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Wild Bill Hickok
For a man who was best known for his gun handling skills, he is often not given the credit that he should receive for his gambling skills especially when it comes to Poker. James Butler Hickok better known as Bill Hickok was an exceptional card player who unfortunately was killed at a relatively young age.
Wild Bill Hickok: The Early Years
Wild Bill Hickok was born in Illinois where he had humble beginnings. He set himself up as a stage coach driver who was tough and loyal, as his reputation grew as a fearless fighter so did his gambling skills. He used to play card games at every stop and always won his games. Hickok was brave and a loyal friend and employee, he even killed a bear with a simple knife when it approached the coach he was manning. As his reputation grew so did demand for his services and from being a coach driver he became a lawman and was employed as a US Marshall in the well known gambling town of Abilene, Kansas. Here his reputation grew as a cardsharp gambler and a man not to fight with.
The Beginnings of a Famous Gambler
Hickok liked to spend his evenings in the saloons after a long days work enforcing the law, he was known not to have let any wild dogs near the outskirts of the town by killing them on site as he was known to have won every dual he ever had. His evenings were spent in the saloons drinking alcohol, enjoying the women and perfecting his Poker skills. Wild Bill Hickok never sat with his back exposed as he was totally paranoid that someone would take revenge for the many killings he had performed. He would always sit with his back to a wall in a position that he could see the entire saloon. Whenever he had a bit too much to drink his gun fighting was looser and on a couple of occasions he killed without true justification. It was one of these killings that caused him to lose his job and be sent away from Abilene.
Wild Bill Hickok Makes His Mark
Wild Bill Hickok was a fighter and did not give up when he lost his job he carried on with a zest for life and his gambling career. At this stage of his life, the young age of 39 years he made his way to Dakota where he would live out the rest of his young life. Dakota was the home of the gold rush and he knew he would find plenty of gambling partners with spare cash. Hickok had one motto in life that he lived by "you can only skin a sheep once" - once he had won a game of Poker he would not go back for more but look for another game with different players. It was in Dakota that Hickok met and married the love of his life, Calamity Jane. They settled together but never had children. Unfortunately it was also in South Dakota that Hickok met his early death in 1876. He had joined a game of Poker and since there was not a seat with his back to the wall he reluctantly sat with his back to one door and his face opposite another, he had his hand constantly on his gun. A man recognized him and surreptitiously closed in on him pretending he wanted to look at the game, he shot him in the head and killed Hickok instantly. The hand that Wild Bill Hickok was holding was made up of two Aces and two eights, to this day, that hand is known as a "dead man's hand".
Wild Bill Hickok was a law abiding citizen who killed over a hundred men in his lifetime as well as winning many Poker games with his skillful play and clever mind. He will always be known as a legend and a superb example of a smart cards man.
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