| 25.08.20 | 0 Comments

Top5CasinoSites Complete Guide to Casino Superstitions

Gamblers are famous for having different rituals and beliefs that are supposed to bring them good luck and wins, or if used incorrectly curse them with bad luck and losses.  These gambling rituals and superstitions have been around forever, so where are they actually coming from? Research has shown that when people are stressed and uncertain, they turn to familiar habits and routines that gives them some reassurance and feeling of control.

NBA hero Michael Jordan used to wear high North Carolina shorts under his Chicago Bulls ones during games for good luck, Guns N’ Roses front man Axel Rose believes that cities starting with an M are cursed will never perform there, and cowboy actor John Wayne never put his hat on the bed because he was afraid it will bring him bad luck.

As expected, gamblers that depend on luck for huge winnings or devastating losses will also have their own set superstitions.  While some say that casino players have short memory and tend to forget the times their superstitions failed them, many of these rituals are based on interesting facts and traditions, whilst others are considered by many a joke.  Our gambling experts at Top5CasinoSites have created for you this detailed guide with the most common superstitions amongst gamblers, so let’s take a look.

Casino Superstitions for Good Luck

Whether physically going to top land-based casinos, or visiting the best online gambling sites, players and other gamblers will usually look for any little or big they can help to bring lady luck around.  So here are a few of the most common casino superstitions that are supposed to help you win at the casino.

Unlucky in Love, Lucky in Gambling

There is a myth that associates a failing love life with lucky gambling, but this gambling superstition can be challenged because there are many very successful gamblers that had luck not only in the game, but also with their love life.  One of the world’s richest professional gamblers, math genius Bill Benter is happily married with a wife and children.  The inventor of card counting Edward E. Thorp who made millions in blackjack was happily married for 50 years.  As we care about you, the Top5CasinoSites team recommends you do not break up any marriages or romances before heading to the casino!

Fingers Crossed and More Rituals

There are many small rituals that casino players practice right before taking a bet.  Common ones include knocking on wood, crossing fingers, stacking chips, calling out card numbers and some even believe that kissing a partner will land a luck bet, so you better come to the casino with a close companion.

There are sports betting punters that are that are known to cross their fingers and/or knock on wood before locking their bets on their favourite teams.  We’ve seen a lot of that happening with sports bettors performing rituals in betting retail shops, but we are sure it’s also happening when doing online betting from the comfort of their own home.

Wearing Red at the Casino

Steve Dannenmann, runner up of 2005 World Series of Poker wore the same shirt and cap for seven days straight during the tournament.  There are gamblers that wear to the casino lucky shirts, shoes, hats and more.  But while many casino players have lucky clothes of any colour, this superstition is based on a tradition that has more history.  Namely the colour red which represents wealth, joy, luck and other good things in Chinese culture; and is therefore the colour of choice in many celebratory events.  For example, in a Chinese wedding red is used everywhere include on the money envelops, décor and even the bride’s dress.  We at Top5CasinoSites can therefore recommend you try your luck with the 32Red Online Casino!

Unsurprisingly, research has shown that people usually gamble a lot more on red than black when playing at casino tables.  There are also those that believe that a red item that was received as a gift will bring good luck, so Top5CasinoSites suggests that you start dropping hints with your friends.

Blowing on the Dice

In Guys and Dolls, the 1955 movie starring Marlon Brando, he asks Lady Luck not to “wander all over the room and blow on some other guy’s dice”.  More than half a decade later, dads, moms and kids still blow the on the dice before rolling it for a winning hand in a family game of monopoly.

There’s a legend that some casino cheaters in the old days would smear one side of the dice with glue that was activated by moisture and then blow on it before rolling so it lands them a winning bet.  Nobody is sure if this casino superstition is based on legend or fact.  So if you see a gambler blowing on his dice don’t rush to get casino security, our Top5CasinoSites team guesses he’s probably just being superstitious.

Sitting or Standing While Gambling

If you are standing when putting money into the slot machine, you should not sit down until you finish your spins.  Or alternatively if you are sitting at a blackjack table you should never get up until the last card is dealt and the game is finished.  This is based on the belief that if you change your position, it may change your luck.

There are some gamblers that take this casino superstition even further and will either sit or stand for the entire time at the casino.  So our Top5CasinoSites team recommends you bring your most comfortable pair of shoes (We cannot guarantee that your homey slippers will fit with the casino’s dress code though).

Gambling Lucky Charms

A rabbit foot, horseshow and four-leaved clover are some of the popular lucky charms that gamblers bring with them to the casino or the track when placing bets on horseracing.  There are many gamblers that always carry in the casino a certain clothing item, hat or piece of jewellery that brought them luck before and they now consider to be their lucky item.  We at Top5CasinoSites even remember ten-time World Series of Poker winner Johnny Chan bringing an orange to every poker game he plays.

