Myths, Superstitions, and Legends about Playing Cards

[Davidvictorson]

Our world is filled with so many myths, superstitions, and legends of one form or another. And gambling is no exception.  So many people hold fast to them because they believe in their potency. For example, in my culture, though it is not related to gambling, one of the superstitions I find quite funny is that, whistling or playing any sort of wind instrument after 9pm is forbidden because it is believed to attract evil spirits.

I have never played cards at a casino before but as a kid growing up, I played a lot of card games with family and friends. I was shocked to find out that there are myths, superstitions, and legends about playing cards. Below I have compiled some of popular myths, superstitions and legends about playing cards. After reading it, I would like to know what you have heard about playing cards.

1. Walk three times around the playing table for good luck

Sometimes luck is just not on your side when playing a card game which can result in a losing streak. It is believed that your luck can change when you walk around the table three times before continuing the game.

2. It is bad to sing, whistle, or drop cards while playing

This belief largely comes from Chinese superstition. Singing, whistling, or dropping cards when playing is considered disrespectful and a sign of rudeness.

3. Avoid crossing your legs when playing

One of the older myths when playing cards is the belief that players should not cross their legs when playing. It is said that doing so would destroy any chances of winning a game.

4. Don’t buy a deck for yourself

This belief is rooted in using cards for a tarot reading. It is considered bad luck to buy it for yourself. Additionally, you can’t use the same deck for both tarot reading and playing cards.

5. 52 is a lucky number

According to Asian tradition, 52 is a lucky number in card games. In numerology, the number means good fortune and positive change. The most common belief, however, is that the 52 cards are meant to represent the 52 weeks that pass in a year. Additionally, the four card suits represent the four seasons and the 13 cards within it represent the 13 weeks within each season.

6. Getting a dark hand has a dark meaning

It is commonly believed that when you have a hand consisting of an all-black card suit, that means that someone will die.

7. The Joker and December 31

While December 31st is popularly celebrated for the coming of New Year, it is also known as the Joker’s birthday. In the olden days, it was considered a day for merriment. On this day, court jesters can showcase their best performance and impersonate royalties such as the King.

8. Cards were used to send secret maps by POWs during WWII

The most fascinating legend about playing cards comes during the time of World War II. Allied Prisoners of War held across Germany and occupied Europe were allowed to receive packages from the Red Cross thanks to the Geneva Convention. Seeing this as an opportunity, the Allies smuggled several disguised items to POWs to avoid detection from the enemy captors. With the help of the United States Playing Card Company (USPCC) and their brand, Bicycle, they produced a deck of cards that had a hidden map within it.

The map hidden on the card was revealed once submerged in water and soft enough to peel off the outer layers. Each card contained a piece of the map and was assembled once all the pieces were revealed. The map, once assembled, contained valuable information within it, including escape route directions, to help POWs to escape and reach safety. These cards were distributed during Christmas, as part of Red Cross’ Christmas parcels. 32 POWs managed to escape captivity with help from the map. This unique collaboration between the Allied Intelligence and USPCC was commemorated by the reproduction of the decks.

9. The Left Hand Curse

When sitting at the poker table or playing any other card or table game, it’s believed (according to Chinese superstition) that using the left hand is rude and doing so will see the player being punished by the gods. As such, all players must use their right hand (even left-handed players).

10. Striking a needle into fabric worn by a particular person would help them win at cards

In old fables and tales, it is believed that striking a pin or a needle into the fabric (clothing) of the person you wish would win the card game would cause them to win. It could only work if the person didn’t see you sticking the needle into their clothing.

11. Card playing on Friday before six is a big NO!

A typical old superstition says that playing cards on Friday before 6 pm is considered to be a bad omen. Waiting until after 6 pm was the norm.

12. You shouldn’t play cards after midnight

Playing card games after midnight, especially at 3 am, is considered bad luck. Some legends say that playing cards at 3 am could leave you open to demons.

