“Dead Man’s Hand” in poker: a story

There are many legends around poker for a long time—about brilliant players, happy charms, and cards that bring death. People who have been interested in poker games for a long time have probably heard about the “Dead man’s hand”. But few people know the full version of the legend about this set of cards. Who is “Wild Bill”, and what did the sinister combination bring him? Read in our article.

Mysticism, exciting stories and frightening cards – all this can be attributed to the poker of the 19th century. One of the legends that developed at that time was the story of the famous player James Butler Hitchcock. He was born in the United States and became famous for his aggressive character. For example, because of a dispute over poker combinations, he drew an opponent into a duel. A direct shot hit the enemy to the heart.

James’s life was full of different stories. He was born on a farm, where he worked until he came of age. Then he decided to create his own, but it didn’t work out. It was at this time that he was invited to the post of sheriff. Then there were frequent moves from one state to another. In this post, he managed to make several major revelations, for which he earned authority in his circles.

His career as a poker player began in 1871. Then he changed his place of residence again and began to receive good money. Gambling took over his mind. Because of this, he soon had to leave the post of sheriff. Then only endless tournaments were waiting. Life rolled into the abyss: alcohol, constant risk, communication with certain segments of the population did their job. However, death came unexpectedly.

Hitchcock died right at the poker table from a shot in the back. It was a normal day for him. However, everything did not go according to plan. And now, two black eights and two aces of the same kind are in his hands. They became the last combination that this person held in his hands. There are disputes about the fifth card, but today we cannot reliably talk about it. The main thing is that the specified set of four cards became decisive. Since then, it has been called the “Dead man’s hand”.

Did you get aces and eights in the game? Perhaps you will feel a light breeze and the distant sound of a gunshot. The spirit of Hitchcock remembers why the poker player died. But this is just a legend. The days of shooting in poker clubs remained in the 19th century. Fortunately. And today you can play your favorite game in any of the poker rooms.