Playing cards carry a natural air of legend and mystery.
I suppose that makes for one potential reason why playing cards were periodically banned throughout history: If you played cards, then you must have been a very serious sinner – if you weren’t outright considered to be a sorcerer or witch.
Today, I hope that playing cards retain their mystery, but not the supernatural myths attached to them. Superstition, during many previous points in history, have been deadly to say the least.
But that doesn’t mean card players don’t have their legends!
Have you ever heard of the rumoured Dead Man’s hand in poker, or the theory that the court cards were based on true rulers?
Take a look at these 5 crazy legends (for card players).
1. The Dead Man’s Hand
Wild Bill Hickok lived a life which inspired a thousand different western-style stories – and possibly, an entire genre of books and movies by itself.
He was one of the most notorious gunslingers of his time. Even today, his rap sheet would be a notoriously impressive one.
Now, the story of the Dead Man’s Hand comes from the hand which Hickok was supposedly holding at the time of his death during a poker game.
Legend says that the hand holds a pair of black Aces and eights.
Hopefully, Hickok was the last card player who got shot holding it.
2. The Computer Hand
Within poker, there’s something called the Computer Hand – and it’s been repeated by more than enough players to make it a thing of legend.
When poker hands are simulated on a computer by probability, the so-called Computer Hand comes up with a much superior likelihood to get the player anywhere.
Other hands have been tested, but somehow the Computer Hand keeps coming up.
If you’re wondering, it’s a hand containing the Q-7.
Ghost in the machine, perhaps?
3. The Playing Card Killer
Alfredo Galán Sotillo was arrested for the murder of six victims in total (though attempts on several more) on July the 3rd, 2003. If you’re wondering, his preferred method of murder was gunshot.
He’s on this list because he earned himself the name of the Playing Card Killer.
He must have took the term “calling card” literally. He left an Ace of Spades after a killing, and the name soon caught on.
Shouldn’t he have been called the Tarot Card Killer instead?
He was eventually sentenced to 142 years and 3 months for his crimes,
4. Court Cards & People
If you’ve read any resources on card decks and where they come from, this legend will almost certainly have appeared somewhere.
Many card resources say that court cards were based on real rulers from historical times. Now, while this is true for some modern decks that were created with this idea in mind, authoritative card resources say that this was not the idea for older decks.
Court cards were not based on people, at least not initially.
If you don’t believe it, popular website HowStuffWorks has a clearer explanation of this common playing card origin myth. It even gets mentioned in other blogs if you dig, like this one from PlayingCardDecks.com.
5. The Duke Of Cumberland Hand
The Duke of Cumberland hand refers to a rumoured (or if you will, legendary) bridge hand that was dealt in a game played by ruler King George III.
He was in charge from 1760 to 1801, for readers who need some more historical perspective on this particular royal.
Apparently, this hand lost a £20,000 wager.
It also makes an appearance in the James Bond tale, battling Hugo Drax.