Casino Secrets: How Lucky Animals Influence Your Odds
Every culture has its lucky animals, and in many, you’ll find lucky animal parts—fortunate for the human that carries them, but not for the animal that lost a leg to help you land the biggest craps rolls.
What’s more, gamblers are a very superstitious bunch. As you sit around a blackjack or poker table, it’s not unusual to encounter players who keep charms in their pockets, bags, or keyrings. If you push them, you might discover they’re wearing their lucky animal-print underwear!
So, what are these lucky animals, what are their stories, and why are they considered lucky?
The Lucky Rabbit’s Foot
The idea that a rabbit’s foot can bring luck has existed for millennia. Two thousand years ago, Pliny the Elder wrote that carrying a hare’s foot could help to cure gout. But he also suggested that it needed to be hacked off a living animal.
For the sake of hares everywhere, it’s worth noting that this will not help with anything, least of all gout. It might keep your neighbors away, though, as no one wants to hang around the guy seen chasing hares and lopping off their feet under a full moon. Speaking of which, some superstitions surrounding this charm claim that the rabbit/hare must be killed in an “unlucky” situation, preferably under a full moon, in a graveyard, on Friday the 13th.
However, Pliny didn’t mention any of this, and such beliefs weren’t common in Europe, where the superstition originated. They became commonplace when the charm crossed the Atlantic and merged with African American superstitions.
Magpies
Magpies are considered both good and bad luck in the United Kingdom and, to a lesser extent, across Europe. A famous poem that first originated in the 19th century states that seeing one magpie will bring you sorrow while two will bring you joy, and this has gradually transitioned into the belief that one is bad luck and two are good luck.
Magpie superstitions likely stem from early Christian beliefs, with some stories suggesting it was the only bird not to comfort Jesus at his crucifixion and others believing it was the only bird not on Noah’s ark. This, in turn, likely comes from the fact that magpies are scavengers and gather around places of death and destruction. They also have a reputation for being kleptomaniacs that will steal anything shiny.
Fish
Several species of fish are associated with luck and prosperity around the world. The most notable is the koi fish, which represents wealth and abundance in Eastern cultures. Koi fish are also kept as pets in other parts of the world, but they can fetch a premium price, so you need to be wealthy and have plenty of abundance if you even want to consider keeping them.
Crickets
Crickets are considered lucky in many cultures, including in China and Europe. The ancient Chinese are said to have kept them in cages above their doors, as they would stop chirping whenever someone neared, acting as an early form of a doorbell camera. Some cultures also considered it good luck if a cricket entered your home, believing it would bestow fortune on the homestead.
Snake Skin
Snake skins are considered lucky in various parts of the world, and this idea traces back to several roots, including China, Japan, and ancient Egypt. It is a sign of transformation and renewal, and while it often refers to seeing a snake’s skin in the wild, it has also morphed into the belief that carrying part of a skin can bring you good fortune. For this reason, you will often find snippets of snake skin in trinket shops.
Ladybugs
Beautiful and delicate creatures, ladybugs are associated with good fortune across Europe. If one of them lands on you, you’re supposed to make a wish and then send it on its way. This superstition traces back to early Christian beliefs, with some believing they were a gift from the heavens sent to protect their crops.
Ladybugs remain essential to organic pest control, as they feed on many pests that damage crops. Just don’t kill one or try to trap one for use as a good luck charm, as it’s considered bad luck—this superstition business is sometimes a minefield!
Pigs
Lucky pig figurines come from the Middle Ages when the animal represented prosperity. If you had pigs, you had money, and as they could be fed leftover scraps and reproduced quickly, you also had a cheap and ready source of meat.
In Germany and parts of Scandinavia, pigs are shaped from marzipan and given out as good-luck gifts known as Glücksschwein. Receiving one of these little treats is supposed to bring you good fortune for the year ahead.
Elephants
The Hindu god of success and wisdom, Ganesha, is depicted as having the head of an elephant, so the animals are revered across the subcontinent. This idea has also crossed into other cultures, and you can often find good luck charms depicting elephants with their trunks held up as if ready to shower you with fortune.
Summary: Lucky Animals
If you’re playing at an online casino, it could help to keep a lucky charm nearby, but probably not. These superstitions are still fun, though, and if you believe that lucky animals bring you fortune at the blackjack tables or slot machines, that’s all that matters! Just make sure you don’t resort to stalking around graveyards on Friday the 13th in search of stray hares.
More Games Common Queries
Which animal symbolizes good luck?
Various animals symbolize good luck in different cultures, from the rabbit (or its foot) in Europe and North America to the Elephant in India and the cricket in China.
Which animal is lucky for money?
In addition to the elephant discussed above, bats, cows, and boars are also thought to bring prosperity in many Eastern cultures.
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