Famous Gambling Superstitions – Do You Believe Any Of This?

Whenever an outcome revolves around luck or any factor that we can’t control, we tend to believe that there’s some sort of higher power that we mustn’t disrupt if we want something to go our way.

This is especially noticeable in gambling. Superstitions have surrounded all types of gambling, from roulette to Texas Hold’em, for centuries.

Over the years, we've heard many common superstitions, and some of them were really nuts. A few of them have stuck out as the most popular ones. Here are some of the most famous gambling superstitions we’ve had a chance to come across.

Sitting up straight at the Table

Sitting up straight or even standing up when gambling is thought to bring good luck to the player. While the root behind this superstition may be outlandish, it does help the players be more successful, mainly because it can help them a lot psychologically.

There's a simple explanation behind this, and that’s that your physical demeanor also affects your mindset.

Oppositely to this, it’s thought to be bad luck to cross your legs when gambling. Why? There’s no valid reason for this, except the belief this pose brings bad luck.

Then again, with your legs uncrossed, you’re naturally in a more alert position and able to focus better on the game and your surroundings.

Unlucky in Love – Lucky in Cards

A famous saying originating from Germany sounds similar to this, but with a slightly different connotation. In Germany, the saying goes, “unlucky in cards, lucky in love.”

In this context, it’s supposed to sound like a consolation to those who just lost heaps of money in a bad blackjack session, for example. In the form this superstition exists today, it sounds more like something you have to choose between.

However, gamblers have adopted this superstition to work both ways, so that it mainly implies that if you’re good at gambling, you won’t find much luck at love, and vice versa.

The idea of having to choose one over the other is a bit of a stretch, though, considering that some of the best poker players and gamblers of all time have all been happily married.

Itchy Palms Tell Your Fortune

European casino players unite! In many European countries, it’s a common superstition that having an itchy palm is closely related to having good or bad luck.

More precisely, if you feel that your left palm is itchy, you’re in for a big payout soon. On the contrary, if your right palm is itchy, you’re about to lose some money.

There’s no accurate information from when and where this superstition stems, but it’s believed that it has deep-routed ancient symbolism.

This superstition is most prevalent in Balkan countries but has also found its way to players from many other regions.

Maybe the next time you're playing slots, and your right palm starts to itch, you'd be better off cutting your session short? It's up to you whether you buy into this superstition or not, but prnewswire wrote about pokies, so you should check it out to find some good game suggestions.

Red is For Winners

Like gamblers from some European countries who believe that itchy hands can mean good or bad luck, Asian players closely associate the color red with luck and prosperity, especially when playing in casinos.

In Chinese culture, red is linked to prosperity and success in everyday life.

Accordingly, players who buy into this superstition often wear at least one red-colored article of clothing to enhance their chances of hitting a big win.

Stay Away from $50 Bills

US players aren’t exempt from inordinary superstitions and beliefs. One of the most famous ones is that you shouldn’t use $50 bills when gambling.

Like some other superstitions, this one stems from a practical and logical standpoint. It’s because the $50 bill is one of the most frequently counterfeited bills in the country, and as such, it can be very hard to break in a store.

Of course, you won’t have to worry about any of that if you choose to play online poker at one of the sites suggested by leanbackplayer.com.

Another popular reason for this belief originates from the never-sleeping streets of Las Vegas.

In the past, the Mafia used to bury those who crossed them in the middle of the vast Nevada desert with $50 bills in their pockets. This is certainly not a good way to end as a gambler, and it's not hard to see how this could be considered unlucky, to say the least.

Lucky Charm as the Difference-maker

A very well-known superstition in all corners of the globe, the “lucky charm” ritual is common among many gamblers, both casual and professional ones.

This ranges from bringing specific objects like horseshoes, clover, or a rabbit foot to engaging in the same activities whenever playing a casino game.

For example, some players always stack their poker chips in the same way or blow on the craps dice the same way each time.

Others make sure they always dress the same or eat the same meal before playing.

Although there’s no scientific way of proving whether any of this works, many people swear by these superstitions as the determining factor for their most significant wins.

Don’t Whistle While You Play

Probably the weirdest and most specific no-no in casinos, whistling while playing is considered to bring bad luck to the player who does it.

Although you won’t get thrown out or get in any trouble for whistling, you’ll definitely get disapproving glances from all corners of the room.

The origin of this weirdly specific superstition is not precisely exact. That said, it’s thought to have come up in England, as British sailors were also superstitious that whistling brings strong winds and bad weather.

There Are Two Kinds of Numbers

The superstition of lucky numbers has found its way primarily into games like roulette and blackjack. However, you can also find it particularly relevant for other table games, such as poker and baccarat.

In Western casinos, the number 7 is thought to be the luckiest of the lot. In China, numerology is far more complex, but the numbers 3, 6, and 9 are thought to bring luck when combined with the number 8.

On the other side of the spectrum are unlucky numbers, those you want to avoid playing at all costs.

In Western culture, this is the famous “unlucky 13”. This is so common in some countries that you’ll even find buildings missing the 13th floor. In China, the equivalent of this is the number 4, which in Mandarin sounds very close to the word “death.”

So, there you have it. There are all sorts of gambling superstitions out there, some more outlandish than others. If you feel like testing some of them out the next time you’re at the craps table, go for it – whether you believe it or not, it can’t really hurt!