dead man's hand

Meaning

Noun

• A pair of aces and a pair of eights (especially, the black aces and eights), in a player's hand.
• An ace and an eight as a starting hand in Texas hold 'em
• Other various hands, among them a full house of three jacks and two tens.

Related

Similar words

• aces and eights / eights and aces

Origin

• The aces and eights sense is from a legend that Wild Bill Hickok was holding such cards at the time he was killed in 1876.