In honor of Black Cat Appreciation Day, we thought we’d shed some light on a few of the most well-known gambling superstitions. Lucky numbers? Pre-roll rituals? You name it, we’ve got it — and there’s plenty more where that came from in the casino!
Beware of the number 13. The number 13 has a bad wrap across many cultures for being unlucky — think ‘Friday the 13th.’ So much so, that many Las Vegas hotels have omitted the 13th floor altogether. Wouldn’t want to give guests stay on that floor bad juju!
Hold the fifties please. For years gamblers have steered clear of $50 bills. Legend has it that mobsters would stow a crisp fifty in the pockets of their victims before burying them. From there, the superstitions surrounding the $50 bill were born.
Purchase red undergarments. Chinese New Year celebrations boast the color red, and for good reason! The color is said to symbolize good fortune and joy, and to bring prosperity to those who wear it — and wear it they do! Many gamblers pack a pop of red in their suitcase, most often flaunting red underwear.
“Never count your money, when you’re sitting at the table.” Kenny Rogers had it right when he said this line in his hit song, The Gambler. Not only is it considered unlucky to tally up your earnings at a casino table, but it’s also bad taste.
Cut out the crossing. You fingers, your legs and even your arms should remain uncrossed at all times. Superstition says that crossing can “cross out good luck,” and we wouldn’t want that would we?
Keep your hands to yourself. Touching other players, particularly on the shoulder, is forbidden at the table. It’s considered rude and therefore unlucky.
Don’t wash those hands. If you’re playing a hot hand and keep racking in the chips, you don’t want to wash that luck away! On the other hand, if you’re on a losing streak, washing your hands is thought to help change the course of your luck.
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Virtual game play is the next best thing to hitting the casinos in real life or at a casino party. Not only is it a great way to pass the time, but it can help you practice your betting and bluffing skills as well. But before you press your luck at the first virtual casino you come across, you’ll want to take the following into account to ensure you’re selecting the right one.
What is their track record? Do a little bit of research to see which the online casinos the digital gaming community is buzzing about. You’ll want to learn more about their customer service and their overall reputation. The internet is a dangerous place, so make sure you’re feeling 100% secure before you input your credit card information and hit submit!
Do they hold the proper licensing and registration? This goes hand-in-hand with their reputation. If reviews check-out, do a deeper dive to make sure they’re legitimate. Avoid online casinos that fail to provide licensing information — a surefire sign that you’ll be duped!
How will you pay to play? The most reputable online casinos offer multiple ways to withdraw or deposit funds. You should also be wary of any daily or weekly withdrawal limits. This is a good indicator that something is not sound. As a general rule, paypal is usually the safest way to go.
Are there any signing bonuses? Many digital casinos will offer a one-time offer for bonus cash to play with when a new member signs up. Who doesn’t like perks? Once you’ve narrowed down your choices, check out their bonus offers and see whose takes the cake
Do they have a good variety of games? And finally, when all is said and done it really all comes down to personal preference. Make sure the sign you choose has gaming options that peak your interest!
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The expression “fake it till you make it” has never been more true than at the poker table. Bluffing has become as much a part of the game as the actual cards are, and people are always looking for ways to improve their bluffing skills. If you’re looking to try your luck at the poker table soon, check out these tips on how to become an expert bluffer.
The Telltale Signs of a Tell
Before you can fix something, you have to know what you’re looking for. So before you can become a successful bluffer, you need to know what your tell is. Play a friendly game of poker with family and ask them to give you hints about what you do when you have a good or bad hand.
Know Your Bluff
Is your hand decent, but not great? Then you’re probably going to want to do a semi bluff. This is when your hand is okay, but you are confident it will get better as the hand progresses. A whole bluff on the other hand is much more difficult. If you’re dealt a horrible hand right out of the gate, you’re best bet is probably to fold. But if you decide to stay in, you better be either very skilled at the game or very skilled at bluffing.
Timing is Everything
You shouldn’t be bluffing throughout the entire game, so when is the best time to bluff? The rule of thumb is never bluff if you’re the first one up to bet. Instead, hold off on bluffing until your position to bet is later — this will let you analyze other players bets and possible bluffs.