Bad Luck Casino Superstitions

Like good luck and winnings, bad luck and losses is also a big part of gambling.  So exactly like superstitious gamblers practise rituals to bring themselves good luck, they avoid at all costs behaviours that are believed to bring bad luck.  Top5CasinoSites gathered some of the biggest things to avoid based on casino superstitions:

Crossing Legs

Contrary to crossing fingers for good luck which is perfectly acceptable, crossing legs when placing bets in a casino is considered a huge taboo because it is believed to ‘cross out’ good luck.  It may sound a bit strange, but our Top5CasinoSites experts that visit many casinos regularly for their reviews have noticed that this casino superstition is practiced by many players who would never cross their legs while playing roulette, blackjack or any other table game.

Entering the Casino through the Front Entrance

This casino superstition is based on the belief that very few people would leave the casino when they are winning, therefore most of the people that walk out are those experiencing bad luck and are tired of losing.  For this reason, many gamblers do not walk into the casino through the front door in fear of that bad luck being rubbed off on them after coming into contact with those leaving.

When discussing this gambling superstition, our team at Top5CasinoSites recalled that when the MGM Grand was a new casino, many gamblers never wanted to use the main entrance because in tribute to the MGM logo, it was shaped as a big, roaring lion’s mouth.  As ‘walking into the lion’s mouth’ and ‘being eaten alive’ is considered extremely unlucky in Chinese culture, it was believed that many Chinese gamblers stayed away from the MGM.  The entrance was changed in 1998 and no gambler has been reported to be eaten alive in the MGM Grand ever since (at least not by a lion).

Another option would be to use one of the top-ranking online casinos in the country.  It’s safe, regulated, 100% legal and you won’t need to worry about which entrance to use!

Using $50 Bills

Due to a very common casino superstition, many players will refuse to use or accept at the casino cage $50 notes as using these in the casino can bring upon a lot of bad luck.  Looking a bit more into where this casino superstition came from, Top5CasinoSites editors learned that it stems from the times the mafia used to rule Las Vegas, and legend has it that when mobsters used to kill someone they stuck a $50 note in the victim’s jacket before burying the body in the Nevada desert.

Thankfully these days with so many online casinos that accept PayPal and other online payment methods, you will never have that problem!

Counting Your Money at the Table

As say the lyrics of ‘The Gambler’, a famous song by country singer Kenny Rogers: “you never count your money when you’re sitting at the table.  There’ll be time enough for counting, when the dealin’s done”.  Not counting your money or chips while playing is one casino superstition that actually has valid reasons behind it.  Firstly as our Top5CasinoSites experts agree, counting your money during the game in front of fellow players is considered to be impolite and insensitive towards players who are losing.  And it’s also believed that flaunting your winnings is an act of pride that comes before the fall, and it will bring you bad luck.  So as we at Top5CasinoSites recommend: count your money when you are back home, it also gives you a better chance hold on to your winnings!

Unlucky and Lucky Numbers

Good and bad luck are associated with different numbers in different cultures.  In Western Cultures the number 13 is unlucky, but in China the number 4 is the most unlucky number because it sounds like ‘death’ when pronounced in Chinese.  One of our Top5CasinoSites teammates added that any mention of ‘books’ in the casino is also not recommended because when said in Chinese it sounds like ‘lose’.

The number ‘8’ sounds in Chinese a lot like ‘prosperity’ and is considered an extremely lucky number.  So whether you are Chinese or not, why not triple your luck and play online at 888 casino?!

Itchy Palms

Did you ever feel your hands are getting itchy? This casino superstition varies, so depending on where you are from you can either be up for lucky winnings, or facing an unlucky loss.  In ancient African and Native American cultures itchy hands bring good luck, unlike gambling superstitions in Bulgaria and other Eastern European countries where it is believed that itchy hands bring downright bad luck. Some sports betting punters also change their wagers in betting events when their palms get itchy or sweaty, so this isn’t just a casino myth.

Lending Money to Other Players

There’s a gambling superstition by which lending money to another gambler in the casino will bring you bad luck.  Our experts at Top5CasinoSites also noted that statistically this casino superstition is based on the concept that if you lend someone money to gamble, you compound your own risk of not seeing that money again.

Whistling While Playing

The casino superstition by which whistling while playing brings bad luck dates back to old times when sailors were banned from whistling on board a ship because it was believed to encourage the winds to blow harder and make the seas dangerous.  We at Top5CasinoSites think that in addition to a gambling superstition, you should probably be polite and considerate to your fellow players at the casino table, because whether you win or lose, hearing someone whistling at the table can just be annoying.

Different rituals, items and behaviours are believed to bring luck to gamblers across different backgrounds, cultures and locations.  Some of these casino myths have logic origins and explanations, whilst others are just downright silly and superstitious.  All of them mostly spice up things and add fun and folklore to gambling.

But remember that it’s always about having fun, and your safety and control is the most important thing.  So whether you are wearing a red shirt, carrying a rabbit leg in your pocket or blowing on the dice, we at Top5CasinoSites urge you to always gamble responsibly by staying within your limits, taking a break when losing too much and seeking help when feeling that things are getting out of control.  So when your luck is down don’t try to change it by practicing any rituals, just take a break and come back fresh for better luck next time.