Gambling Superstitions & Blackjack
Ask most gamblers and they will tell you that they have superstitions that affect their play at the blackjack table. It might be carrying a lucky rabbit’s foot or it could be always splitting a certain pair. Many of them believe that these gambling superstitions affect their ability to win or lose at blackjack. The truth is that your abilities as a blackjack player are the only thing that will make you a winner. Let’s look at some of the more unique blackjack gambling superstitions.
The Woman Who Tore Up Her Blackjack Cards
The Las Vegas blackjack dealers tell a story about an Asian woman who had a very unique blackjack gambling superstition. Anytime that the dealer had a blackjack the woman would proceed to tear her own cards in half and deposit them in a paper bag she kept close at hand. It was her belief that this somehow prevented the blackjack dealer from getting another blackjack.
The woman only played single deck blackjack. Thank goodness. Otherwise the casino would have been forced to replace the entire shoe of cards after each shoe was played. Why the casino allowed her to get away with this is anyone’s guess. We can only speculate that she was a high roller who lost often. Keeping her at the blackjack tables was far more valuable than the price of a single deck of cards.
The Man Who Always Split Tens
A man who played blackjack in Atlantic City was also known for a strange blackjack superstition. The man was a skilled player and knew all the basic blackjack strategy. He may have even been a card counter. Despite his skills at the game he insisted on splitting tens every time he was dealt a total of 20. Other players at the table would react in horror as the many gleefully surrendered what is most often a winning total. Even worse, he did it when the dealer had a weak upcard such as a six.
As you can imagine this many was not popular among his fellow casino players. He was, however, loved by the casino. His blackjack gambling superstition of splitting tens made him a frequent loser. In exchange for his losses he regularly received comps such as free meals, hotel rooms, and more. What he didn’t receive was a lot of profits for his blackjack playing efforts.
Eight Popular Chinese Gambling Superstitions
Gambling has been popular among Chinese people for more than a thousand years. That length of time is sufficient to develop a large number of gambling superstitions regarding blackjack, baccarat, and many other gambling games. Here is a list of the top 8 Chinese gambling superstitions.
You should always wear red underwear when going to a casino to gamble. In the Chinese culture the color red is synonymous with good fortune. This gambling superstition is taken very seriously. We must caution you, however. If you ask someone at the casino to prove the value of this gambling superstition you will probably be kicked out.
Avoid the Number 4 is another popular Chinese superstition. It is believed that you should not take a casino hotel room with the number four in it, never play with a total of four blackjack players at the table, and avoid betting four units. Many people believe that this gambling superstition is because the word “four” sounds like the word for “die” in Cantonese.
Many Chinese gamblers embrace feng shui, the belief that a great force runs through all of life that can be manipulated to one’s benefit. This includes the arrangement of furniture and other items. Don’t be surprised to see a blackjack player arranging their items on a blackjack table just so, and whatever you do don’t try to interrupt the feng shui of the arrangement.
A prayer to the gambling gods is also in order for those who want to have good fortune at the blackjack table. In Chinese culture there are many specific gods which oversee gambling. We aren’t sure who an American player would pray to. Wayne Newton, perhaps, if one was playing in Las Vegas.
Don’t talk about the books you have read to another person at the blackjack table. Also, don’t touch their shoulders. Doing any of these things to a person with Chinese gambling superstitions will cause you to fall out of their favor very quickly.
Women are encouraged not to gamble when they are on their menstrual cycle, and the washing of hands can also be considered a superstition. These last two may not be effective superstitions, but they at least relate to personal hygiene which is never a bad consideration when you are playing blackjack in a crowded casino.
The Origins of Most Gambling Superstitions
How do blackjack gambling superstitions develop in the first place? Many of the ones mentioned above evolved over time, but all probably have their genesis in a simple fact. They are drawn from an experience when the player won and did the thing mentioned.
For example, a blackjack player decides to go to the casino and puts on a pair of green socks. Maybe this is the first time that he has ever worn green socks to the casino. He wins big, bigger than he has ever won before. In his mind the idea of green socks and good luck are forever linked. He will never go gambling again without wearing his favorite lucky socks.
Has the same thing happened to you at the casino? What are some of your gambling superstitions? Feel free to share them with us in the comment section! To play blackjack for money online we recommend that you try one of the recommended casinos and claim the no deposit bonuses. You can read the Miami Club casino review , High Country casino review, or Roaring 21 review to name a few.
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