Widespread Baccarat Superstitions and Myths
If there is one thing that gamblers are afraid of, it’s bad luck. Bad luck is perhaps the scariest thing that can happen to a casino player. And playing Baccarat, one of the most popular games in the casino world, comes with a lengthy set of Baccarat superstitions.
Rituals that are meant to protect the players and bring good fortune are customary and, in some instances, even encouraged. If you heard of these bizarre practices but are not sure where they come from, we are here to help. Scroll down for a full list of Baccarat superstitions that are quite popular in casinos around the world.
Most Popular Superstitions in Baccarat
Regardless of the form of Baccarat – be it land-based or online – you must have encountered a plethora of weird behaviour from fellow players. Baccarat players are a superstitious bunch, which means they are no strangers to odd rituals and traditions at a Baccarat table.
From quirky tapping on the glass and adamant use of specific clothing to near-abuse of the cards – they’ve seen and done it all.
Here are the most popular Baccarat superstitions.
- Card Bending
- Blowing on Cards
- Ripping Cards
- Trend Betting
- Good Luck Charms and the Colour Red
- Tapping Glass
- Playing with the Same Dealer
We will discuss each ritual in great detail in the following sections. Sit tight, read through what we prepared, and prepare yourself for the most intriguing protocols for playing Baccarat.
Card Bending
Bending the cards or squeezing, how providers today call it, is one of the most common practices in Baccarat. The practice originates from China and Macau. Macau is, as you might know, the biggest hub for land-based gambling in the world. The Chinese, as firm believers in luck and destiny, have invented a series of rituals which aim to bring good luck.
To bend cards or to squeeze them means, quite literally, to bend actual cards. Here is how that works:
- The player takes the first face-down card and bends the card to peek at the sides. He must be careful not to reveal the number on the card – because that’s not the point – but still manage to see the sides.
- He can then rotate it for 90 degrees and bend again to glimpse at the long edge of the card. By seeing the number of suits on the long side of the card, the player gets a chance to predict which card is in question.
- After the first, he can do the same with the second card. After squeezing the short side, he switches to the longer edge and tries to guess what’s the hand value.
This practice might sound weird to inexperienced players, but the explanation lies in anticipation of seeing the result. Every player wants to know what’s in his cards – and so the chance to peek at least a little bit is a great way to build suspense.
However, not all casinos allow this. In Macau, the venues like to indulge the players, but that’s not the case in the USA. Of course, every deck of cards is thrown away after every round, because bent cards are no longer useful.
In online Baccarat games, Squeeze became popular after live casino providers incorporated it into their titles. The latest game to feature Squeeze is the No Commission Baccarat, Microgaming’s 2020 RNG game.
Blowing on Cards
If you played at least one round of Baccarat so far, you probably know how superstitious the players are. And after bending the cards, one of the things they love doing is blowing on the cards.
What do we mean by blowing on the cards in Baccarat, we hear you ask?
Again, we mean what we said: punters blow on the cards to scare away the bad spirits.
As you can guess, this is a common practice in Asian online casinos. Although it could be hard to blow on virtual, RNG cards, doing that in land-based venues is a common occurrence.
Bad numbers, i.e. numbers that could lead to a loss in the round, are something every player wants to avoid. Hence, blowing on the cards ensures good fortune will come to the cards in hand.
Ripping Cards
This practice is by far the most violent practice of the bunch. Ripping the cards is, once again, common in land-based casinos in Asia.
Cards that have brought you good luck are great, but a player needs to ensure that other cards would do the same. Hence, he takes the ones that brought him a win and rip them apart.
Mangled cards might sound a bit too aggressive to you but trust us – players in Asia love this superstition. In online casinos, the practice is non-existent as you cannot rip something that’s physically not there.
Trend Betting
Another famous routine that many players believe to be helpful is trend betting. Trend betting works in two ways – betting for and against the winning trend.
In plain English, that means that you choose to follow the trend and bet on the winning hand. Or you can choose to bet against it, i.e. on the hand that has been losing for a while.
Here’s an example. The Banker’s hand has been winning for several rounds. If you believe that luck has to do anything with that – although it’s arguable – you can wager on the Banker’s hand. The idea behind such an action is in the hope of winning. Essentially, you firmly believe that the Banker hand would win again, and so you want to catch that winning streak.
On the other hand, you can do the exact opposite. You can bet on the other hand (in this case the Player) as you think it will win the next round.
The belief that previous rounds influence an outcome in Baccarat is the definition of the gambler’s fallacy. But despite logic and common sense, millions of players fervently hold onto this delusional belief. But that’s the entire point with superstitions.
Good Luck Charms and the Colour Red
The colour red is a symbol of good luck, prosperity, and success in Asian cultures. The Chinese are most known for their fondness for this colour. If you are familiar with Asian-themed casino games, then you might’ve noticed that they feature reddish hues in every title.
The reason is simple – the colour is meant to bring good fortune to the players. Hence, players try to encourage Lady Luck by wearing red clothing or items that are painted in this shade.
The items are their good luck charms, but they are not always necessarily red. A good luck charm can be any item that you had on you when you scored at a Baccarat table.
Punters believe that carrying such objects while you play this game can have a positive effect on the outcome of the round. Online casino gamers do the same – except they do not leave the house with such objects. Nevertheless, they always make sure to have them at hand when they log into their accounts and open the casino lobby.
Playing with the Same Dealer
When you are winning at a casino table, the last thing you want is to end that cycle of success. And the best way to do that is to keep everything in its original setting – including the dealer.
In land-based casinos, croupiers change tables often. But with them, the players leave tables as well, because they are convinced their luck left the table as well.
The practice is common in online Baccarat games too. For instance, if you are playing a live dealer Baccarat game, you start out the round with one dealer. The croupier might be at the end of his/her shift, and so they would leave the table. If they form an attachment to a croupier that brought them luck in the past, they would carefully pick the table with this dealer or leave once the dealer finishes with the shift.
Top Casinos to Try out These Superstitious Practices
Now that you know what kinds of superstitions exist in Baccarat, it’s time to try them out. We highly recommend venues from our list of top 10 online casinos, such as 888 casino, William Hill, and LeoVegas.
Play Baccarat at 888 Casino
888 is an international brand with a stellar reputation. Whatever you want, this casino is there to provide it. It has one of the most significant collections of Baccarat games, including live dealer tables where you can practice Baccarat superstitions.
Play Baccarat at William Hill
Another international brand that caters to casino and sports betting players is William Hill. With a library that spans thousands of games, this casino website is a perfect spot to try exclusive Baccarat games for real money.
Play Baccarat at LeoVegas
If you are feeling anxious to try the superstitious activities which we described above, LeoVegas should be on your list of casinos to visit. This digital gambling site is a great place for mobile casino play, and it offers a plethora of awesome bonuses and promotions.
A Couple of Words to Add
Superstition and logic rarely go together. We are sometimes surprised to see card players performing mysterious rituals during Baccarat rounds.
Nevertheless, we cannot deny that such rituals often yield good results. Arguably, such victories are not tied to luck and superstition. But the fact that players are not ready to give them up still stands. And if players are happy, the casinos are happy as well.
Now that you know what practices and Baccarat superstitions exist in casinos, you might want to give them a try and see if they work. And who knows – you might even boost your luck.
If you want to share your thoughts with us, don’t hesitate – drop us a comment down below.
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