13. You need mathematics skills to play Blackjack

People believed that Blackjack required considerable mathematical skills, but that’s not true! To be able to play the game, you simply have to learn the rules and practice.

14. The kings on the cards are depictions of real kings

Some people believe that the four Kings of a playing card deck represent four real-life kings through history: Charlemagne, David, Caesar and Alexander. There was a time in the history of cards when French card designs were the most commonly used throughout Europe and French card designers liked to assign identities to the royals pictured on their cards.

15. Players of the Ander Bahar card game have a 50% chance of winning

Ander Bahar, a card game that originated in India, and they say that players have a 50-50 chance of winning.

What myths, superstitions, and legends have you heard about playing cards.


Sources:
https://livecasino.io/blog/casino-tips/the-joker-playing-card
https://giftsforcardplayers.com/card-games-myths-and-superstitions-you-want-to-know/
http://greatbridgelinks.com/myths-about-cards/
https://www.gamesver.com/card-games-superstitions-myths-legends-about-playing-cards/

[bitzizzix]

To be honest I've never come across or seen any of these things in real or online gambling, and those who use them because of myths, superstitions and legends have probably been around for a long time. And it may be believed from generation to generation that in fact it's all not necessarily the truth.
In my opinion gambling is purely based on luck and skill, and there are also those who use it when luck is on the side of the person who uses it, they will consider it successful.
and I don't really believe it because they are all beliefs that are not necessarily true, except outside of gambling.

[Rruchi man]

After reading it, I would like to know what you have heard about playing cards.

I have always played cards innocently without any knowledge of superstitions.

1. Walk three times around the playing table for good luck

I will try this the next time I play cards with my friends 😂 although I think they will have the impression that I am just trying to see the cards they have.

2. It is bad to sing, whistle, or drop cards while playing
3. Avoid crossing your legs when playing

I think this superstition was fashioned to ensure that people stay serious while playing and not take a relaxed position.

9. The Left Hand Curse

A lot has been said about left-handed people in many cultures I think they are all superstitious and unfounded. People say these things probably because the be left-handed is a deviation from the norm and regular which is right handedness.

Generally all these things just like any other superstition work only when you believe them if you don't believe them they won't work with you.

[dothebeats]

Number 3 and number 4 I can see my family members do often. They often borrow cards from our neighbor to play their games and they usually confront players that crosses their legs during their whole time playing cards. I don't know the exact reason why they do this but I think it's kinda weird. Also, the card dealer on their games often has to use their right hand when tossing the cards over. There was this one incident wherein my uncle accidentally tossed one card with his left hand and he was immediately replaced by my aunt after my grandfather commented that it brings bad luck.

[rhomelmabini]

None of it is familiar to me that's why when I'm lucky, I'm lucky and when I'm, I'm not. To be honest, it's only true to those who believe in it and by destiny's chance it happen on him/her will just have to support that fact. I don't think superstitions still exist on players nowadays or if ever they still believe in it, likely acceptable to the older generations.

[Jemzx00]

I have been to some gambling establishments or casinos yet I have never heard or knew any of these superstitions or beliefs other than number which is crossing your legs. I knew some gamblers who hated me for doing it since it welcomes bad luck however there are a lot of gamblers who do so but still on a winning streak. I don't think that most of this are that common at all based from the replies above as well.

Anyways, thanks for sharing and I'll try to do and avoid these once I'll be able to go back on the casino.

[PX-Z]

Honestly speaking i never heard this kind of thing here, although we have belief here too but only particular when prohibiting of playing on some events or so. Not like these that even whistling is a thing ^{(sure the world has lots of unique cultures)}.

Reading all these and if following all those belief i guess casino business will not be a thing today lol.

[Slow death]

from this list i just heard that to be a winner at card games you have to be good at math, in my country when we played cards if someone won a lot consecutively people immediately thought that person was good at math, the funny part about it all is that usually the person who won was someone who didn't have good grades in school, but people didn't care about this important detail and kept insisting that the winner was good at math. I wonder today if they still think like that, as I haven't played cards for years, so I don't know if they still have that funny belief.

