Gambling Traditions from Around the World
When it comes to betting, there are loads of superstitions and traditions! Just about everyone has at least a few. It’s a good shout to know about some of the best, as there are some crikey ones that may help you strike it lucky Let’s explore ‘em!
Orange and Red in China.
In China, many gamblers believe they can improve their odds of winning with the help of a Mandarin orange. Some people think players originally kept an orange on hand to clear their nasal passages in smoke-filled casinos, but they have become an important superstition for many. Poker players will often bring one with them to the table and occasionally rub it for good luck. Hey, if it works, we think it’s worth a fair shout!
Something else the Chinese believe is critical for success at the tables is making sure they wear a piece of clothing that’s red. For many players, that means a red shirt or a red tie, but for a select group of high rollers, it’s all about lucky red underwear. That’s right, plenty of blokes in China won’t set foot in a casino without their lucky red underdaks!
When they head out to a casino for the evening, some Chinese gamblers will turn on all the lights in their house before they leave. Now, if you’re playing one of our online pokies, you don’t have to go anywhere but your couch. But, to test your luck, you could always leave all the lights on while you’re spinning, mate — You never know!
As for bad luck, well, Chinese gamblers don’t want to be touched while playing, and they really don’t want to be touched on the shoulders. They’ll also be gobsmacked if you touch them on the head, but the shoulders will really set them off! Some players are so superstitious about this that they won’t even touch their own shoulders or head while they’re at a table. They also don’t like the Number 4 — it’s considered unlucky because it sounds a lot like the word for “death” in their language. That seems like a proper good reason to not like a number! They do, however, love the Number 8 — when they say that number, it sounds a bit like another word for ‘prosperity’. Of the many casino gambling superstitions out there, this one sounds pretty ace to us!
Vegas, Baby!
We all know the hottest spot for gambling in the United States is Las Vegas. And what happens in Vegas, of course, stays in Vegas. But gamblers in this desert city have all kinds of superstitions to keep good luck flowing or send, bad luck away. And here’s the good oil on a few of them.
It’s not just the gamblers who stick with some of the casino gambling superstitions — everyone in the city, including the casino owners, don’t like the Number 13. Unlucky Number 13 is a big no-no in Vegas — you won’t see a single 13th floor, no matter how many hotels you stay in. They don’t like fifty-dollar bills, either. Everybody in Vegas steers clear of them, and casinos make sure they don’t use them to pay winners. Rumour has it that old-time Vegas mobsters would always stuff a crisp $50 into the pocket of a bloke they had just ‘disposed of’! It’s doubtful the these guys were too stoked about getting that moolah!
When they’re on a hot streak, many Vegas gamblers don’t want to wash their hands, as they feel like they’ll wash away their good luck. Players who aren’t on a roll, however, are typically a lot more hygienic — they wash their hands to get the bad luck off them!
If you’re in Vegas and you’re wondering why it looks like the pros don’t go in the main entrance of the casino, that’s because they don’t! Especially when they’re on a hot streak, many players avoid entering through the front door because they don’t want any bad karma from the ‘losers’ who are leaving to rub off. We have to say, that’s one of the casino gambling superstitions that is actually quite clever — if it works!
How Euros Get Lucky!
For many of us, gambling in Europe makes us think of people like James Bond and places like Monte Carlo. All old-timey class and fancy-looking people. And you wouldn’t be that far off, because players in Europe believe that how things look makes a big difference in your luck.
Gamblers up in the Euro zone like to stack their chips neatly and they like to dress spiffy for good luck, too. “Don’t be a slob”, they think, if you want to ride a hot streak. We think it’s probably a good idea to stack those chips neatly, too, but when you play the pokies at Fair Go, your screen lets you know exactly where you’re at. If you want to dress sharp when you’re spinning with us, that’s fine — but it’s definitely not necessary. You can dress however you choose when you’re playing online!
Europeans also believe that women have beginner’s luck on their side at a casino — but men don’t. If they’re in the midst of a dice game, they also like to have a beautiful woman blow on the dice before they’re rolled. Or maybe, some guys just prefer to have a gorgeous woman around when they play, even if they’re not superstitious — which isn’t much of a surprise!
Superstitions are Everywhere.
There are loads of casino gambling superstitions that some gamblers all over the world believe in, as strange as some may be. Many won’t have sex while they’re on a hot streak but, of course, many others don’t have that rule! All kinds of players are against crossing your legs or even your fingers while you’re at a table — they think that will keep the good luck out.
Some gamblers will say it’s bad luck to lend money to another player. We don’t know if it’s bad luck or not, but we do think it’s a bodgy idea, for sure. Lots of players also believe it’s good luck to curse at the roulette wheel to help them win. When you play our pokies or a round of Roulette online in the comfort of your own home, we reckon you can curse all you want! If you think it helps and no one is offended, we say go for it! In fact, we say that no matter what, if you think there’s a casino gambling superstition that helps when you’re spinning at Fair Go, good onya!