Dead man's hand – James Butler Hickok (Wild Bill)

On August 2, 1876, legendary Sheriff James Butler Hickok (1837-1876), also know as Wild Bill, walked into a Nuttal & Mann's Saloon No. 10 in Deadwood, Dakota. He went there for a game of poker.

Since he had developed a fear that someone might shoot him from behind, as a precaution, he usually sat with his back to the wall.

Unfortunately, on that day, the only seat available was a chair that put his back to a door.

While playing, he asked twice the other players to change seats with him, but they refused.

After a while, a former buffalo hunter named John McCall walked into the saloon unnoticed.  He approached Hickok from behind and shot him in the back of the head.

Hickok was killed instantly.

In his hands he was holding a pair of aces and a pair of eights, all black.

Since then, this hand in poker is called “dead man’s hand”.