[abel1337]

I don't believe that much in superstition but I respect everyone beliefs, myths, legends and superstitions. I just can't find any logic on some superstitions that's why I don't believe most of the superstitions. I honestly don't know almost all of the superstition, myth and legends that OP put in the list.

I'm always doing #3. Every time I gamble It's my habit to do cross legs, I'm sure that I am doing it involuntarily and don't find it unlucky since I've been doing it for a very long time now. I'm also doing #2 which is whistling. It seems my luck isn't going opposite because I violate some superstition without knowing it.

[Baofeng]

Been playing cards, heard some superstitions but actually never cross my mind that I should do this and do that for good or bad luck. I know that some gamblers are very superstitious, but I try to stir away from it because we do know that it won't affect the result of the next card that you will dealt with. And this superstitions can be sum up to being a "Gamblers Fallacy".

[qwertyup23]

To be honest I've never come across or seen any of these things in real or online gambling, and those who use them because of myths, superstitions and legends have probably been around for a long time. And it may be believed from generation to generation that in fact it's all not necessarily the truth.
In my opinion gambling is purely based on luck and skill, and there are also those who use it when luck is on the side of the person who uses it, they will consider it successful.
and I don't really believe it because they are all beliefs that are not necessarily true, except outside of gambling.

Like what I previously mentioned in a similar topic, these superstitious beliefs provide nothing against the odds. But, they in effect, provide something that gives the gambler the feeling of peace and comfort before they gamble. You can associate this like doing a pep-talk; it gives this certain boost of confidence and fearlessness to the gambler before he/she attempts to gamble on his own pace.

Though this may be the case, people should not fully rely on these beliefs. But if these activities help them in reducing the stress, anxiety, and their doubt, then I see no reason for them to stop practicing such myths.

[Gozie51]

I might not have seen this quotes the way they appear but I can say that there are different kinds of superstitions in our daily lives this is same with different people, cultures games they play, and gambling is not an exception. In Nigeria and the local where I am, I think there are some similarities to the list made out there like number 5 and 9 but for number 5 , it is not about 52 which comes as even number but about numbers ending in odd form and so picking such numbers that are odd is not really a popular choice, people will select or call for odd numbers or numbers ending in odd forms , they see such as negative. And number 9, using of the left hand to play games or the use of it for anything is linked to the reason for misfortune if it happens so. And some playing with left is looked as dangerous.

[goaldigger]

This is all about their belief and seriously, if you are going to live in my country you can expect more myths and superstitions in almost everything so there’s no new about this. As long as you don’t need to spend any money from this then I can say that you are really free to do this kind of belief before you gamble, luck may be in your favor but of course better not to expect that much.

[Johnyz]

Believe it or not many are still doing this, they are too serious about winning in gambling and I don’t think this is good one since it promotes greediness and you are doing this for the sole purpose of winning. I’ve heard a lot of this even on our local casinos, they are doing something weird before they start to gamble but seriously I don’t think it can boost your luck at all.

[blockman]

That's a lot of belief and I didn't know that most of them are like that.

Believe it or not many are still doing this,

Definitely, because they want to increase their chance of winning and luck and that's why they're doing something like those beliefs because it is what they think will make them win.
But, nothing against with those as long as they're doing it on their own and hopefully, they're all winning with most of their bets with those beliefs.

[Mbitr]

Have you heard of The Suicide King ?



https://upswingpoker.com/what-is-the-suicide-king-in-card-games/

[el kaka22]

These are all good. Superstition when gambling is something that is famous, in fact it doesn't even have to be gambling, people who watch football does this all the time. My dad who is a big fan of football, watches it on a small tablet these days because once he wasn't at home and had to watch it from there and his team won 4-0, and ever since then he watches it there and as we all can guess, they do not win all of their games, they lose plenty, but he still does it.

My aunt who was a chairman of a small club, took showers before every game and then watched it on tv, as we all can guess, it was irrelevant. Superstitions do not make sense to me because of this reason.