Playing For Your Life: Dead Man’s Hand with a Hellraising Twist
Dead Man’s Hand with a Hellraising Twist
By contributing author, Oliver Wright.
More than any other of his myriad creations, Clive Barker is probably best known for his Hellraiser series of films. At a time when audiences were getting bored with derivatives of Michael Myers, the master of horror crafted a story about hellspawn so dark and uniquely disturbing that it rejuvenated horror movie aficionados to flock to the theaters once more.
Hellraiser brought forth to audiences a sensual fear of demons the likes of which haven’t been seen since The Exorcist. It combined that movie’s sense of twisted intimacy with sadomasochism (along with all the psychological implications it brings), giving moviegoers one of the very rare instances where gore and horror mix together perfectly.
The success of Hellraiser spawned eight more movies, along with a series of comic books expanding on the mythology. While Barker left much of the production duties of the cinematic sequels to other people, he did still play an active role in the comic anthologies, serving as consultant to every submitted story. One of these stories is an interesting take on an Old West poker game titled Dead Man’s Hand, obviously taking inspiration from its namesake’s legend.
For those not in the know, “dead man’s hand” in poker parlance refers to a two-pair hand of eights and aces. The hand got its name from the aforementioned legend which tells of the shooting and murder of Old West folk hero and lawman Wild Bill Hickok. It is said that when he was shot dead in the back of the head by Jack McCall, this was the hand he was holding, hence the name.
The (disputedly fictional) tale served as an inspiration for many other stories since, including a turn in the Hellraiser comics. The story, written by Sholly Fisch and illustrated by Dan Spiegle, is also set in the Old West, and tells of a family man named Jed Lawson. He did some bad in his life, but also did some good. This is why when the Devil, in the guise of a wandering stranger, came to collect Jed’s soul; he allowed Jed a 50-50 chance through a round of five-card draw. Beside the stranger was Lemarchand’s Box. If Jed lost, he would be sucked into the realms of Hell. If he won, he would be bestowed with “the greatest gift of all.”
Suffice it to say, Jed didn’t know for sure what was at stake, but something about the stranger’s presence told him that refusal would be futile, so he accepted the challenge. In a series of draws that puts Betfair’s Play-by-Play Betting Analysis to the test, the stranger had a 6, 8, 9, and 10, all of spades, while Jed held the titular dead man’s hand. The stranger had a chance for a straight, a flush, or a straight flush. Jed, on the other hand, had a chance for a full house.
In the end though, a neutral card was drawn, giving Jed’s two-pair the win. The “greatest gift” which was to be his prize? The stranger opted not to open the box after all.
In contrast to the usual Barker fare, Dead Man’s Hand was a story that was quieter in execution, but no less thrilling, and definitely deserving of a place in the Hellraiser canon. It all boils down to setting the atmosphere, of which Barker’s creation is in no short supply.
