If you’re looking for a fun, social game in the casino, craps is it. If you wander around the gaming floor and see a party with lots of cheering happening around one of the tables, it’s likely craps. In this game, players throw dice into the middle of the table and hope the numbers come up in their favour. When the shooter gets hot, everyone tries to hop on the bandwagon and avoid any jinxes that could throw them off.
Speaking of jinxes, there are a lot of superstitions when it comes to craps. Let’s take a look at the most common ones, so that you’re aware not to do any of them the next time you play.
Stick With The Same Dice
When a shooter is on a hot streak, always stick with the same dice. That means don’t let the dealer change them, don’t let them leave the table, and don’t let anyone mess with them. The thinking behind this superstition is quite simple: don’t mess with what’s working. Leave the dice alone and let the momentum roll on.
Virgins Are Lucky/Unlucky
This is an old school superstition and don’t worry, you’re not dealing with the shooter’s sex life. What we’re referring to here is whether or not they’ve played the game before.
Male craps virgins are deemed as bad luck and bettors might avoid laying any action down while they’re rolling. Meanwhile, female virgins are the opposite: they are viewed as good luck. Players tend to get in the game more when a female virgin to the game is rolling.
Don’t Be The First At A Table
There’s a superstition with slots that has similar application at the craps table: you don’t want to be the first one to play the game. Why? Because you’ll be playing on a cold machine. In craps, the same concept applies, as you’re ideally looking for someone to warm up the game and dice before you step up and play. Being first or being the only person at the table can be bad luck.
Seven Is Unlucky?
Not entirely, but saying it out loud is. Apparently, saying the number out loud can be a sign of bad luck, as it’s often the number players want the most. Treat the number like the characters of Harry Potter treat “he who shall not be named”: don’t say the number out loud.
Leave The Shooter Alone
In baseball, if a pitcher is throwing a no-hitter or a perfect game, all the other players won’t talk to them. They’ll leave them alone. The same concept applies with shooters when they’re on a roll. Don’t talk to them, don’t dap them up and don’t touch them in any way. When they’re confident and connecting, just stay out of their way.
Avoid Others Hands
This superstition is specifically related to when you’re shooting. When throwing the dice, always try to avoid hitting someone else’s hand. Of course while playing the game, there are going to be a lot of people around the table, leaning up against it and so on. Just make sure the dice are in the centre of the table and on the felt, and don’t hit anyone’s hand on the way. If that happens, the general superstition is that the next roll will be jinxed.
Don’t Count Your Winnings
When it comes to playing craps, many people will tell you not to count your chips at the table. This is loosely related to that old saying about counting your chickens before they’ve hatched. While you’re still playing the game, enjoy it for what it’s worth and try to stack your chips. If you want to pause and count it all up, step away from the table and then come back when you’re ready. Or just roughly estimate as you play and count everything up at the end. Counting your winnings or chips at the table is viewed as bad luck and bad etiquette in this game.
