Page 11 - December 2014 • Southern California Gaming Guide

Luck: Are You a Believer? From Clothes to Favorite Numbers, Casino Players Work Their Luck
by Gail Anders
Intent on the screen of a ashing slot machine at a popular Southern California casino, Gloria T.
was ready for a jackpot. On her favorite day of the month—the 7th—she had traveled from Los
Angeles for a day at the casino. And she was dressed to win.
Horseshoes
Horseshoes are considered lucky when turned upward, but unlucky when turned downward.
Bamboo
Bamboo is a lucky plant/tree from Asia with remarkable rapid growth, and so is considered a symbol of prosperity and luck.
Crickets
A cricket in the house, particularly one on the hearth, has been a sign of good luck for thousands of years.
Dragonflies
As a creature of the wind, the dragon y represents change and is associated with prosperity, strength, courage, peace, harmony and purity.
Pigs
Good luck tokens in the shape of pigs are believed to bring good luck, as they are a symbol of wealth, good fortune, and prosperity.
Frogs
e frog has been a symbol of prosperity, wealth, friendship, and abundance in many cultures, and a symbol of fertility in others.
Dreamcatchers
From Native American culture, dreamcatchers are considered good luck because they catch the negative images from dreams.
ese are just a few common lucky symbols that gamblers I’ve known believe in. Some have jewelry of these items that they wear to the casino, and they swear it brings them good luck.
So, does belief in luck and superstition pay o ? Back to Gloria T. in her lucky shirt. Over the course of thirty minutes, she won almost $200. For all I know, she may have played all the money back later in the day, but at least for a while, that shirt did its lucky job.
Gail Anders plays at Southern California casinos and writes about gambling and casino games.
“I’mwearingmyluckyshirt,”shesaid,referringtoayellow silk blouse covered in what appeared to be mermaids.
“When I wear this, I never, ever lose.”
Superstitions are quite common among gamblers.
Lucky shirts, lucky days, lucky underwear—you name it, some casino player believes it. Some gamblers have lucky jewelry and charms, lucky rituals they perform on the day they prepare to go the casino, and even lucky positions at gaming tables.
At a casino in Connecticut, for instance, blackjack dealer Hal B. says he has customers who won’t sit down unless they can play in the table’s last seat, known as “third base.”
e bene t of this spot is that the player who sits there can control what card the dealer pulls rst for himself. He said that some players won’t even think about playing unless they can sit in that spot. But he also added that other players feel the same way about sitting in the rst seat, although there are no real strategic advantages to that spot. Go gure.
I’m a believer in luck. I’ve had my share of what can only be called lucky days and lucky events in my life, and I wanted to understand more about luck, so here’s what I found out.
What is Luck?
Luck is a way of understanding a personal chance event. Luck is de ned as good fortune that occurs beyond one’s control, without regard to will, intention or desired result
(thank you, Wikipedia).
You could say luck is the supernatural concept of a
force that determines that
certain events occur, much like
the laws of physics that prescribe
certain events. But luck can be
good or bad. Just ask any casino player on a losing streak. So luck can refer to something that is beyond a person’scontrol.
My friend Barry, a psychologist, says that luck is probability taken personally.
He is a pure rationalist who thinks that belief in luck is a result of wishful thinking.
Cultural views of luck vary from perceiving luck as a matter of random chance to attributing explanations of faith or superstition to luck. Many cultures and religions have their distinct lucky concepts.
Casino Players’ Good Luck
e concept of luck is fascinating, especially luck for casino players. After dissecting and de ning luck, let’s move on to what is considered lucky to those of us who play games of chance. Some of these lucky items you will know, others may be new to you.
Lucky Numbers
Lucky numbers in the casino abound, with 7 the favorite, and 8 vying for top position, particularly among Asian gamblers.
Lucky Colors
Green, yellow (signifying gold), and red are all considered fortunate.
Acorns
Native Americans believe that both the acorn and its bearer, the oak
tree, bring good fortune.
Clover and Shamrocks
Both the four-leafed clover and shamrock are considered lucky,
particularly on St. Patrick’s Day.
Ladybugs
Ladybugs are a sign of good fortune in many cultures.
Some people believe that whatever a ladybug lands on will be replaced with an
improvedversion.
DECEMBER 2014
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GAMING GUIDE
PAGE 11