Chinese gamblers are one of the most superstitious crowds in the world. Gambling and luck is rooted deep in Chinese culture, that’s why there are so many beliefs surrounding it. Some people even got nice fortunes thanking to these superstitions!

Here are some superstitions from China that made their way to casinos all over the world:

1. Wearing red. In Chinese culture, red is the color of good fortune, so wearing anything red can help you to win. A lot of gamblers wear red underwear for that reason.
2. Numbers. Avoiding number 4 is a good place to start – Chinese people consider it to be extremely bad luck, because in Cantonese it sounds like the word “die”. Number 8, on other hand, is considered to be extremely lucky, so everything about it is good. Other good numbers include 3, 6 and 9.
3. Feng Shui. A lot of people believe in the power of feng shui today, it’s really popular all over the world, not only in China. It’s a belief that positive and negative energies are everywhere and you can redirect them. The MGM casino once built a lion entrance to building, where gamblers were forced to go inside through the mouth of a lion. A lot of gamblers considered it bad luck, so MGM had to completely rebuild the entrance. It cost millions of dollars – talk about bad luck!
4. Praying to gods. Chinese culture has gods that are responsible for gambling, so if you pray to this deities, they are supposed to give good luck. If the gods are in your favor, you’re lucky!
5. Don’t talk about books. It may be weird for westerners, but Chinese gamblers don’t mention books and don’t touch shoulders at the table. Something about word “book” is similar to “lose” in Chinese. About shoulders – it’s generally a rude gesture, so try not to do it to anyone.
6. Gamble on your… period. This is much weirder than last point, but that’s the belief. Females who want to be lucky are encouraged to play on “that time of the month”.
7. To change your fortune, wash hands. Washing your hands, per superstitions, changes your luck. So, if you’re losing game after game, go to the bathroom and wash your hands! But if you’ve hit a winning streak, do not do it – avoid washing hands at all costs.
8. No sex before gambling. This rule is a little hard to follow, but some people swear by it. Basically, if you want to win big, hold off sex the night (or day) before.