Dead Man's Hand

OK, so we all know that Wild Bill Hickock was holding “aces and eights” when he was shot dead. So, what was the 5th card?

Not pairs-- a full house, “aces over eights.” Or, three aces, two eights. That makes five.

Naw a dead man’s hand is aces and eights. I think the fifth card was a queen, but don’t make me swear to it

According to the Poker Frequently asked questions web page, the identity of the fifth card is not known. But, listed in order of credibility, 4 possibilities were given:

  1. Five of Diamonds
  2. Nine of Diamonds
  3. Queen of Clubs
  4. King of Spades

And by the way, the other cards are indeed a pair of black aces and eights (From history web page). The Poker FAQ page can be found at http://www.conjelco.com/faq/poker.html

The history page is at
http://www.thehistorynet.com/HistoricTraveler/articles/1196_side.htm

And just for good measure, my mom says that the fifth card is the Knave of Spades. Go figure.


Jane Fairfax