The cursed poker hand

The world of poker and card games in general is full of fascinating stories, but there's one that holds many secrets: the cursed hand, better known as the "Dead Man's Hand." A card combination that has become a symbol of bad luck and death. Let's go back to 1876, in the United States, to discover the secrets of this legend...


James Hickok's Last Game

We are in Deadwood, a small town in Dakota, known at the time for its noisy saloons and smoky poker tables. Among the players that day is James Butler Hickok, a former soldier and legendary figure of the Wild West. Regulars know him as Wild Bill Hickok.

As often, Hickok takes a seat at a poker table. The game proceeds normally. Bets are placed, glances are exchanged, and the clinking of glasses accompanies the sound of chips. Then comes the crucial moment: the dealing of his hand.

Hickok subtly lifts it. It consists of two eights and two aces, all black. A powerful, but incomplete combination: a last card lies face down in front of him. It is said that he was about to turn it over... when fate struck.


Suddenly, a man appears behind him. Without a word, he points a gun at Hickok's neck and fires at point-blank range. Wild Bill collapses onto the table.

The assassin, Jack McCall, will first be briefly acquitted in an improvised trial. But a second judgment – this time official – will condemn him for murder. He will be hanged a few months later.


The Birth of the "Cursed Hand"

Since that day, poker players have recounted that the combination of black aces and eights is cursed. Some avoid playing it. Others refer to it as a sign of bad omen at the table.


Now you know why... this poker hand is considered cursed.

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