Wild Bill Hickok And The Dead Man's Hand

Wild Bill Hickok And The Dead Man s Hand It was in the town of Deadwood, South Dakota (Dakota Territory at the time) in August 1876, that the famous western lawman Wild Bill Hickock was shot in the back in the midst of a game of 5 card draw. The hand he... More

Wild Bill Hickok And The Dead Man s Hand It was in the town of Deadwood, South Dakota (Dakota Territory at the time) in August 1876, that the famous western lawman Wild Bill Hickock was shot in the back in the midst of a game of 5 card draw. The hand he was holding when he was killed became known as the “Dead Man s Hand”, and supposedly consisted of two black Aces and two black eights. The fifth card was unknown. Legend has it that Hickok had just drawn the fifth card and it remained face down. Curiously, it wasn t until nearly 50 years later that the story of “Aces and Eights” first came to light, and there was never any real proof that Hickok indeed held those cards. Still, Aces and eights are the cards shown in displays that have be reconstructed in several bars in Deadwood, as well as in at least one museum. Some displays even show the 5th card. Some of Hickok s contemporaries stated that the fifth card was the deuce of spades, others have it as Queen of hearts. Some accoun Less