Learn Other People’s Tell
A game of poker can last a while, so don’t jump into bluffing right away. Spend the first few hands playing your cards straight and studying other’s body language. If you play with the same friends every week you’ve probably already learned most of their tricks, so to really test your skills, try out a new group or table at a casino.
Practice, Practice Practice
Bluffing is a skill that takes time and practice to master, so before you hit any Las Vegas, $100 table minimums, have a few friends over for poker night. You’ll have a great time getting together and have a chance to perfect your new skill.
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The joker card is a bit of an outsider. Many decks don’t include them and lots of us take them out before a game, so why was the Joker card added in the first place? If you’ve ever been curious about the Joker card’s origin, you’re in luck! Here’s a brief history of how the deck’s most unique card came to be.
The Beginning: Though playing cards have been around for thousands of years, the Joker is a relatively new addition, appearing for the first time during the Civil war. It was then that Euchre players created new rules for their game, one of which included adding another “trump” card — originally called the Best Bower.
The Hype: The Best Bower was widely used and sought after, so it wasn’t long before American and British manufacturers began including the whimsical card in their own decks. Soon, the Best Bower became known as the Jolly Joker, or Joker. At the time, there was no universal look to the card, so companies branded it with their own logo or design.
The Versatility: Unlike other cards in a deck, the joker has a different value and purpose in every game. It is considered the best card in Euchre, wild in poker and the losing card in the children’s game “Old Maid.” Despite its limited use today, the joker card is a favorite among players who love the history of the character and the cards ability to reflect the culture it was made in.
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From playing on the streets of Ancient Greece with makeshift game pieces, to the world of televised and online poker, gambling has been a staple for centuries. If you’re a gambling enthusiast yourself, here’s a bit of history about how your favorite pastime has evolved.
2300 BC: Gambling Emerges – It was in Ancient China that we saw the first evidence of gambling. Archaeologists reported finding tile etched with have lottery-style games of chance.
500 BC: Poker Chips Prevail – You can thank a group of young rebels in Ancient Greece for today’s poker chips. With all forms of gambling for money being illegal, players invented chips so that they could claim they were only playing for the small tokens, and not really money if seen by guards.
800 AD: Cards Are Coined – While little is known about their purpose back in 800 AD, the first deck of cards appeared in China at this time. Some believe they were traded like playing cards or used to play the first games of Chinese dominos. Regardless, they were drastically different from 52-card deck we know and love today!
1600: Blackjack Begins – Though the term “blackjack” wasn’t coined until the early 1900’s in the US, the game itself dates back hundreds of years. Evidence shows it was played in both Spain and France during the early 1600’s, but little is known about where the idea truly came from.
1638: The First Casino – The first gambling houses that would resemble today’s casinos started popping up in Italy during the early 17th century as a way to limit illegal street and carnival gambling. Though it had little success at first, it paved the way to lawful and regulated gambling.
1829: Poker is Played – The game of poker is believed to have spurred from many other card games over decades of play, but the first true game can be traced back to the United State’s own New Orleans in the mid 1800’s. With over 100 million players worldwide and 7 variations of the game today, it’s hard to believe that poker was originally a pretty unpopular game. It wasn’t until World Poker Tournaments began in the 1970s that the game began to garner worldwide attention.
1891: Slot Are Born – The modern day slot machine is based on a design first seen in San Francisco, where playing cards spun around and stopped at random. At the time, prizes like gum or cigars were won, but soon after machines began spitting out money and evolved into the electronic machines we play on today.
1910: Casinos Flourish – It wasn’t till the Great Depression the gambling in several states was made legal. With so many people suddenly out of work, many found themselves trying to make their livelihood through casino games, leading to huge interest in casinos.
1994: Online Gaming – Suddenly, you no longer had to go to a casino if you want to gamble! With dozens of virtual casinos popping up by the day, in less than 5 years, online gambling became a multi-billion dollar industry — one that’s still lucrative today.
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Luck isn’t the only thing you’ll need at the casino if you’re looking to try your hand at a game of blackjack. While a little good fortune certainly helps, you should also be able to identify and avoid the most common blackjack mishaps. Here are a few blunders to be aware of to to take your card playing to the next level.
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Slot machines are some of the most popular games for casino goers, and for a good reason. Playing slots requires little strategy, but a whole lot of luck! Fortunately, there are a few steps you can follow before you pull that lever to increase your odds of hitting the jackpot.
