Chinese Gambling Superstitions and Taboos
Chinese are a superstitious group of people. Some Chinese gambling superstition thinking and
behavior have become essential parts of the Chinese culture and are popularly accepted by the
population. Chinese’s obsession and beliefs in superstitions are commonly portrayed in their
movies. In a scene in ‘Kung Fu Mahjong’, for example, one actor claimed that he was
wearing his red underwear and, hence, ready to go to Macau (casinos). A scene right after that
showed him, his friend and those around the gaming table shouting ‘Deng’ (in Cantonese)
before he revealed his card in a baccarat game. In ‘Fat Choi Spirit’, a gangster who had
arranged to play mahjong with a renowned mahjong expert put on his red underwear, ordered
his men to ‘touch’ the shoulders of his opponent and to put bags of ‘books’ around him. Some
industry observers and researchers postulate that Chinese have strong illusion of control. A
strong belief in superstition may have aggravated some Chinese gamblers’ illusion of control
during gambling.
Chinese believe that picking the right numbers can affect one’s fortune. Some Chinese
gamblers deliberately avoid hotel room numbers like ‘4’ (sounds similar to ‘die’ in Cantonese)
and ‘58’ (sounds similar to ‘won’t prosper’ in Cantonese) and select auspicious hotel room
numbers like ‘84’ (sounds similar to ‘prosperous till death’ in Cantonese) or ‘18’ (sounds
similar to ‘definitely prosper’ in Cantonese). To a Chinese, ‘8’ is associated with prosperity
and ‘4’ is associated with death. Numbers such as ‘3’, ‘6’ and ‘9’ are also considered ‘good’
numbers that, when combined appropriately with ‘8’ or other numbers, can contribute to a
Chinese’s chances of winning when gambling. A combination of ‘good’ numbers include
‘1388’ (sounds similar to ‘prosperity in one’s lifetime’ in Cantonese), ‘168’ (sounds similar to
“prosper all the way” in Cantonese) and ‘998’ (sounds similar to ‘prosper for a long time’ in
Cantonese). However, picking the wrong number or combination of numbers can potentially
be disastrous. For example, a Chinese gambler who boarded a shuttle bus to a casino in
Macau noticed later that the bus license plate was ‘QF 1358’ (sounds similar to ‘won’t
prosper in one’s lifetime’ in Cantonese). Thinking that he should not be overly superstitious,
he ignored it but kept it at the back of his mind. However, when he lost that night, he put the
blame on the shuttle bus with ‘lousy’ numbers as the main cause of his misfortune.
Superstitious Chinese gamblers may sometimes perform rituals to get loads of blessings for
luck and prosperity from their gods. Such acts may include offering fruits, lighting up a joss
stick or simply making a prayer. They would do so at the start of the Lunar New Year or
when it is needed such as before a major casino trip or publication of lottery draw numbers.
Many Chinese also believe in feng shui. They believe the world that they are living in are full
of ‘chi’ or force (positive or negative), which can be manipulated to their advantage. While
some Chinese worship feng shui as a rational science, others see it as pure superstition. Still,
most people accept it as part of the Chinese culture. Some Chinese use feng shui (e.g.
arranging one’s furniture at home) to avoid bad fortune (i.e. keep away negative ‘chi’ or force)
and increase the amount of fortune they get (i.e. bring in positive ‘chi’ or force). Superstitious
Chinese gamblers may sometimes avoid entering a Chinese casino through its main entrance
as they believed it is blessed (or ‘cursed’) by the feng shui geomancers.
Below is a list outlining just some of Chinese gambling superstitions and taboos. While many
young Chinese today may no longer believe in these dos and don’ts, they are still being
recognized and/or practiced by many.
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Chinese Gambling Don’ts
• Don’t tell others that you have to read ‘books’ when they are gambling. In Chinese,
“book” sounds similar to ‘lose’.
• Don’t count the money that you gain or loss during gambling.
• Avoid seeing nuns or monks before gambling.
• Don’t hit or touch one’s shoulder(s) while he or she is gambling.
• For males, stay far away from sex (or females) before gambling.
• Don’t enter a casino via its main entrance. It is cursed by the feng shui masters.
• Don’t try to be a winner at the very beginning, or you will lose a lot of money in the end.
• Don’t check into hotel rooms with inauspicious numbers like 4 and 14.
Chinese Gambling Dos
• Wear red underwear or undergarment when gambling.
• Go and piss. It can bring some good luck if you have been losing money.
• Females are more likely to win when they are having their ‘period’.
• Switch on all the lights at home before you go out to gamble.
• Check into hotel rooms with auspicious numbers like 8, 18, 13, 168, 198, and 798.
• Behind every gaming table is a baby ghost. Feed the ghost (i.e. with sugar) and the ghost
can help you to win or will not stop you from winning.
• When playing baccarat, players should call out the word ‘Deng’ (Cantonese) or ‘Ding’
(Mandarin) prior to opening the card(s).
• Pray and/or make an offering to the god(s) before you go for your major casino trip.
• Pray to the god(s) before the day of lottery draw.
• Pray and/or make offerings to the god(s) when you strike lotteries.
• The winning lottery numbers are ‘out there in the world around you’ for you to interpret
and guess before the actual draw day. For example, your coming wedding date (e.g.
12/11/05) could possibly be the winning lottery numbers for the next draw.
NOTE: This article was originally posted in Urbino (www.urbino.com).
Biography
* DESMOND LAM is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at the University of Macau, China.
Desmond’s interests lie in gaming, cross-cultural decision-making process, and the role of
word-of-mouth in customer and brand loyalty. He can be contacted at DesmondL@umac.mo.
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