Introduction

The playing of bingo and online bingo is not a widespread practice in Chinese culture.  However, games of chance and gambling in general are a huge part of Chinese culture, particularly horse racing, lotteries, casinos and, the supreme Chinese game of chance, mahjong.

This essay will first look at the role superstitions have in promoting an illusion of control amongst Chinese gamblers and then make an overview of actual Chinese gambling superstitions.  The final part of the essay will comment on the role palyed by Feng Shui in further strengthening the illusion of control.

The Illusion of Control in Chinese Culture

For many western observers of superstitious behaviour in Chinese culture, the Chinese film industry is a rich source in illustrating some of its more curious customs.

The predeliciton for wearing red as a form of luck is highlighted in the movie ‘Kung Fu Mahjong’ in which one character informs his friends he is wearing red underwear for their upcoming trip to Macau’s casinos.  In the same movie the same character shouts “Deng� while playing baccarat, a common Chinese practice in influencing the run of the cards.

The film ‘Fat Choi Spirit’ portrays a Chinese gangster putting on red underwear before engaging in a mahjong game with an expert player.  For added measure he orders his men to touch the shoulders of the expert and but satchels of books around him.

In a previous article, we discussed the concept of the “illusion of control� as a belief held by gamblers that probability can be manipulated by “game-play� techniques.  Gambling industry observers postulate that Chinese culture promotes a strong illusion of control and that this leads to a highly superstitious set of practices by Chinese in general when taking part in games of chance.

Overview of Chinese Gambling Superstitions

The list of actions not to do when taking part in gambling is quite extensive amongst the Chinese.  For instance, avoid saying anything about ‘books’ since in the Chinese language of Cantonese, ‘books’ is similar sounding to ‘lose’.  Do not count any of the money gained or lost during a gambling session and especially avoid contact with religious figures like nuns or monks previous to gambling.

Having you shoulders touched while gambling is considered very bad luck and males are expected to abstain from sexual liaisons.  Being an early winner is considered bad in that you will eventually be a big loser by the end of the game.

Regarding the actual establishments that promote gambling, such as casinos and mahjong halls, avoid entering them via the main entrance as feng shui masters often curse these doorways.  Checking into hotel rooms with inauspicious numbers like 4 and 14 is also considered bad due to the number 4 being similar in sounding to the Chinese word for death.

On the gambling “to-do� list of things, as mentioned before when reviewing gambling superstitions in Chinese films, always try to wear red underwear when engaged in games of chance.  Urinating during a game can help change a losing streak into a winning one and menstruating females will be luckier than females not having their period (related to the colour red).

Switching on all the lights at home before going out to gamble is considered good and always try to use numbers such as 8, 18, 13, 168, 198, and 798 when gambling.  There is also a belief that every gambling table has a baby ghost associated with it and that feeding it with sugar will help your luck.

Chinese casinos can be a noisy place due to a belief that shouting out the word ‘Deng’ during baccarat will make the cards more favourable.

Praying to god(s) is an important part of the pre-gambling ritual observed by many Chinese gamblers.  Trying to interpret ‘signs’ is also an important part of Chinese lore in determining a winning formula.  A good example of this is to look at important dates in your personal life, such as an upcoming wedding, and use the numbers as the likely results of a lottery draw.

The role of Feng Shui in Chinese Gambling Superstitions

Feng Shui is the uniquely Chinese belief system that states the world is governed by ‘chi’, or negative and positive forces that can be manipulated for advantage.

Though many Chinese regard feng shui as pure superstition, there is a large percentage of the Chinese population that looks on it as a rational science. Most  Chinese who employ feng shui use it to help shape their domestic and business surroundings via the arrangement of furniture.  It also plays a major role in attempts to influence the amount of good fortune they receive.

As discussed above, some Chinese gamblers will avoid entering a casino through its main entrance in the belief that it is cursed by feng shui masters.  Many young Chinese no longer believe in the influence of feng shui and other gambling superstitions, but many of those discussed in this article are still in widespread practice today.

References

Henslin, J. M. (1967). Craps and magic. American Journal of Sociology, 73, 316-330.

Koehler, J. J., Gibbs, B. J. and Hogarth, R. M. (1994). Shattering the illusion of control: Multi-shot versus single-shot gambles. Journal of Behavioral Decision Making, 7, 183-191.

Langer, E. J. (1975). The illusion of control. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 32, 311-328.

Presson, P. K. and Besassi, V. A. (1996). Illusion of control: A meta-analytic review. Journal of Social

Behavior and Personality, 11, 493-510. Lam, Desmond:  Chinese Gambling Superstitions and Taboos

Written by John Witherspoon - Play bingo online at http://bingostreet.com/ and read celebrity gossip.

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