We all have our own little rituals and ideas of what luck means, and more often than not, they’re unique to each of us! However, there are plenty of gambling superstitions and rituals that have endured over decades and centuries – and that have spread all over the world.
Whether you’ve got a pair of lucky socks or you prefer to have a four-leaf clover to hand when playing slots, it’s perfectly normal to want to manifest luck, and you can manifest in your own unique way by registering with Tonybet! However, whether or not these rituals work is completely up in the air!
In today’s article, I’ll be looking at some of the most interesting gambling superstitions that people get behind when they want Lady Luck to smile their way. Could you find your next lucky ritual in this list?
Avoiding unlucky numbers
The concept of unlucky numbers has been around for centuries – and you’re probably already aware that the unluckiest of numbers for many gamblers is 13! However, in China, the most unlucky number is thought to be four. But where does all of this come from?
The origins of unlucky 13 are a little hazy. Many believe that it’s related to Judas being the 13th guest at the Last Supper – according to the Bible, he would be the disciple that ultimately betrayed Jesus Christ. There’s also Norse mythology to consider – the 13th guest at the gods’ dinner party was the chaotic deity Loki, who brought with him a plague of darkness!
The number 13 carries so much superstition with it that many gamblers will avoid betting on it in roulette – it’s completely true!
Meanwhile, Chinese gamblers avoid the number four simply because, in phonetic Mandarin, the word for ‘four’ sounds similar to ‘death’ – in fact, in Korea and Japan, the superstition continues! In both countries, ‘four’ and ‘death’ are identical.
Changing seats
This isn’t a superstition you can really exercise if you’re playing slots or table games online with Tonybet, but many gamblers believe that moving to different casino seats changes up their luck. Of course, you could always move from the sofa to the kitchen counter if you’re playing at home online!
There’s no science behind this superstition, but the logic is pretty simple. Players at Vegas casinos might experience a bad run of luck on games such as craps or baccarat and decide that they’re in a ‘cursed’ seat. Therefore, they’d simply move to the other side, or along a chair or two, and see if their luck changes!
Ultimately, Vegas gamblers start to associate their losses or losing streaks with where they’re sat – meaning that, in time, some people even start to develop their own favourite seats and positions! It’s why a lot of casino regulars have favourite spots – it’s where they feel they win the most.
Of course, moving seats really has no bearing on the random nature of casino games – but if it helps your ritual, feel free to give it a try!
Choosing the right entrance
Again, this is a superstition that doesn’t really apply to online casino gaming, but it’s still really popular with Western gamblers. The idea here is that there are right and wrong ways to enter a casino – and it’s all related to the people you meet.
The basic psychology behind avoiding the front entrance at a physical casino is that it’s here where people who have lost will leave to go home. Ultimately, punters who are feeling optimistic don’t want the bad luck of losing players rubbing off on them!
Again, like the chair choice ritual, there’s no proof behind this superstition – but it’s interesting to think about all the same! To avoid the front entrance, players might choose a side door or a back way. There are some casinos that understand this superstition and try to accommodate their players as much as possible!
The idea behind this ties in with Las Vegas’ famous MGM Grand Casino, which used to have a pretty fearsome front entrance – it used to be shaped like a lion’s mouth! Therefore, people going to play there felt that they were about to be eaten alive by the house – meaning that they looked for an alternative way in.
MGM certainly paid attention to this, because by the late 90s, the lion entrance had been completely removed. Phew!
Lucky charms
Lucky charms are well loved in and out of gambling – but many people playing slots and table games like having mementos to hand to help spur on luck and positivity. You’ll sometimes see that people bring lucky mascots and toys with them onto casino floors – and even on TV game shows!
The idea behind lucky charms is that people associate positive experiences with them. For example, someone might have an old coin that, on the face of things, is just that – a coin. However, maybe this person picked up the coin on the street and then went on to have fantastic luck – maybe they won big at roulette or broke a double yolk in their egg – who knows?
Crucially, we associate luck with certain items because we hope that we can replicate this streak when it comes to gambling. Again, there’s no physical science behind this superstition – it’s all about harnessing positivity and feeling secure and confident.
In games where the odds are stacked against them, it’s entirely reasonable for people to want to take tokens with them to casinos – and, yes, this is a ritual you can take part in at home when playing via Tonybet.
Avoiding counting money
This is a superstition that’s hard to stick to when playing games online, simply because table games and slots will keep track of your winnings and losses. However, in some cases, you can hide your cash totals if you’re concerned about luck.
Counting money is viewed as unlucky simply because it’s seen as poor taste. If you’re playing against other people in a social game of poker, for example, no one likes having to sit opposite the player who starts stacking up what they’ve won. You won’t come across well!
The superstition behind this is that you might pay for being prideful. There’s also the fact that you don’t really need to start counting up before the end of the game – there will be plenty of chances for you to do so when all is said and done.
Therefore, if you want to keep good karma on your side and flowing into your game, it might be worth leaving counting your winnings until you’ve stopped playing.
That said, it’s always a good idea to manage your bankroll carefully – otherwise, you could end up overspending. That’s why Tonybet offers a range of tools to help you limit the money and time you spend on gambling activities. Simply reach out to our team if you need support.
You can, in most cases, also track the money you win and lose on games within the play windows of slots and tables. And, if you’re feeling superstitious, don’t worry – no one will frown on you for keeping an eye on your money this way! It’s healthy to know when to quit.
Don’t apologise!
While you should always apologise if you’ve done something to upset someone else – it’s just good manners (and part of being a reasonable human being!) – apologising at the poker table is something else entirely.
If you win a hand in poker, it’s tempting to feel bad for anyone you might have fooled with a winning poker face. However, you should really keep those apologies back – simply because many players see this as you expressing regret! This means that you might bring negativity to future hands.
Poker is all about being confident, anyway – and the last thing you want to do is show your true colours too early. Apologising for winning a hand might also come across as condescending and false – how would you feel if you were playing against someone who a) kept winning, and b) kept saying sorry for being good at the game? It would be pretty annoying!
So, even if you’re the polite and friendly sort outside of the casino, try to keep your emotions to yourself when playing poker. Otherwise, you could be in a world of bad luck while annoying your fellow players into the bargain.
Conclusion
There might not be much physical science behind some gambling superstitions, but there are at least some ways to explain why people choose to take up rituals and behave in certain ways at the table.
Don’t ever be ashamed or embarrassed by your own lucky rituals! You don’t even have to adopt anyone else’s. Choose something that means a lot to you and that gives you confidence and positivity. Although there’s never any guarantee of winning at casino games – online and off – you can at least keep up a positive, hopeful attitude with a superstition or two to back up your play.
Good luck with your rituals… try them out at Tonybet today!
