Bingo Player Superstitions

Lucky charms have long been considered a necessity when it comes to playing bingo, but do they actually work? For me, the ‘lucky’ rabbit’s foot has been nothing more than a cruel gimmick, but for others, this furry object has been a factor of winning, but can the various lucky charms trigger a win? I’ll try to answer this question (and many others) within this article, so settle in, because you could be about to discover how to tip the odds of winning in your favour.

Positivity is the first thing you should take along to bingo – if you’re negative, what’s the point in even going? There are many do’s and don’ts associated with bingo, some of which you may not know, so let’s recap on what you should and more importantly, shouldn’t be doing:

Do’s

• Socialise with the people around you. Bingo is a great way of making new friends and getting to know people.
• If you swear by a lucky charm, take one along with you. If you’re yet to pick one up, read on to discover what items are considered detrimental to bingo players.
• Some people have their lucky seats and it’s an unwritten rule that if you’re sitting in those seats and someone asks you to move – you move.

Don’ts

• Eyes down means no talking and turn those mobiles off or place them into silent mode. There’s nothing worse than a phone ringing when you’re trying to listen for your numbers being called.
• Bang the dauber on the table when marking your tickets – this is a sure-fire way of getting up the noses of those around you.
• False call – obviously, playing bingo can get confusing especially when there are one-line, two lines and a full house to concentrate on.
• Forget to have fun!

Musical Chairs

Many bingo players believe it’s the seat that is lucky and not the tickets, even though the tickets are the only object that can provide a win. Strangely enough, this is widespread throughout the United Kingdom, Europe and the United States and many bingo halls will ask you to move if you’re occupying a ‘regular’ players seat.

I’ve often wondered why players get protective over certain seats and I’ve come to the conclusion that it has nothing to do with the bingo tickets at all, instead, I believe it’s to do with the coverall bingo boards, you know, those 80-ball bingo games which are played during intervals. Each table has its own set of coverall bingo game boards and for either 50p or £1, players can win big cash for marking their numbers off before anyone else.

Luck is a Culture

Ever wondered why there are so many red-themed oriental casino games? You may be surprised to learn that the colour red is a symbol of good luck and prosperity in Chinese culture and the colour is often deemed as a protector from evil. Asian culture also suggests that certain numbers could bring wealth and strangely enough, cabbage is noted as the bringer of fortunes, although I’ve only known cabbage to bring wind.

Luck is symbolised by a wide selection of objects or numbers and each vary significantly in different cultures across the globe. For instance, the lucky number 7 is part of the Christian culture, but in Chinese culture, that same number could is often considered unlucky.

An albatross is also a symbol of luck, but only if it’s spotted by sailors. Imagine walking into your bingo hall with an albatross tucked under your bingo wing! Chimney sweeps are also said to bring good luck when touched, especially on weddings and during New Year celebrations, but you can’t exactly hire one every time you want to play bingo.

Charming Stuff

Two of the best bingo lucky charms are the lucky penny and the horseshoe. Various legends link the silver shoe to powerful forces and when summoned, they bring great fortunes. Isn’t it strange how one item has many different meanings, because other cultures believe the horseshoe is only lucky as they were originally made from iron and iron was used to ward off mischievous fairies.

Four-leaf clovers are descendent from ancient Ireland and very similar to the horseshoe, this green plant is only deemed lucky for its anti-fairy properties. Ever wondered what the four leaves mean? Each of the four leaves is said to have mystical powers, one for faith, hope, love and luck.

Why is the number 7 a sign of luck? Many people believe the number 7 is lucky due to its mathematical properties; 7 days in a week, 7 colours in a rainbow and 7 planets visible to the naked eye. Mind you, whenever I’ve been waiting on the number 7 for a win, it never comes out!

Animal Antics

Despite deriving from black magic, the rabbit’s foot has always been a symbol of luck and rumour has it that the rabbit foot would deter evil spirits from walking through cemeteries at night. Don’t go hunting bunnies to try this out, or you’ll get arrested! If you’re eager to get your hands on a rabbit’s foot, you can try your hand at stitching your own from felt or you can buy one online.

It’s not only the rabbit that can bring luck, both goldfish, horses and dragons bring luck and prosperity according to Chinese culture (Feng Shui) and in Germany, ornamental pigs are often given as gifts during New Year celebrations.

If you can’t get your hands on a goldfish or a dragon to take to bingo, you can always try the following:

• Think positive
• Visualise yourself winning
• Be more affirmative. In the words of AS W. Clement Stone: "Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve."
• Maximise your karma by helping others.

If you’ve any tried and tested methods that have helped turn your luck around, please do share them below.