The altercation took place at Nuttal & Mann’s Saloon in Deadwood, South Dakota Territory. Ever since, the hand has been synonymous with Hickok’s death. Hickok’s hand was aces and eights, with the ace of spades and the ace of clubs, and the same suits for the eights.Īfter the hand, John McCall, another gambler Hickok had won money from recently, shot Hickok in the back of the head. Legend has it that “Wild Bill” Hickok was playing a game of either five-card stud or five-card draw. The origin of the Dead Man’s hand dates back to 1876 in a story straight out of the Wild West. Wild Bill Hickok and the story of the dead man’s hand Let’s learn more about the dead man’s hand. The nickname carries over to this specific two-pair in any poker game being played. In the game, his final winning hand was two pair, aces and eights. It’s named the Dead Man’s Hand in honor of Wild Bill Hickok, who was famously killed after a poker game. Dead Man’s Hand is a popular nickname for the five-card hand of aces and eights, specifically the ace-eight of spades and the ace-eight of clubs.
