A crazy world

Whether you keep a dead rabbit’s foot in your pocket to stroke while you play poker or wear your lucky pants whenever you gamble, you’re certainly not alone in your superstitious behavior. In fact, you might be a lot less weird than you think.

There are hundreds of strange superstitions that casino players from around the world believe in. From not washing to staying away from dogs, these crazy rituals will have you scratching your head and asking: ‘What is up with humans?’

Dogs are the devil

Dogs are meant to be man’s best friend. But at the casino, they’re evil little luck leeches that will bring you nothing but endless misery. Sure, they might look cute, but don’t be fooled.

If it’s a black dog, well that’s even worse

It has long been believed that dogs bring bad luck to gamblers. According to the superstition, if you start playing a game while a canine is anywhere near you then you’re destined to lose. If it’s a black dog, well that’s even worse. You’ll probably die very soon.

At Las Vegas casinos, this whole dog thing is a real issue. In fact, not every Vegas casino even allows pets in. So, if you’re the superstitious kind, best head for one of those animal-free casino floors.

Steer clear of hunchbacks

Those pesky hunchbacks are just everywhere, aren’t they? Hardly. Unless you’re living in a certain French novel from the 1800s, or Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), it’s unlikely that you see them on a regular basis.

You would think that by now the world would no longer entertain superstitions based on a disability someone has no control over. And yet, there are still thousands of gamblers who will run off in a panic if they see a hunchback inside, or on the way to, the casino.

If you happen to actually be a hunchback, make sure to steer clear of the gaming table. Many believe that hunchbacks are also destined for bad luck in gambling themselves.

Never read a book

If you think books are for gaining vital knowledge, enlightening you with new perspectives on life, or carrying you away to distant imaginary lands, you’re wrong. They are actually paper pirates looking to sabotage your good luck and take your cash hostage, apparently.

reading books before you bet is a very bad idea

This not-so-proven fact originated in ancient China. Today there are gamblers from around the world who strongly believe that reading books before you bet is a very bad idea. We’re not just talking about gambling books, either.

The ‘don’t read anything’ rule applies to every kind of book, from sci-fi to erotic novels. That’s because it’s not the content of the books that’s important here, but the word itself. The word ‘book’ sounds almost the same as ‘lose’ in Chinese.

So, when it comes to gambling, books are for losers. One wonders how bad your luck could get if you read a book with a black dog at a casino, but let’s not digress…

Always stay dirty

An ancient tradition from India says that you should go to the casino as dirty as possible. That’s because – duh! – everyone knows that washing yourself and your clothes rinses away any good luck that might be clinging to you. Talk about dirty money…

On the gambling scene, the dirtier the better. Rather than the idea that you’ll keep all the good luck that’s built up on your skin, this might have more to do with unsettling your opponents.

They’ll all leave holding their noses

If you’re playing a game of poker stinking of week-old sweat, with bits of stale food in your beard, the chances are you won’t be competing against many other players. They’ll all leave holding their noses and find another table to try and steal the pot at.

Get dumped for luck

A broken heart is meant to improve your chances of winning when you place a bet. Sorry but it’s time to ask yourself how much your current squeeze is actually worth to you. $100? $1,000? What about $1m?

The idea that someone who’s sad and lonely is more likely to experience good fortune has been around for thousands of years. It’s basically an extension of the Gambler’s Fallacy. Surely, if someone has experienced bad events recently, they must be due for something good to happen in their lives soon, right?

The upside to this superstition is that, if you have just broken up with the love of your life, the casino might be a good distraction from that dizzying sense of loss that makes moving on feel impossible. So put the tub of ice cream away, stop looking at their Instagram, get dressed, and try your luck at the casino. Who knows – if you win enough money, they might just take you back!