along with his back contrary to the wall; not on 2nd August, 1876. That day in Nuttal & Mann’s Saloon No. 10, as fate could have it, Wild Bill sat in the sole available chair at the poker table – the one facing from the door.
While playing a casino game of five card stud, Jack McCall, a person who had lost to Bill the day before, entered the saloon and, in his indignation, shot Bill in the rear of his head, killing him in a instant. The legend has it that in his hand Bill held two pairs: black aces and black eights. This specific poker hand has since become known as the “dead man’s hand”.
Whether Will Bill really had two aces and two eights in his hands the day he died we’ll never know, but his legend and the legend of his poker hand live on.
What Is the Dead Man’s Submit Poker?
So, what do we mean by the dead man’s turn in poker and online poker today? Simply put, the dead man’s hand today is just a poker hand consisting of two pairs – a set of black aces and a set of black eights. So, pretty much the same as what the legend says Wild Bill had in his hands in his final moments.
While the dead man’s hand certainly has its invest history and urban legend, as a poker hand it isn’t as coveted as, say, a royal flush, a direct, or a full house. Ultimately, though it contains the greatest valued card in poker – the ace – a dead man’s hand simply won’t be good enough when stacked against a flush or full house. Not great, not terrible, as they say.
Just how to Play the Dead Man’s Hand
If you already know how to play poker, you might wish to provide the dead man’s hand game a chance, too, if just for the fun of it. However, as it’s already been established, the dead man’s hand isn’t considered among the stronger poker hands today.
In Texas Hold’Em, for example, the dead man’s hand might be a minimal hand, so how to play it will depend on the ball player in question. Experienced players is only going to go through with it when they deem the circumstances opportune. Otherwise, it might not be the absolute most lucrative length of action.
What Is the Fifth Card in a Dead Man’s Hand?
Ah, the elusive fifth card. So many theories, so many poker hand combinations. To get back to the legend of Will Bill once more, we “know” about both pairs being the black aces and black eights; what we don’t know is which fifth card he was holding. One of typically the most popular theories is that it was the Queen of Hearts; however, certain artworks will tell you differently.
Some artists show the fifth card because the five of diamonds, while others maintain it must be the nine of diamonds or Jack of Diamonds. One thing is certain: they usually make certain the fifth card isn’t another ace or eight, as that would complete a complete house.
Dead Man’s Hand Emblem
These are artistry, did you realize that the dead man’s hand is used as an emblem in a variety of organizations, too? Indeed, the imagery is used across the board, including on famous Zippo lighters, skeleton’s hand, black aces over black eights and all.
Furthermore, the dead man’s hand is used as an emblem using police force agencies, including the LA Police Department CRASH squad, Las Vegas Metro Police Department’s Homicide Division, and AFMES.
Dead Man’s Submit Pop Culture
Fine, who doesn’t love movies about poker? While plenty of films have indeed referenced the dead man’s hand, other media have now been known to mention Wild Bill and his famous hand of poker, too. The list includes TV series, songs, novels – even games!
Below are a few of the very most famous references to the dead man’s turn in pop culture:
Stagecoach (1939) and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) – two iconic John Wayne movies featuring the dead man’s hand as a foreshadowing of death
- Deadwood – the beloved HBO reveal that ran from 2004 to 2006 had a significant plotline featuring the death of Wild Bill Hickock
- The X-Files – the famous sci-fi series loved referencing famous urban tales and one episode entitled “Clyde Bruckman’s Final Repose” showed the title character playing poker with Agent Scully, holding a complete house of aces and eights (the fifth card being the ace of hearts)
- Fallout: New Vegas (specifically, the expansion Dead Money) – the favorite computer game ensured players have the ability to collect cards and acquire the famous dead man’s turn in the ruins of the Sierra Madre casino
- Various songs – Motörhead’s “Ace of Spades” and “Dead Man’s Hand”, Bob Dylan’s “Rambling, Gambling Willie”, Ha Ha Tonka’s “Dead Man’s Hand”, to call a couple of songs about poker and gambling in general
Ultimately, whether or not you decide to give the black aces and eights an attempt yourself, we certainly hope you’ve had fun exploring the legend of Wild Bill Hickock and his, perhaps, immortal hand with us.