The hazards of playing poker

Wild Bill Hickok met his end on this date in 1876, playing poker in a Deadwood saloon.

He was holding a pair of aces and a pair of 8's (all black) when he was gunned down by Jack McCall. Thus, the line from the old song, "Aces and eights are the dead man's hand."

Hickok preferred to sit at the poker table with his back to the wall; he really hated sitting with his back to the door -- as he was when McCall shot him.

Understandable, particularly in retrospect.

If you'd rather celebrate something other than Wild Bill Hickok's demise today, you can, I suppose, celebrate National Ice Cream Sandwich Day instead. Just don't drip any ice cream on your cards.