Superstitions can be found in all walks of life and it certainly has a strong hold within the sports betting industry. One of the first things to understand when betting on sports though, and for any kind of betting for that matter, is that you should ignore the many superstitions and myths that come with it.
Sure, superstitions can be fun and useful for casual punters who occasionally bet on big events, but if you’re looking for long-term betting profits then you need to bet with your head and not your emotions…or beliefs behind any superstitions.
Definition of Superstition: a widely held but irrational belief in supernatural influences, especially as leading to good or bad luck, or a practice based on such a belief.
We have come across many wild and imaginative superstitions that punters believe in across the world. Read on and we’ll show you some of the most popular superstitions and betting myths that punters hope will bring Lady Luck to their side.
Lucky Bets
The first superstition on our list is based around lucky bets and this is linked to form and past betting history. Online bookies nowadays offer a huge number of betting markets, so it’s no surprise that some people feel overwhelmed with all these options available to them. Some punters like to stick to what they know and not venture out into the unknown.
Take Bob Smith for example, Bob likes to keep things simple and only bet on ‘both teams to score’ in the soccer betting markets. Bob has found some success betting on this market over the last few weeks, so he’s decided to stick with it and carry on betting on the ‘both teams to score’ market.
Of course, this is a wise move in some ways and less of a superstitious way of betting. A bet based on both teams scoring can be analysed using historical data. Keeping a limited betting style, and by this we mean staying within one betting market, does help to increase your chances of winning.
Lucky Names
A lucky name is a type of superstition that is used by everyone from the casual punter to the experienced and seasoned sports betting professional. Whilst you would expect the experienced punters to follow tried and tested strategies, they are still known to follow a superstition on a sporting event that they perhaps know little about.
These types of bets are linked to that sudden feeling of destiny rather than a bet placed around analysis and statistical data. You can imagine the feeling as you scroll down a list of horses preparing to race and you suddenly see your name or the name of your pet staring back at you. It’s meant to be, surely? The stars have aligned and it’s your lucky day!
We’ve mentioned horse racing because this is the main betting event where punters would tend to back a winner based on a name alone. Horse racing names can range from the downright humorous to straight up standard human names and this lends itself well to the ‘lucky name’ superstition.
Perhaps a horse has the same name as you or it includes your favorite colour within the name, anything that links you to a horse in the race could lead to a superstitious bet. Another known superstition includes backing horses that have Royal connections within the name and when combined with lucky numbers, some punters feel as though they must place a bet.
You’ll find these superstitions being used when punters have little to zero knowledge on the betting event. Lucky names will almost always be connected with fun bets and as mentioned, experienced and professional punters would not tend to waste their money on a bet based purely on a name.
Lucky Numbers
Our third superstition is based around betting on lucky numbers and out of all the “lucky” superstitions so far, this one is the most common and covers not only sports betting but also many casino games as well. You can find many historical lucky numbers that have been deeply ingrained into cultures around the world, and punters make huge bets on the basis of them still to this day.
We’ve detailed a list of these lucky and not so lucky numbers below:
- Number 7
o Lucky in the USA, UK and France due to several famous events relating to the number seven. Seven ancient planets, God made the universe in seven days, seven wonders of the ancient world and so on.
o Unlucky in China and Chinese inspired countries due to the seventh month relating to the “ghost month” where people pay their respects to the dead.
- Number 8
o China and Japan both find the number 8 lucky as it sounds very similar to the word meaning ‘to make money’ and ‘to prosper’.
- Number 9
o China and Norway both consider the number 9 to bring good luck as nine is the number for ‘emperor’ and Norway’s famous mythology mentions the number on several occasions.
- Number 13
o Lucky in Italy as it is related to Saint Anthony, the patron saint of finding things (in this case money and winnings) or people who are lost.
o Unlucky in the USA, UK and Scandinavian countries due to various horrific historical events including the Mayan calendar and the Last Supper. Also, many people still remember the horror movie, Friday the 13th.
Betting Rituals & Charms
Not watching a sporting event as it happens is quite a common superstition practiced by many sports fans, with the simple belief that they are destroying their chances of winning by watching the bet play out. Apart from the bizarre belief that someone who practices this has a direct and physical effect on the outcome of an external event, it also means that you miss out on watching the action!
Another classic betting ritual is to wear a lucky charm and this can come in all sorts of weird and wonderful guises. It might be a lucky ring or necklace or it could be a lucky tie or shirt, or perhaps an old pair of lucky shoes! If someone wins a significant amount of money then they will often link the win to something that they are wearing, and it sticks for a long time.
Giving Away Tips
A short but simple superstition believed by some sports betting punters is that if they hand out tips to their friends or family, the bet will not come through as a winner. You might have come across someone who is full of betting tips but they are never inclined to share them. This is one of those punters who believes in keeping their betting knowledge all to themselves.
Astrology
It might seem a little strange to relate astrology to sports betting but there are people out there who are quite happy to listen to ‘mystical’ people and follow their guidance. You can find these mystic readings in papers and even online with many of them alluring to winnings and money in the near future. This is enough for some punters to go ahead and place that big accumulator or back the underdog in the hope that the mystics were telling the truth.
It’s a tough one to follow for most people but as with all superstitions, if it works for you once then why wouldn’t you believe in it and try it again? The thing is that these mystical readings can work both ways. Perhaps your betting research shows a value bet for the weekend that looks like it could bring in some big money. Yet your mystical readings tell you that your fortune is not looking good and you should conserve your money.
Which way do you go? Do you trust the statistics or do you side with the universe and the words of the mystic?
Extra betting superstitions worth a mention:
- Washing your hands before you bet will bring good luck
- Crossing your legs during the sporting event will bring bad luck
- Taking a sip of a drink before betting is another strange ritual for some punters
Final Thoughts
Superstitions are easy to believe in, especially when it works one time and you reap the rewards. You can see why people would continue to stick with them if they win once, but as betting people we need to stand back and look at the facts. Placing money on a bet due to the number of a horse or the color of a soccer team’s jersey is, quite simply, not an intelligent bet. As we always say, if you want to become a successful sports betting punter then bet with your head and not your heart or emotions.
