Do you wear red underwear and blow on the cards when gambling on your favorite casino game? Perhaps you cross your fingers and stand up to play after you’ve entered the casino via the back door? If not, many gamblers believe you probably should do all these things, and more, to produce a win when gambling at the casino tables.
Superstitions have been around since the dawn of time, with their weird and wacky rituals convincing us that luck and prosperity will come our way. And almost no place sees superstitions being put into practice more than at a casino.
If you’re looking to entice lady luck to pay you a visit when you’re gambling, read on to find what superstitious practices people around the world do to try to win money from casino games.
Superstitions to Bring Good Fortune
Blowing on the Dice, Cards or Coins
Made famous by Hollywood movies, these days it’s a common sight to see players blowing on their dice before throwing them out onto the table and hoping they’ll come up with a win. Dice blowing is often seen in craps games, thought by many to bring lady luck to the games for a generous win.
Historians believe the act of blowing on the dice for good luck dates back decades or even centuries to times when gamblers would attempt to cheat by dusting one side of the dice with a sticky residue to activate it and weigh it down when blown on. Others believe it simply was common practice to clean the dust and muck off from dice when used in street games. Some players also blow on their cards for good luck, or their coins before inserting them into a slot machine.
Wearing Red
Red is considered by many cultures to be a lucky color, especially in Asia, where it is believed to bring wealth and prosperity. It’s considered to be so lucky in Chinese culture that women in China often marry wearing a red dress and people give money as gifts in red envelopes.
To bring good fortune, many Asian gamblers will visit casinos wearing a red item of clothing (even red underwear!) or red shoes in the hope it will bring them good luck.
Some players also believe that betting on red will bring good luck. For example, more players bet on red in roulette than black, although the statistical probability of the two is identical.
Standing While Playing
Sitting with crossed legs when playing casino games is thought to encourage bad luck, but there’s a popular superstitious belief that standing will give you more luck, as will sitting without crossing your legs.
Of course, there’s no logical basis for this but the belief comes from players remembering the position they were in when they had a big win and feeling the safer option is to continue playing in the same position.
Crossing Fingers and Closing Eyes
People believe gambling luck comes in many forms so some casino customers feel that crossing their fingers or closing their eyes as the dice rolls, the cards are revealed or the roulette wheel spins is a way to bring them all the luck they need for a big win.
Not just limited to gambling superstitions, similar sorts of gestures occur away from the casino tables too, as many of us cross our fingers (or say so, at least) in the hope of something going to plan.
Tapping the Computer Screen
It’s now commonplace to enjoy gambling at online casinos, so how do players get lucky at the tables when they gamble online? Each player is likely to have certain rituals that they use every now and then. Some may whisper words of encouragement under their breath, chant a good luck mantra, cover or tap the screen. Others may shout out their lucky numbers to bring luck to a dice throw, reel spin or card deal.
Shouting at the Roulette Ball
While some players gently whisper hopeful words in the direction of the cards or dice, others feel shouting expletives at the roulette ball as it spins will bring them the gambling luck they require. If that’s your thing, go for it, but it’s best to do it at an online casino from the privacy of your home. You don’t want security paying you a visit by swearing loudly and making a scene at a land-based casino!
Lucky Numbers
Around the world, there are seemingly endless beliefs over which numbers are lucky and which are unlucky. Almost all casino players have what they consider to be lucky numbers that bring them more luck than others, and they try to draw upon these numbers when betting at the games.
Odd numbers are thought by many to be luckier than even numbers, as they can’t be divided as easily as even numbers and so they’re considered stronger candidates for good luck. Despite this, many people also feel number 12 is one of the luckiest numbers.
The number 8 is considered a lucky number in Asian cultures, as are three sevens. Generally speaking, most people around the world consider the luckiest numbers to be 3, 4, 8, 9, 12, 21 and 77.
Getting up and Making to Leave
One of the most far-fetched beliefs is one held by some slots players who believe that if they’ve had a run of back luck, if they stand up and appear to leave it will show the slot machine it’s time for them to win big.
Good Luck Charms for Gambling
It’s not unusual to see casino players holding a lucky charm tightly, kissing something in their hand, or wearing something special around their neck for good luck at the games. Lucky symbols like a good luck charm are widely used by people and players all around the world, not just for gambling, but to bring health and prosperity in general.
Good luck charms can be as simple as something with meaning or sentimentality that a person holds dear, or traditional lucky charms like a rabbit’s foot or four-leaf clover, to more obscure items that are felt to have some sort of divine power that brings success.
Some of the most popular lucky charms include:
- Four-leaf clover – one of the most recognizable lucky charms, the four-leaf clover is a good luck charm that dates back to the origins of St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland, and is considered in Western culture so rare that it’s a sign of good luck if found.
- Lucky rabbit’s foot – the superstitious belief that a rabbit’s foot is lucky is held by many people around the world, including in North and South America, Europe, Africa and China.
- Lucky horseshoe – pagan belief has many in Western cultures associating a horseshoe with luck.
- Hamsa hand – the eye on this palm-shaped charm is believed in Middle Eastern and North African cultures to produce good spirits who ward off the evil eye of bad spirits.
- Elephants – elephants with their trunks held upwards are believed in feng shui to provide good luck, strength, resilience, power and wisdom.
- Cat’s eye gem – this semi-precious gemstone is often worn as a ring, bracelet or necklace as a good luck gambling omen.
- Acorns – the nut of the oak tree has been thought to be a good luck charm throughout British history, providing good health and bringing fortune.
- Laughing buddha – popular in Japan and China, it’s thought to produce good luck and financial prosperity.
- Lucky penny – possibly dating back to the days when metals were hard to come by, finding a penny is considered to be good luck.
Superstitions Thought to Bring Bad Luck
Here are a few superstitions many casino players think they’re best to avoid when they gamble.
Crossing Your Legs
The belief is that when gamblers wager while sitting down with crossed legs it creates a barrier that doesn’t allow good fortune to flow.
Playing on “Unlucky” Numbers
In Western culture, the number 13 is thought to be unlucky and many people try to avoid it in any way they can. In Chinese culture, the number 4 is considered to be unlucky as it sounds like the word for death.
Whistling as You Play
Other than provoking the ire of fellow gamblers, whistling at the table makes for a session of bad luck, according to some casino players. It’s thought this superstition may have come from the belief that when British sailors whistled, strong and dangerous winds hounded the seas.
Entering a Casino Through the Front Entrance
Many Asian gamblers feel it’s a safer bet to enter a casino through the back entrance rather than the front. It’s thought this ritual started when MGM Grand in Las Vegas added a hugely intimidating lion’s mouth to the entrance that some patrons felt was cursed and were reluctant to walk through.
Counting Your Money at the Table
One of the more popular superstitions, the belief that counting your money at the table brings bad luck, originated in the early days of poker games when players wouldn’t count their chip stacks at the poker table until the end of the game.
The Jury is Out On What Itchy Hands Mean!
Different cultures believe different things, and some cultures feel having itchy hands signifies a win is on its way, while other cultures believe it’s a bad sign.
Native American and ancient African cultures hold the superstition that having itchy hands is an omen provided by a supernatural power to suggest luck and fortune are close by. Meanwhile, some people in European countries, like Bulgaria, believe it’s a sign of misfortune being on the horizon.
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