"Wild Bill" Hickock

[rgschackelford]

Howdy folks,

I just came from Deadwood, SD, where they hold a re-enactment of the shooting of "Wild Bill" Hickock four times, daily, at Saloon #10. It's a pretty cheap re-enactment, but is highly entertaining. If you're in the area, drop in and check it out. There is some good "history" that you can learn from the performance.

They won't tell you there, but here's something I had to ask. We all know that "Wild Bill's" hand when he was shot was two pair, aces over eights. But, if the game was five card draw, what was his kicker? It is not exactly known. In the Deadwood re-enactments, they use the 9d. In Keystone, SD, they use a jack, and in the one in Custer, SD, they use a queen. As a matter of fact, it is not completely sure if that was "Wild Bill's" actual hand. That is just legend passed around. But, it sure makes for a good story. I don't work for the South Dakota board of tourism, but it sure is a must-see for poker lovers.

Thank you all for your time, and have a good one.

RGS

[Klepton]

i can't believe i'm responding to this, but when someone told me it was the Queen of Hearts

[tek]

What suit were the aces and eights?

[popniklas]

</font><blockquote><font class="small">Svar till:</font><hr />
What suit were the aces and eights?

[/ QUOTE ]

All black.

[benfranklin]

From the rgp FAQ (the site has gone into the toilet, but the FAQ is from the olden days and usually reliable):

[ QUOTE ]
What is the Dead Man's Hand?
Author: Stephen Landrum
Last updated: 1996
Copyright © 2005 Stephen Landrum
The official and up-to-date version of this answer is here.

Legend holds that Wild Bill Hickok was shot to death during a poker game in Deadwood, South Dakota, and that the hand he held was two pair, black aces and black eights. On that most people agree. The fifth card is not known for certain. In order of credibility, the following kickers have been suggested:


Five of Diamonds
The actual card is supposedly on display in Deadwood, previously on display at the Stardust in Las Vegas.

Nine of Diamonds
Listed below in the glossary, this card was supposedly reported by first hand accounts, and is used in a recreation in Deadwood.

Queen of Clubs
On display at Ripley's Believe it or Not.

King of Spades
Appeared in the 1936 movie The Plainsman with Gary Cooper as Hickok.

[/ QUOTE ]

[hotsauce615]

That whole area is so cool. I went there last summer, all the way from NY, but also went everywhere else in the country. I could swear he had the 9d kicker at the reinactment, but I can't be precise. Anyone have the HBO Deadwood Series 1? I'm curious as to what hand he was holding in that.

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showflat.php?Cat=&amp;Number=2784395&amp;page=0&amp;view=colla psed&amp;sb=5&amp;o=14&amp;vc=1

says that it was a Jack of Diamonds. The things I do to pass time at work...