Gambling is all about luck. Because there is no scientific reasoning to scoring a big win, people can become a little obsessed with either securing good fortune or forcing it to stick around for a while.
Attracting luck looks a little different for each player. Some have a piece of jewelry (Rudies wristband) that they swear brings favorable outcomes. Others search the floor looking for signs of what to play next including taking note of specific numbers on a title’s screen. Some players even believe that $50 bills will tank their session before they even have a chance.
Read on below for some of my favorite gambling superstitions including those that I’ve noticed from other players and some that I fully admit to buying into. Let us know what gambling superstitions you put stock in and you could see us break it down next!
Fortune Telling Favorites
Some players have a slot machine that they play every time they visit the casino. For whatever reason, maybe the animals are cute or it coughed up a jackpot way back when, the game always calls out to be played. For some, they choose to play the game at the start of their hopefully lucky adventure, or at least it will give a hint of what is to come. They play it first, buying into the belief that the outcome of the play on that specific title will be indicative of the visit as a whole.
For what’s worth, I can argue some truth to this gambling logic and it’s not because it’s one of my own superstitions. If you think about it, if you hit it big at the start of your casino journey, you have more cash to play with. Your bets could start to creep up or you might feel encouraged to try a higher denomination leading to bigger wins.* The game didn’t influence the other titles at the casino, but it did boost player confidence and (hopefully) inflated a bank roll. Inversely, if the first game is a dud, it’s not only a player’s budget that takes a hit but their mood as well.
*nothing is guaranteed; this is all wishful thinking.
Swinging Big for a Limited Run
Some gamblers have been known to throw in a max bet here and there in hopes that it will either set them up for success or reset their timing. This is something I like to do after a big win. Instead of the traditional backup spins, I will set a cash out point and play around with bets until it’s time to shuffle over to a new game.
Say, for example, I have $127 in the machine. I will “allow” myself to place random, admittedly larger, bets with the $27, earmarking the $100 for my next title. It is my hope that one of these bigger bets will find the right timing and set me up for success.
Bonus Suspense
While we all know by now, it’s important to say that your spin outcome is already determined the second you press the bet button. Despite knowing this, there are players that think looking away, closing their eyes, or covering the screen will somehow result in a nice line hit or that third bonus symbol locking into place.
This is a superstition that I participate in from time to time, especially if the bonus has proved elusive. I like to watch the first two bonus icons fall into place on any given title (that follows that mechanic), and put my hand over the reel where I want that third icon to surface.
Favorite Numbers
Besides luck, gambling really is all about the numbers including your favorites. When gambling, you might find yourself looking for a sign on what to play next, something that calls out to you for whatever reason.
Whether we like to admit it or not, this can be as simple as seeing your favorite number, or one that means something to you, on the screen of a game as you’re walking by. The symbolic numbers can sometimes be found in the progressives, last payout, or the number of accumulated free spins (or wilds). Of course, seeing a number that resonates with you does not have an impact on the game play, but it certainly feels like it could.
Craps Mid-Roll
This one is as much about gambling etiquette as it is about superstitions. I’ve mentioned it before: while I love slots, my husband can play craps for hours. One of my least favorite things about the roller coaster of a table game is how serious some of the players take it.
One thing I quickly learned is to avoid talking, drinking, or breathing after the dice are given to the roller. The thinking is that by talking or otherwise disrupting the roller, you mess up the outcome of the roll.
It doesn’t matter if the dice are in the air or being rolled around in the player’s hand, it’s a safer bet to maintain the peace if you avoid any chit chat. You can talk and banter with other players during other less pivotal times of the game.
Middle of Shoe
Similar to the thinking of craps, but actually of impact to the game, is when someone buys into a hand of blackjack mid-shoe. If you’re not familiar with the term, shoe essentially means the shuffled deck of cards used to deal out hands, which can normally range anywhere from 2-8 decks of cards.
If you start the shoe with three players at a table and someone tries to buy in before the end of the shoe, it is true that the cards will fall differently because there is another hand in play. Now, it can be argued that the extra person could switch things up in a favorable direction, but it seems easier to blame them when things go awry.
I dislike when people buy in mid-shoe if I am on a streak. I want the cards to keep doing what they are doing and don’t want another person jumping in instead of waiting two minutes for the shuffle. On the opposite side of things, if the table is doing poorly, I welcome a change in how the cards are coming out.
No matter the situation, I will not scold people for jumping in. If it matters that much, I will head over to a “no mid-shoe entry” table. You will see that called out on the placard that lists the minimum bet.
(For the record, I always wait for the shuffle when buying in, unless the table asks me to mix up how the cards are falling. You can always claim an open seat. Just take out your card and money and wait. If a dealer asks for your money, you can say you are waiting for the shuffle.)
A Sign From The Speakers
When looking for signs, sometimes it really is about listening for them. For me, when I hear a song by a certain artist, I rationalize that a win must be on the way. The artist? Why none other than Huey Lewis and The News. As soon as I hear notes from “Hip to Be Square” or “The Heart of Rock & Roll” I feel emboldened to place some bigger bets despite knowing full well the song has absolutely zero impact on the game I am playing.
Parking Lot Routine
Superstitions can sometimes look a whole lot like a routine. Repeating the “formula” that worked last time a big win was secured. One of those places where routine can be noticed is in the parking lot. Players have admitted to parking in the same general area or even the exact spot from the last time they won. It goes the other way too, if a player had a bad session, they chose to avoid the bad luck parking spot.
Never Leave On a Win
Most gamblers follow the superstition to never leave on a win. After scoring something favorable, they will “pull a Brian Christopher” and launch at least one, probably three, back up spins.
This is typically a superstition that I follow with one sharp difference. If I am getting destroyed at the casino, talking down to my last few bucks, and hit it big, I have been known to immediately cash out and yell “run away.” This is especially true for those more volatile titles that I find myself getting sucked into.