Be selective. When you enter the casino, don’t just plop down at the first machine you see. Be strategic in your decision, seeking out machines that have multiple different pay lines. The more ways to win, the better! Avid slot player say that when you find the right machine, you’ll just know!
Bet max. No matter what machine you choose to play, always bet max lines! A machine with multiple ways to win does no good if you’re not trying to win in every way possible. Remember, the higher the risk, the higher the reward.
Limit yourself. Practice self control by setting a limit and sticking to it — or set multiple limits. Say you decide that you only want to bet a total of $100 per slot machine. After you select a machine, sit and play until that $100 runs out. Then it’s onto the next one!
Practice first. Familiarize yourself with the way a slot machine and slot machine betting works. There are a wide variety of free apps and online sites that can help you get more comfortable before you press your luck for the big bucks.
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There’s a lot to be learned from a good old fashioned game of blackjack — and we’re not just talking about the mathematics of card-counting. Pressing your luck on the table can teach you a few great life lessons as well, that can be applied both in and out of the casino.
Never go in blind.
Know the rules, expectations and a few tips before you walk in — it’s as simple as that. Why lose money at a blackjack table because of silly mistakes? As such, you wouldn’t go into a job interview without researching the company a bit, or invest money without looking at stock market trends first. In every aspect of life, take time to do your research and learn what you are walking into.
Embrace the peaks and valleys.
Time spent playing blackjack will be filled with big wins and even bigger losses. Remember that “ups and downs” are a part of life. Good streaks will come to an end, but so will bad ones. Don’t focus too much on what the outcome is at that exact moment, but rather enjoy the ride.
Always have self-control.
Gambling is all about power — the power of the dealer, the power of a strong hand, the power to get up and walk away. That last one is the most important. Once you’ve hit your cap for the night, have the self-control to bow out, or risk suffering an even larger loss. In life, you should always set limits and goals for yourself. Whether it’s how much you spend on a house, or time you invest at work, be disciplined and remember what your limits are.
Know when to walk away.
Part of self-control is knowing when to call it quits, in blackjack, and in life. There are times when persistence is key, but there are also instances where you need to accept that no more time, energy or money poured into something will yield you a good return.
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Baccarat is over 600 years old and it is arguably the most popular game in the casino. It’s popularity can be linked with its simplicity, with only three bets to make, you feel confident when laying down your chips. But here are some betting tips to send your confidence through the roof:
Let it Ride on the Banker’s Hand
Baccarat is unique because you can bet on other players’ hands against the dealer’s. This leaves you with more opportunity to succeed versus a game like blackjack. The house always wins right? That is why betting on the banker’s hand leaves you with the best chance to win. You actually have a .22% better chance to win on the banker’s hand than any other hand on the table.
The Risk-Reward Bet
Contrary to popular belief, Casino’s are in the business to make money, not throw it away. Betting on the banker will have you winning more frequently but at the cost of a 5% commission. Betting on the player’s hand will lead to bigger payouts and more up and down swings. Just like in investing, the higher the risk, the higher the reward.
The Forbidden Fruit
Betting on a tie is like betting on the Jets to win the Super Bowl, hopeful but not likely. The house loves when you take the tie because they automatically gain almost a 16% advantage over the player. While it might yield the biggest payouts, the risk is simply not worth taking.
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The roulette wheel is a fan favorite among casino goers worldwide. Why? Because at the end of the day, it’s really all up to chance and luck. However, while the outcome will always have the same odds no matter how many times the wheel has been spun, there are still a few strategies you can master to play the game like a pro.
Be strategic. In order to play the game well, you must first understand the roulette wheel itself. Sure, there’s black, white and a bunch of numbers in between, but do you know how to place bets that cover more bases than one? Remember, the more you spread your bet, the better chance you have of hitting.
Don’t bet big. We know, you’ve always heard “go big or go home,” right? Well in roulette it’s all about betting small over a long period of time. If you place all your stake on one number/color, there’s a good chance you’ll lose it all. Long term investments yield bigger results in the long run!
Stay in control. Set limitations for yourself and don’t dip into your emergency funds! Determine your betting budget early on, and if you see the losses start rolling in, back away from the wheel. While you may be holding out for a miraculous recovery, chances are you’re not going to see it.
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