10 Odd Poker Superstitions

Do you have a lucky charm or ritual you use when you gamble? Lots of people do. Here are 10 of the most widely held, yet odd, superstitions in the game of poker.

Most gambling games spur traditions, habits, and beliefs that players swear have helped them win and win big. Whether you’re superstitious or not, it’s helpful to know the common habits and beliefs you may encounter around the poker table so you can better understand your opponents. Here are 10 of the most widely held, yet odd, superstitions in the game of poker.

Lucky Mascots

You may have seen pros and amateurs alike place little statuettes atop their chip stack as a tiny protector and lucky charm. You may have even seen players bring stuffed animals, photos of loved ones, or a rabbit’s foot (one of the most common lucky charms out there) to the table, too. That’s because these players believe there’s some strange luck to bringing these mascots to the game.

There isn’t any proof that these charms are, indeed, lucky. But there could be something to assigning special value to an object that represents, say a family member or a winning streak you once had, and having it with you while you play. Maybe it gives people confidence or makes them feel more comfortable in the presence of strangers vying for their money. And a little more confidence at the poker table can go a long way.

Unlucky Players or Dealers

This superstition is more of an irrational belief and typically comes out when a player on a losing streak is looking for something to blame for this string of bad luck. They think it has to be someone at the table, like another player who’s been winning or the dealer with whom they’ve never had a good hand. In fact, it’s pretty common for dealers to sit down at a table and players to say things like “I never win with he/she deals.”

It’s important to remember that other people aren’t actually impacting your luck, and having these thoughts while playing poker online or in person can actually spoil your mood. Any type of discouragement could hinder your focus and cloud your in-game judgment. And it could be distracting for a player at your table to blame you, another player, or the dealer for their bad hands. In that case, it may be time to find a new table.

Bad Card Shuffling

Similar to thinking that a dealer is bad luck, someone may just think that a dealer is bad at their job. You may hear another player ask the dealer to “do better” at shuffling and dealing cards. You may even be tempted to ask the same thing yourself.

But it’s important to remember that cool and cold decks are a normal thing in poker, part of the natural ebb and flow of the game. And dealers are well-trained to shuffle and deal fairly each and every time. Plus, when you play online poker, you don’t have to worry about “bad” shuffling because legitimate online casinos use computerized random number generators (RNG) to shuffle and deal so each hand is totally randomized for thrilling play.

Special Chip Stacking

Some players believe that the way one stacks their chips can impact how good their game is. For instance, some players swear by stacks of 20 chips or never do stacks of more than 10 chips. You may even be one of those players. Don’t worry, this habit is relatively harmless.

However, it can get a bit out of control and even present a few issues for other players. For instance, a player may insist on having stacks of a certain size and even have mixed stacks (those with chips of two or more different values). This can make it difficult for players to determine how much money that player has.

Another situation of irksome chip stacking is hiding stacks of large value chips behind taller stacks of lower value chips. While you might be able to get away with this at a home game, you probably won’t be able to do this at a casino.

If this superstition isn’t up your alley, then you won’t mind not being able to stack your chips at all when playing online poker.

Lucky Clothes

Having a “lucky” shirt, hat, belt, pair of socks, pair of underwear, or other item of clothing is, perhaps, the most common poker superstition. It may even be the most common superstition in all of gambling, sports, business, and many other ventures.

Like many others on this list, this superstition is just psychological. There’s no real proof that wearing the very shirt you wore when you won a huge jackpot five years ago will help you win another one. But it makes you feel better and more confident in your game that you have this “lucky” charm with you. Again, having more confidence and comfort at the poker table is a great way to keep you focused.

Lucky Snacks

Similar to wearing lucky clothes, some players eat a lucky meal or snack before or during a poker game to improve their chances of winning. But how does the food become so lucky? Maybe the player once ate a rib-eye at the casino’s restaurant and then went to win a huge pot. Or, maybe the player snacked on M&Ms while at the table and turned the game around on an all-in play. And ever since then, these players have stuck to this ritual, whether they won big or not.

However, eating before playing can actually keep you full while playing, eliminating the distraction of your rumbling hungry belly.

Lucky Chips

At any poker table, players are likely to determine that one player in particular is lucky. They could just be really good at the game or hitting a hot streak. Either way, when this player is considered lucky, other players become very interested in winning chips from them and even keeping those chips as long as possible, thinking that some of that luck will rub off on them.

Now this superstition is, more often than not, a joke at the table, just banter. “I won this stack from so-and-so.” But you may encounter some players who truly believe that chips they won from another formerly lucky player hold power.

You may even be one of those players. And that’s fine, but it might be best to keep this to yourself as other players may try to take advantage of your affinity for these chips and play more aggressively to take them from you. And they may do this whether or not they believe those chips are truly lucky.

Lucky (and Unlucky) Seats at the Table

Some players believe that certain seats at a poker table are just plain lucky (or unlucky). Perhaps they lost a big hand sitting in a particular seat and will never take that seat again. Maybe they won big sitting right across from the dealer and think it’s the best seat in the house. But our minds try to find patterns in randomness, and this is another one of those cases.

Now, you can definitely have a favorite seat at the table, maybe because you’re close to the A/C vent or you have a good view of the TV (though you should be paying close attention at the table). But thinking that a specific seat is going to help your luck is just a distraction.

But don’t get us wrong, getting the right seat that makes sense for your gameplay and that of your opponents is valid. Maybe you start right across from the dealer and find yourself between two really aggressive players. You might switch your seat to have an aggressive player to your left and a passive player to your right, if that works better for your game.

Lucky (and Unlucky) Hands

It’s common for amateur players to get really attached to their pocket cards. In fact, some players believe that certain pocket hands are incredibly lucky or unlucky. Like many of the lucky charms and unlucky omens on this list, what is and isn’t lucky comes from personal experience. However, it’s incredibly common to find long-time players who believe that Kings and Aces, the two most powerful starting hands in any Hold’em game, are very unlucky.

But don’t let pocket cards or their perceived luck value fool you. There’s more to poker than your pocket cards.

The Unlucky $50 Bill

This one is actually an overall casino superstition that seems to come from the fact that a large majority of the counterfeit currency in the U.S. is made up of $50 bills. And when this was a much bigger problem in the past, winners would often refuse to be paid out with $50 and insisted on smaller bills instead.

Unfortunately, there are no easy fixes or conjurings of divine intervention that can actually improve your poker game. However, if you learn to read your opponents and seek to understand their poker superstitions, you may gather enough information to play against their weaknesses and come out on top. And the best way to practice is by playing, so join a poker game at your favorite online New Jersey casino.