Who was Wild Bill?
James Butler Hickok was born in Illinois in 1837 and established himself as a seasoned marksman and adventurer in his youth. He served as a scout during the American Civil War and later became a sheriff in various towns. His name inspired fear and he successfully built a reputation as an unbeatable marksman. His reputation often transcended reality, and Hickok himself built his reputation through the many bizarre and very often fabricated stories he spread about himself. To this day, he remains one of the most iconic figures of the Old West.
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But Wild Bill wasn't just a stakes man - his second home was the poker tables. People said he had an uncanny knack for 5-card stud, then the most widely played version of poker. He had his habits - he never sat with his back to the door, he was very cautious, and he took his instincts deadly seriously.
The fateful 2nd of August 1876
On that hot summer day, Hickok was in Deadwood, South Dakota, where the gold rush was underway. He entered Nuttal & Mann's saloon and sat down at the poker table. Since the seat where he usually sat (with his back to the wall, facing the entrance) was occupied, he had to make an exception and sat with his back to the door.
During the game, young Jack McCall, who had lost money in a game with Hickok only the day before, walked into the saloon. Without warning, he approached from behind and shot him in the head. Hickok died instantly. In his hand he was dealt a hand: two black Aces A s A c and an 8 of 8 s 8 c. The fifth card was never determined with certainty.
This hand has since become a legend - known as the Dead Man's Hand. To this day, this symbol is associated with death, fate and danger in poker and beyond.
Trial, revenge and legend
Jack McCall first tried to justify the shooting by claiming that Hickok had once killed his brother. Surprisingly, the Deadwood Committee acquitted him at first, but he was later re-arrested, tried in other jurisdictions, and executed a year later.
Wild Bill's death was the first recorded murder right at the poker table. The story spread quickly and became a symbol of the dangers of gambling and the fatal flaw. It gave poker folklore a mystical air.
The story of Wild Bill Hickok is more than just the story of a poker murder. It is the legend of a man who lived on the edge - literally and figuratively. From hero to victim, his life became the epitome of the Wild West, where poker, guns, and fate all met at the same table.
Sources - Wiki, Playing Card Decks, History Daily
