Gambling is something that takes not just skill and practice, but also a damn lot of luck. And because luck is a such a nebulous and abstract thing that may or may not exist, it’s only natural cultures across the globe will come out with their own superstitions to bring forth luck.
This is especially true when it comes to gambling and mobile gambling is no different. You are still risking your money, after all. Why wouldn’t you want some luck? Sadly, many superstitions tend to be a lot of nonsense (in fact, all of them are…), but today we’re going to demonstrate the five oddest superstitions that players still use whilst mobile gambling.
1. Never Cross Your Legs
Yeah, this is a weird yet surprisingly common superstition in both mobile gambling and real-life gambling. Apparently, crossing your legs while sitting down (whether it’s at a slot machine, roulette table or just sitting down by yourself at home) is considered bad luck because it cancels out all the potential luck that you could have had otherwise.
This stems from, as far as we can tell, the fact that crossing your legs forms an ‘X’ which is traditionally used in writing as a way of cancelling things out, censoring or correcting a mistake. So by doing this, your cancelling out the cosmic forces that could positively influence your gambling.
The reason this is so strange is because it’s also considered bad luck to cross your fingers at a gambling table. As we all know, crossing your fingers is usually meant for good luck (as long as no one can see you doing it), so the fact that crossing anything in gambling (whether it’s legs or fingers) is considered bad luck honestly baffles us. However, if you genuinely believe uncrossing your legs while mobile gambling helps you in some way then, then by all means go right ahead!
2. Wearing Red
Unlike the previous superstition, we understand where this one came from all too well. In China, where superstition is very commonplace, luck is seen as a kind of force of nature and red is considered a lucky colour. Not just a lucky but the lucky colour, which is why they have red literally everywhere during Chinese New Year.
They even have it as their flag, for God’s sake! Seeing the Chinese affinity with channeling good luck through the colour red, Western gamblers have since taken to wearing that colour during their gambling ventures and this includes mobile gambling, in the hope of bringing it about for themselves.
Here’s the thing, though. In China, they incorporate principles like feng shui in everything. And we mean everything! Their entire lives, from the way they eat to the way they design skyscrapers, are influenced by this and not just through gambling. This includes using the colour red as well as other cultural practises that are found in everyday life. The West appropriating this idea so they can win some cash feels cheap and shallow by comparison.
3. Whistling
Another odd one, whistling is an action considered bad luck whilst mobile gambling. This one is more understandable, because it stems from many cultures and traditionally doesn’t have anything to do with gambling. For instance, sometimes it is bad luck to whistle on a ship if you’re a captain or a crew member. Imagine being a captain of a ship and you have a bad habit of whistling on the thirteenth deck at night while walking underneath several ladders. That’s just asking for trouble!
Same goes for whistling and gambling. Even whistling to get someone’s attention is not only considered rude, but very bad luck and not just for you but the whole table. So don’t do it! Not even for something to do while you wait for your slot to load. It’ll only end in disaster. Okay, we exaggerate — we’re pretty sure it won’t. How many black cats have you seen in your life? We wouldn’t recommend trying it, though. Just to be on the safe side.
4. Never Turn In Your Chair
Here’s another heads-up if your mobile gambling activities take place while sitting down. Apparently, the totally normal action of turning around in your chair is considered bad luck too. Um, okay. Like the first superstition, this one completely baffles us in terms of where it comes from or how turning round in your chair could possibly influence the outcome to a game.
At the same time, you never see James Bond turn in his chair throughout Casino Royale so perhaps there is something in it. Wait a minute. Didn’t he lose that game? Perhaps he crossed his fingers whilst on his bathroom break… In any case, turning in your chair will apparently ruin your trip to Monte Carlo, so it’s definitely not recommended.
5. Having Your Dog Nearby
And finally, if you’re a dog owner, apparently you would never make a successful gambler, because having your dog whilst mobile gambling is considered bad luck. It’s probably a universal casino policy that no animals are allowed inside, which could have been misconstrued as a superstition… But dogs in particular are considered bad luck, for one reason or another. Even if they are cute and fluffy and done no harm to anyone. Seriously, why is this a thing?
You might think this is probably a real-life casino only thing. You’d be wrong, though. People who gamble in their own homes (yes, even when they’re mobile gambling) have taken this habit from the casino and into their remote gambling habits, so do not let dogs near them in case it brings about bad luck. Black cats are fine, apparently, but your Labrador is forbidden. Sure…