# The Dead Man's Hand **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [March 7, 2005, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dead-mans-hand/293269 "2005-03-07T00:35:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mittu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@mittu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mittu)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2005, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dead-mans-hand/293269/1 "2005-03-07T00:35:57Z")
[http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1\_307.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_307.html) In the column it is stated that Wild Bill was holding “black aces and eights” but no mention of the actual suit. I am presuming that seeing as somebody took the trouble to note that the fifth card was a 2 of spades they would also have noted what suit the other 4 cards were. It isn’t a matter of great importance of course but I ask for two reasons. 1. It seems odd that the fifth card is recorded accurately whereas with the other four only colour and ‘value’ are recorded. 2. If the “black aces and eights” were all spades then by my meagre knowledge of poker he would have had a flush, not too shabby. ---
**Author:** ![Grits\_and\_Hard\_Toast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Grits\_and\_Hard\_Toast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grits_and_Hard_Toast)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2005, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dead-mans-hand/293269/2 "2005-03-07T01:16:21Z")
He couldn’t have have all spades. To have “black aces” he would have had to have a spade and and a club. The “black eights” would have to be a spade and club. So the hand would have been ace/spades, ace/clubs eight/spades eight/clubs and 2/spades. So the best he would have was two pair. Having the the aces as the high pair is not too bad, but perhaps he was hoping for a full house, and would then be disappointed with the two. Or am I missing something? ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2005, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dead-mans-hand/293269/3 "2005-03-07T01:18:00Z")
If the other four cards were black aces and eights, then surely they must have been the ace of spades, ace of clubs, eight of spades and eight of clubs? ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2005, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dead-mans-hand/293269/4 "2005-03-07T01:46:32Z")
There are no contemporary cites as to what was in Wild Bill’s hand. Period. Links to a previous thread we’ve done about this subject: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=291677&highlight=dead+hand](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=291677&highlight=dead+hand) There were many traditions in the late 1800’s about what was called a dead man’s hand. ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2005, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dead-mans-hand/293269/5 "2005-03-08T20:22:58Z")
**Grits** – I’m no 5 card single-draw expert, but I think two pair after the draw isn’t a bad hand (though not a great hand), and could easily be a winner, especially with only five people playing. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2005, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dead-mans-hand/293269/6 "2005-03-09T16:24:35Z")
> [@Quercus](#): > > I think two pair after the draw isn’t a bad hand The problem wasn’t so much the cards as the bullet in the back. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2005, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dead-mans-hand/293269/7 "2005-03-09T16:37:34Z")
If “black” refers only to the aces and not the eights, then he could have a full boat, aces over eights. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2005, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dead-mans-hand/293269/8 "2005-03-09T16:40:12Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > If “black” refers only to the aces and not the eights, then he could have a full boat, aces over eights. Um… belay my last. ---
**Author:** ![Exgineer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Exgineer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exgineer)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2005, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dead-mans-hand/293269/9 "2005-03-09T17:28:44Z")
> [@Xema](#): > > The problem wasn’t so much the cards as the bullet in the back. of his head.