The Dead Man’s Hand: The Poker Hand with a Body Count

Jun 1 2019

5 min. read

The Dead Man’s Hand: The Poker Hand with a Body Count

Updated on July 20, 2025

What’s your favourite hand? It’s a simple question, but your answer says a lot about you. Maybe you said Aces. It’s the sensible answer, but it’s also the most boring, typical of someone who only cares about winning in poker.

If you joked, “It’s 72, because it keeps me out of trouble,” then you’re probably a cautious or pessimistic player, admittedly with a good sense of humour.

And if you said “left,” well, you probably missed the point.

If, on the other hand, Ace-Eight rolled off your tongue with ease, you’ve come to the right place! This article is where dead man hand poker lives!

Play What You Like!

One of the best aspects of poker is the freedom it offers. Unless you’re a streamer, there’s nobody to answer to, no end-of-quarter review, and no five-star rating to worry about. It’s a solo game where you have the luxury of doing and playing whatever poker hand you want.

Your decisions don’t even need to make sense, though it’s usually better if they do.

Most people aren't pros, and the hands they choose to play often come down to their success and experience. Some people prefer lucky 77 to JJ, for example, especially if they've had some ugly beats in the recent past.

Others are a little more ambitious and would give up their firstborn for a chance to see a flop with A♠️T♠️. Then there's the goofy among us who giggle as we toss in 20% of our stack with 69s. Nice!

But just as we have favourites, we have our heartbreakers: hands that always seem to screw us over. Like 6s8s, which has caused many players more trauma than the crush who dumped them three days before prom to go with someone else… It's ok. We're over it. Honestly, only took a few dartboards.

However painful your experience with a hand may be, it’ll never be as traumatic as one man’s relationship with the Dead Man’s Hand - which is today’s topic.

What is the Dead Man’s Hand?

Officially, the Dead Man’s Hand poker ranking is a two-pair, made from two black Aces and two black Eights.

It originally comes from stud poker, where players receive five cards each. But you can play dead man hand poker in Texas Hold’em with a bit of help from the community cards.

Why is it called the Dead Man’s Hand?

It might sound like hyperbole, but the Dead Man’s Hand is one of those “does what it says on the tin” kind of situations. That’s because it was the hand Wild Bill Hickok (cool name, by the way) was allegedly holding when he got shot in 1876.

However, on this occasion, his usual seat was occupied, and he reluctantly sat with his back to the saloon door. A man named Jack McCall had been waiting to call Bill’s poker bluff. Armed (ironically) with a Peacemaker pistol and a name worthy of any poker story villain, he barged in, muttered something angry, and fired Bill’s brains across the table.

Talk about splashing the pot! Just like that, Wild Bill became Dead Bill!

According to legend, Hickok died holding two black Aces and two black Eights (though it is unclear how he reached Showdown). There's some debate about the fifth card. Some say it was the Queen of Hearts; others say it was never revealed.

Given the absurdity of the story, we wouldn’t be surprised if it were a Jack, since it was a Jack pulling the trigger.

Is the Story True?

**Why is it called the Dead Man’s Hand?**

Nobody knows if the story is true, of course. The phrase “Dead Man’s Hand” wasn’t even tied to Hickok’s death until decades later. Though Bill was shot and killed, historians point out there’s no written record of his hand. He could’ve had anything in these types of poker games.

And even if he were, the hand would have been lost in the commotion following the shooting. Poker players hate to leave a good game, but staying put as bullets fly past is a new level of degeneracy!

If it is true, it’s pretty badass to imagine someone reacting to the shooting by nonchalantly taking a cigar out of their mouth, swatting Bill’s brains off the table and saying, “Showdown, please.” Now, that’s a new level of dead man hand poker!

Dead Man’s Hand Poker Examples

Despite its reputation, the Dead Man’s Hand has saved a few lives, too.

At the 2010 WSOP, Johnny Lodden found himself all-in with A♠8♠ against pocket queens. He flopped Aces and Eights, breaking the hearts of both Queens and allowing Lodden to live to bluff another day.

Negreanu and Hansen had a run-in on High Stakes Poker:

Negreanu held A♣8♣ on an A♠ 8♦ 4♠ flop.
Gus tried to get creative, but Daniel shipped a juicy pot.

How Good Is the Dead Man’s Hand?

Like most poker hands, the value of the Dead Man’s Hand depends on the context and poker probability.

On dry unpaired boards, two pair is usually quite strong, especially heads-up.
Likewise, A8 on A853J is much stronger than 88 on AKA66.

Even though two pair will usually be enough to win the pot, the best thing about the Dead Man’s hand is undoubtedly its name and history.

Now you know all about the Dead Man’s Hand, here’s a quiz to see what stuck.

Quiz: True or False?

So, have you been paying attention? Time to prove it.

Here are ten statements, all loosely based on fact, folklore, and poker degeneracy. True or false?

The Dead Man’s Hand is made up of two red Aces and two red Eights.
Wild Bill Hickok was holding the Dead Man’s Hand when he got shot... allegedly.
Jack McCall used a weapon ironically known as the Peacemaker to shoot Hickok.
Hickok usually insisted on sitting with his back to the saloon door.
The fifth card in Hickok’s hand was the Queen of Hearts.
The name “Dead Man’s Hand” was linked to Hickok’s death at the time it happened.
Poker players are renowned for remaining calm and continuing the game during saloon shootouts.
Johnny Lodden once made the Dead Man’s Hand to crack pocket Queens at the WSOP.
Gus Hansen flopped the Dead Man’s Hand against Daniel Negreanu on High Stakes Poker.
The value of the Dead Man’s Hand depends on board texture and context, like most hands.