My knowledge of poker, and most card games besides Crazy 8’s for that matter, is very limited. I can never remember the rules and honestly can’t tell you the difference between a straight and a flush. However, there is one hand of poker I’ve known about for as long as I can remember my dad telling us stories about the Wild West.

This would be Wild Bill Hickok’s Dead Man’s Hand. For any poker-challenged readers out there, let me explain further…

In case you’re not familiar with Wild Bill, I’ll give you a brief history. His true name was James Butler Hickok and was born in Illinois. He spent his past working in law enforcement as a deputy and a marshal and as a scout for the Union Army. He had ties with General William Sherman, General George Custer and Buffalo Bill Cody. He was known for being quick-tempered and also slightly quick-to-the trigger of his gun, giving him the infamous Wild West hero reputation he is known for today. (For more info on Wild Bill, take a look at the Adam’s Museum).

Wild Bill made his way to Deadwood in 1876 and spent a good part of his time gambling. On August 2, he had taken part in a poker game at Saloon 10, and even though he had always insisted on sitting with his back to the wall (this way he could see the saloon entrance), another player had already taken the seat. That day, Jack McCall entered the saloon and shot Wild Bill from behind, killing him instantly.

What cards did Wild Bill have when he died? Two Aces and two Eights, which became known as the Dead Man’s Hand.

All of you poker fans out there might be wondering the identity of the fifth card. Well, there is much speculation surrounding this information. Some believe the fifth card to have been the Five of Diamonds, others insist it was the Nine of Diamonds, while some point to the Queen of Clubs. Also, there is controversy surrounding the suits of the Aces and Eights, with the most widely accepted belief being the pairs were in Clubs and Spades.

We’ll probably never know all of the details for sure, but today, if you’re ever holding a pair of Aces along with a pair of Eights, you’ve got the infamous Dead Man’s Hand.

Wild Bill was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 1979. Was he really that fantastic of poker player? Again, there’s speculation, but either way, he had a profound effect on the game. Don’t be surprised if you see someone refuse to finish a game because of superstitions about the Dead Man’s Hand.