"It was the last poker hand U.S. Marshall Wild Bill Hickok ever held.
Get your hands on a deck and deal his winning cards out to us."

Hi Zenny1212 ~

On August 2, 1876, Wild Bill Hickok played his last game of poker in
the No. 10 Saloon in Deadwood, South Dakota.

Hikok preferred sitting with his back to the wall when he played, but
the game he joined had only one seat open, putting his back to the
door. Joining the game proved to be a fatal mistake, when Jack McCall
slipped in to within 3 feet of Hickok and shot him in the back of the
head with a .45.

The poker hand Wild Bill Hickok was holding a pair of black aces and
black eights. The black Aces and Eights has been known as the "dead
man's hand" ever since.

You can read more about it in the article, "Aces, Eights and Number
Ten - Wild Bill Hickock's Death" By T.D. Griffith for American History
Magazine.
   - http://americanhistory.about.com/library/prm/blwildbillplayedside.htm?terms=hickok


A limited edition collage "Wild Bill Hickok's 'Dead Mans' Hand" is
available from Mountain Traditions Gallery for $144 here:
   - http://www.mountaintraditions.com/Wild_Bill_Hickok.html


Deadwood Discovered has an historical accounting here:
   - http://www.deadwooddiscovered.com/history/last-stop.html


And further historical notes with a decent photograph of Wild Bill here:
   - http://4thmoon.com/living/hickok.htm


Thanks for asking this interesting question. Although I had remembered
Aces and Eights as being the "dead man's hand", it was a chance to
actually read about the information.

Regards,

Serenata
Google Answers Researcher

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Request for Answer Clarification by zenny1212-ga on 07 Nov 2003 18:30 PST

my only concern to this is that the questions asks for a poker hand,
which by definition is "five cards in a game of poker". second if he
is shot holding the cards was there ever really a winner to the game?

I wanted to see if anyone would catch the possible riddle(no answer)? 

I'm not sure.....maybe the simple answer is the right answer.

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Clarification of Answer by serenata-ga on 07 Nov 2003 19:24 PST

Hi Zenny1212 ~

The 'poker hand' would be the 'dead man's hand', two pair, aces and
eights ... the fifth card was irrelevant, I should think.

Hickok's famous hand, is the one I described.

Hope this helps,

Serenata