Gambling Superstitions
Superstitions have always been a part of the gambling world as much as people believe in the tooth fairy or jack o lantern. Gamblers from around the world share the same, if not similar, sets of beliefs. Some even consider them lucky and unlucky.
Many players believe that their fortune or ill-fortune can arise from various situations or the way their surroundings act in a situation. Sometimes the superstitions come true, depending on how strongly the person believes it. They can even manifest themselves simply with a simple word or phrase. There are some superstitions that are incredibly absurd and profoundly unbelievable but they exist in the lore forever.
The hard truth is that no matter how logical a gambler or player may be, they would always have one form of superstition or another that they are completely unaware of.
Some gamblers are so deeply rooted in superstitions that they believe that practicing strange rituals or different behaviors can give players the edge. While some gamblers have adopted their own set of beliefs, there are still a common set that many people, particularly gambles, share.
Here are some examples of common superstitions that gamblers believe in:
Breaking a mirror; wearing the color black; walking underneath ladders and animals like dogs near a gambling table are all signs of impending bad luck.
On the other side, carrying a four leaf clover, clutching a rabbits foot, hanging a horseshoe over the door and wearing a luck item would bring good luck. Other good luck rituals include arranging ones chips neatly on the table, blowing on dice before tolling them, even crossing ones fingers on the color red.
Psychological studies further show that gamblers are a superstitious lot. These beliefs illustrate how far gamblers would go to prevent a loss, control mood swings, and other negative consequences. Although superstitious gamblers are not necessarily gambling addicts, their belief in superstitions can affect their behavior.
Research suggests that the core cognitive error lies in the player's notions concerning randomness. In a controlled study, several gamblers were asked to think aloud while gambling. Seventy percent of the verbal thoughts proved wrong
Several verbal affirmations by the group were :
- "The machine is hot. My payoff is near." - " He's my lucky dealer. Im going to win a lot today." - 'Today I feel so lucky. Im going to win a jackpot later on."
Superstitions are still heavily regarded even though that gamblers are the type of people that do not leave anything to chance, but do so in different ways.
