While any mathematician will tell you that your chances of winning at a real money at online casino are pretty much fixed, a popular view has existed as long as gambling has been around that luck, the Gods, pure chance whatever you want to call it plays a big part in your chances of winning or losing.

Lucky charms, personal rituals, invocations to various deities all are believed to help increase the chance of winning. I would have thought that this was the sort of challenge Mythbusters would have taken on, but I don’t recall that episode.

What superstitions or rituals will attract good luck and increase your chances of winning? Here are a few, and a few you should avoid. The Orientals being besotted with gambling provide more than their fair share.

FENG SHUI.

The ancient art of Feng Shui is most often thought to refer to the household arts, for example keeping your toilet seat lid closed. If left open, your wealth is literally flushed away. But although gambling is discouraged by Feng Shui, there are some caveats.

A typical Feng Shuicaution applied to gambling is not to gamble anywhere near anyone reading a book, don’t sit next to a window or with your back to a door, and ideally sit on the room’s west side. It is believed that having a few grams of sea salt inside your wallet attracts good luck. Ideally, you should place the salt inside a plastic bag, then put it in a secret compartment inside your wallet. Remember to change the salt every month

JADE

A man should wear a jade ring on his left pinkie and women on the right pinkie.

CHINESE SUPERSTITIONS

a) Do not gamble against a pregnant woman. Gamble with her.

The Chinese believe that pregnant women are “carrying their good fortune inside their belly”. They also believe that they have an extra pair of “eyes”. So pregnant women are said to bring good luck to gamblers. Just have one standing behind, but not touching you.

b) Do not go to the toilet when on a winning streak.

To the Chinese water is money and to lose personal water is literally flushing away money.

SOME WESTERN SUPERSTITIONS

1. Wear your best clothes to a casino
2. Blow on the dice before rolling
3. Carry a horseshoe, rabbit’s foot or four-leafed clover.
4. Keep a genuine badger’s tooth in your left-hand trouser pocket.
5. Wearing something red.
6. Crossing your legs while gambling
7. The Norse believed that acorns brought good luck. Real acorns or those made of gold, silver or wood are all good.

INDIAN GAMBLERS BELIEVE THAT LAKSHMI’S MYSTIC KNOT BRINGS GOOD LUCK.

AND THEN WE HAVE WICCA. ANCIENT DRUIDIC SPELLS CAN BRING FORTH GAMBLING SUCCESS, BUT I DOUBT MANY CASINOS WOULD LOOK TOO KINDLY ON THE CEREMONIES NEEDED TO INVOKE THE SPELLS.

PERSONAL RITUALS

Many people believe that there is a magic ritual which is performed before going to the casino will guarantee increased good luck. Perhaps it is the same meal eaten before the last big win, perhaps a lucky totem to be carried, perhaps a special garment to be worn. Anyway, bad luck will follow if the ritual is not followed to the letter.

While there is no conclusive evidence that any of the rituals or superstitions actually increase your luck, it is, I guess human nature to try to swing the game your way a wee bit. Just look at the dice table in any casino. The players usually all come together to support whoever is winning, seeing the casino as the great enemy to be bested.

The bottom line is that you make your own luck.

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