THE DEAD MAN’S HAND

The Dead Man’s hand is a two pair-poker hand consisting of two black aces and two black eights. This famous hand gained its name from the folk lore hero (lawman and gunslinger) Wild Bill Hickok, who had the cards in his hand when he was shot and killed playing at a Deadwood poker table in 1876.

THE ACE OF SPADES

The ace of spades, while being the most valuable card in a deck, has gained a reputation of being a symbol for strength, luck, and death. This card was heavily used by the U.S army during the Vietnam war as a calling card symbolizing death.

A ROYAL FLUSH

The royal flush is the best possible hand one can obtain in a game of poker. Consisting of a 10, a joker, king, queen, and ace, all in the same suit. The idea of a royal flush has become synonymous with gambling culture, being a sought after on any poker table.

A BLACKJACK

Blackjack has become one of the most popular casino style card games in the world…and for good reason. The premise of blackjack is simple: draw cards to get as close to 21 as possible without going over in order to beat the dealer. With about a 5% chance, players have a chance to draw a perfect 21 on their starting 2 cards.

MY LUCKY NUMBER: 22

22 has always been my lucky number. It’s always helped me in making decisions and played a major role in my band’s name (Saints 22). I can’t remember why 22 became my lucky number – it could’ve just thought it looked and sounded cool. Who knows?

Thanks for reading this far! This is my second to last article, and I had a lot of fun with the idea and process of making this piece. I’ve always been interested in casino and gambling culture, and have always been fascinated by playing cards. I had a really fun time getting these pictures and I hope you all enjoyed them as well! Thank you for your continued support to the Spartan Scoop!