Popular Betting Myths

Part of the fun of betting is the myths and superstitions that surround the various games. Belief in certain of these “rules” of gambling allows the players to feel they have some control over the outcome of events.

However, in reality, the long term outcome almost always favors the game provider. Here are some of the best-known gambling myths and their explanations.

The Myth -- Beginners Luck

It is believed by many that the first time someone seriously gambles, for example, the first time in a poker card room, that the inexperienced poker player usually wins. Other gamblers often want to travel with a new player, believing that his or her luck will rub off, and will be reluctant to bet against a new player.

The Explanation

Many gamblers are made, not born. If people post a sports bet or go to a casino and have a bad experience, they will very often decide not to play again. It is often the thrill of winning that gets someone excited about gambling and gets them to keep coming back to try to recapture that thrill. Someone who never got that thrill to begin with may not gamble anymore, while those who did will be able to regale others with a familiar tale of “beginner’s luck.”

The Myth -- Hot and Cold

Some players believe that if something has happened a number of times, the alternative option is due to happen. For example, if black has come ten times in a row on a roulette wheel, players believe that the odds of it coming up red next time are much greater than 50-50.

Interestingly, other players believe in streaks, that what has happened before will continue to happen. Many craps players wait to see if the shooter has made a successful pass several times in a row before putting their bets down.

The Explanation

Clearly both myths cannot be true. The reality is neither is true. Dice, coins, cards and roulette balls have no memory. They have no memory of what has gone before. Your roulette ball doesn’t know if it is being spun on a wheel that has just come up black ten times or on the wheel at the next table which has had an even distribution of blacks and reds.

The Myth -- Lucky Items or Rituals

Some people believe that if they carry a lucky totem with them or practice a certain ritual before gambling, they will have better luck. If they have a bad session, they can easily attribute it to failure to perform the ritual correctly or to use the lucky item the right way.

The Explanation

People like to feel like they can have some control over random events, also the basis for religious rituals like prayer. If someone happened to be holding or doing a certain thing when having a win, he or she may develop a psychological attachment to that thing, consciously or unconsciously pairing the ritual or item with the experience. In reality, there is no relationship.