Nine of the Oddest Gambling Superstitions From Around the World

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Deny it as you probably will, chances are you have a fair few superstitions of your own. Even if they don’t really have much of an impact on the way you live your life, it’s probably likely that there are certain things you deem to be lucky and unlucky.

Superstitions are funny things as even in the instances of those who live their lives in accordance with extreme superstitious rules, most have absolutely no idea why or even where they came from. Everything from Friday the 13th to walking under ladders to black cats to spilled salt and so on, the overwhelming majority of people who believe these things to be unlucky have simply followed the lead of others.

Superstition in Gambling

The thing is though, it’s really not until you find yourself well and truly immersed in gambling activities that you begin to discover just how deep and complex the subject of superstitions really is. It’s difficult to find even a single seasoned gambler that doesn’t have some kind of lucky charm, lucky approach to gambling in general and all manner of things they avoid due to fear they are anything but lucky.

Now, logic might tell you that there’s really no such thing as luck in one extreme or the other, as it really all comes down to a combination of playing the odds and getting it right. Nevertheless, try telling this to those who live and breathe the rules of superstition and chances are you’ll find yourself with an enemy for life.

But at the same time, there will always be certain gambling superstitions that the vast majority would agree are somewhat on the bizarre side. Even those who believe in them would most probably deny it.

So at the risk of further-terrifying those of an already overly superstitious nature, here’s a quick look at some of the most bizarre, interesting and surprisingly common gambling superstitions still doing the rounds today:

  1. 1. Perhaps one of the easiest superstitions to compensate for, some believe it can bring good luck to a player if they only ever gamble while wearing at least one dirty item of clothing. This can apparently be any item whatsoever and it doesn’t necessarily have to be extensively soiled. Rumour has it that the dirt helps fight off bad luck.
  3. 2. In the instance where you appear to be being dealt nothing but unbroken black cards, one after the next, this is apparently something of a sinister omen that a member of your family will die in the near future. This is however a rather vague superstition as it doesn’t state exactly how many black cards need to be dealt in succession or whether the doom and gloom relates only to blood relatives…so there’s probably no need to worry.
  5. 3. Apparently, gambling in a room with a member of the opposite sex present who is not also gambling will bring you bad luck. If on the other hand they are playing, you’re good to go. Should this be the case, it would mean that the guy at the craps table surrounded by giggling groupies with no intention of wagering a penny in their own money should technically have the worst luck in the world. Suffice to say, not exactly the reality of things.
  7. 4. In terms of when it’s time to quit the game and go home, superstitious types insist that dropping a black ace on the floor during a game is pretty much as dangerous and scary as it gets. This is of course understandable if you were trying to hide the damn thing and it landed face-up, but apparently it’s just as detrimental if it remains hidden.
  9. 5. Perhaps one of the most ludicrous though impressively specific superstitions of all, anyone who is over 7 feet in height, Amish and left-handed will apparently have the odds stacked against them when playing online casino games. It’s therefore a good thing that this probably doesn’t apply to a single person reading this right now!

6. Always keep your keys in your pocket as it is said to be extremely bad luck to place them on the table while playing any casino games whatsoever. Some believe it’s all down to voodoo and spiritual stuff, others insist it’s simply a good way of ensuring no disgruntled gambler steals your keys and your car.

7. Quasimodo for reasons of pure superstition may very well be the antithesis of the kind of person the active gambler would want in their life. Not only is it supposedly quite terrible luck to lay eyes on a hunchback prior to casino gaming, but they also reckon that being a hunchback will also bring you nothing but bad luck at the table.

  1. 8. If anyone of the table has the audacity to place one or both of their feet anywhere on your chair, you have every right to respond as if they had just spat at your mother. Well, that’s according to the superstitious types out there anyway who insist that not only is this bad luck, but that those doing it know exactly what they are doing and are trying to deal you a bum hand in more ways than one.
  4. 9. Last but not least, a great many gamblers in India believe that personal grooming has a direct correlation with luck. They’ll often tell you that to have your hair cut on a Tuesday will bring you nothing but bad luck, which is why they’ll vigorously steer clear of doing so if planning to head to the tables.

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