What was the fifth card of the dead man's hand?

Question

What was the fifth card of the dead man's hand? Was there any proven information about fifth card of dead man's hand?

Answer 1

First of all, what is the dead man's hand? From Wikipedia;

The make up of poker's dead man's hand has varied through the years. Currently, the dead man's hand is described as a two-pair poker hand consisting of A♣A♠8♣8♠. Along with an unknown "hole" card, these were the cards reportedly held by "Old West" folk hero, lawman and gunfighter, Wild Bill Hickok, when he was assassinated.

In the fift card section on the same page;

In accounts that mention two aces and eights, there are various claims regarding the identity of Hickok's fifth card, suggestions that he had discarded one card or that the draw was interrupted by the shooting and Hickok therefore never received his fifth card.

Historical displays in the town of Deadwood, including one in a reconstruction of the original saloon, display the 9⋄ as the fifth card. The Lucky Nugget Gambling Hall, at the historic site of Nuttal & Mann's Saloon, displays a J⋄ instead. The Adams Museum in Deadwood has a display that claims to be the actual Bulldog Squeezers Playing Cards held by Hickok ( A⋄ , A♣, 8♥, 8♠, and the Q♥). The old Stardust Casino on the Las Vegas Strip had used a 5⋄ in related displays.

As we can see, there are a lot of rumor about this subject. Also there is a web site called DeadMansHand.us;

The earliest known reference to a dead man's poker hand is from 1886 and it is there described as three jacks and a pair of tens. It was, however, not a reference to Wild Bill Hickok's hand. Although the evidence is lacking, it is generally "accepted" that Hickok's hand was A♠, A♣, 8♠ and 8♣. There are many claims as to what the fifth card was and there is even reason to believe that it had been discarded and that Bill was drawing his final card when he was shot dead. Whether the fifth card was queen of diamonds, jack of diamonds, five of diamonds, nine of diamonds or queen of clubs, all of which have been suggested in various contexts, it is likely that Hickok was already holding the winning hand and that the fifth card would not have changed anything.

tl;dr

Unfortunately, we never know what was the fifth card!

Answer 2

It was the 5 of diamonds more than likely, shot in back of head fall on cards, blood drips on 5 of diamonds card and make it look like 9 of diamonds. No way it could be Q, or J. come on J's wild... These are grown men that were playing not old ladies playing go fish. Try with a red marker to make a 5 look like a 9 of diamonds, then try to make it look like a Q or J, remember like blood dripping from head on cards. But know one knows he still had the winning hand and died. Sometimes when you win you really lose.

Answer 3

Re: Dead Man's Hand (Wild Bill Hickock) Black Aces & Eights. 'Never know what the fifth card was'. According to 'spirits anonymous' it was the 5 of diamonds. 'Olde Stardust' in Vegas was correct!

Answer 4

It was a queen of hearts. The man who picked the hand up off the floor when Hickok died handed the hand down to his son. His son made a report to a news reporter that he had Black Aces and Eights with a Queen of diamonds as the kicker. Also the Queen had a drop of blood on it.

Answer 5

The 5th card was 5 of diamonds not a 9 of diamonds i did my research for a long time and studied the cards that bill was holding and he was holding 5 of diamonds even with the blood splatter and this is for a fact not a thory