On the face of it, it’s easy to dismiss the idea of superstition as mere fantasy or magical thinking. However, whether you’re aware of it or not, the likelihood is that you yourself partake in some sort of superstitious thinking or behaviour. Cast your mind back: when was the last time you purposely avoided a black cat, knocked on wood or avoided the cracks in the pavement? Chances are that you and others have indulged in at least one of these fairly recently and all of the aforementioned actions can indeed be filed under superstitious thinking.
A 2014 study amongst registered voters in the U.S revealed that 37% of Americans believe that finding a penny and picking it up is good luck, whilst a further 23% are of the opinion that the number seven is lucky in some way. The last stat is particularly interesting from a betting standpoint and it got us thinking about the relationship between superstition and gambling. Are the two connected and, if so, how much of a role does superstition play when it comes to punters picking their horses and other bets?
The Psychology Behind Superstition
Before delving into superstition and betting, it’s important to understand the actual meaning of the term; after all, not all beliefs or rituals can be classed as superstitions. Stuart Vyse, author of Believing in Magic: The Psychology of Superstition believes that giving some sort of “magical significance to a ritual” is when your actions start encroaching into superstitious territory. But if our behaviour has virtually no logical connection to the outcome of an event, then why do we act in the way we do?
For many of us, not having control over a situation is a frightening prospect and the more that a situation feels out of our control, the more likely we are to dream up ways in order to control the outcome (no matter how farfetched). When attempting to explain an individual’s beliefs, it’s also important to take into the account the events leading up to any superstitious behaviour.
It follows that the large majority of superstitions come from personal experience. The age old cautionary tales involving black cats and finding pennies are entertaining enough but they serve no purpose unless one has experienced either bad or good luck relating to these events. In betting terms, if an individual has enjoyed a sizeable and unexpected win, then it’s only human nature to try to analyse what has been done differently – once again, this comes down to our willingness to dissect and explain events which feel out of our control.
If the only thing that you’ve done differently during the day of your biggest ever horse racing win is have eggs for breakfast, for example, then why not have eggs in the morning the next time you place a wager? In fact, there is evidence that superstitions can increase your confidence and performance and, so, to this end, believing that those eggs were a contributing factor to your success may not be such an outlandish idea after all. Nevertheless, as long as it’s still possible to differentiate between events that are and are not out of your control, then believing in a superstition here isn’t inherently detrimental to your chances unless it becomes the sole focus of your thinking.
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Superstition Outside of The Betting Scene
In order to understand why superstition and otherworldly beliefs have been ingrained into us as a society, it’s important to briefly look at superstition outside of the gambling arena. In the times of Ancient Egypt, cats were considered to be good luck and many online games based on this era still make use of cat symbols in order to represent a significant jackpot.
The music industry also has a long standing relationship with superstition and, over the years, there has been a number of hits involving common beliefs. Songs such as Broken Mirror, Black Cat and Voodoo Child by Travis, Janet Jackson and Jimi Hendrix, respectively, stick in the mind and who could forget Superstition by the great Stevie Wonder?
Indeed, the song Superstition has once again found its way back into the mainstream in recent times, with Donald Glover (aka Childish Gambino) duetting on the track with Wonder back in May. Childish Gambino is also making waves on his own and is one of the favourites to take home the Triple J Hottest 100 crown according to Oddschecker with his poignant track, “This Is America.”
A number of celebrities across various different platforms and industries have all confessed to being superstitious. Lindsey Lohan, Audrey Hepburn and Keith Richards are just a handful of stars who have been known for their their quirky and superstitious antics – Richards insists on being the first person to break the crust of Shepherds’ Pie when on tour and that doesn’t seem to have done his music career any harm whatsoever.
Superstition and Betting
As we’ve already established, the right amount of superstition can increase both your performance and confidence. Whilst luck obviously has a huge part to play in any success that you may have, the role that confidence plays within the betting arena cannot be understated. When it comes to choosing between taking a punt on two competing horses for example, going with one’s gut can be the deciding factor; professional gamblers have often stated that trusting their instincts has brought them just as much reward as studying form. However, in order to throw caution to the wind, a certain amount of confidence is required and a genuinely held belief in a superstition could be enough to tip the balance.
A commonly told joke in gambling circles relates to two punters discussing superstition. One asks the other, “Are you superstitious?” to which the other replies, “I used to be but then I was told that it’s unlucky to be superstitious and so I stopped”. Whilst this scenario is entirely made up, it perfectly encapsulates the attitudes of many gamblers towards superstition – whether we realise or not, as punters, we all have little our own little quirks and things we believe in. Whenever we lose a bet, we are always quick to blame some external force out of our control so it makes sense that following a win, our first instinct is to try and theorise what lead to this outcome and repeat it ad infinitum.
Superstition Can Be An Effective Tool If Used Correctly
When it comes to it, there’s nothing inherently wrong with believing that a certain pair of socks or a specific meal brings you a bit of luck. Indeed, if this translates into a new found confidence then superstitions such as these can definitely be a help more than a hindrance. As long as you are careful not to get too caught up these beliefs and are brave enough to admit when the situation is out of your control, then you shouldn’t have any problem.