Like it or not, most individuals who gamble tend to have certain superstitions regarding wagering on sports and playing games in the casino. Whether it is blowing on the die in Craps for good luck or refusing to cross your legs sitting at the Blackjack tables, it is common for individuals to take superstitions seriously. The last thing anyone wants is to walk out of the casino with less money than when they walked in.

For many sports bettors, this is no different. People have their personal beliefs about what they consider good or bad luck when it comes to placing a bet and riding it through the end.

With that being, here are the top 5 superstitions when it comes to sports betting:

• The Number 13. This number is polarizing in the sports betting world and outside of gambling as well. Many hotels, apartment complexes, and office buildings do not have a 13th floor or a room 13 out of fear of the unlucky number. Many sports bettors avoid placing wagers during Week 13 of the NFL season or on the 13th day of each month. It’s not farfetched to meet someone who wagers on sports, to refrain from casting a bet from any horse in a race wearing the number 13.
• Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Very rarely will I tell anyone who or what I bet until the game is officially over. Many other sports bettors share the same sentiment. In that mindset, when you put it out into the world, it inevitably will attract an opposite reaction. Most of the time, bettors will say they made a wager but not share what they bet. Others flat out will tell their friends not to ever ask out of a superstitious feeling that if people know you placed a bet, it will automatically go the opposite way even without telling. Next time, unless someone tells you they made a bet, it is best not to ask.
• Jinx! I cannot stand when someone knows that I made a bet on a specific team and then jinxes the outcome before the game is final. The possibility of a jinx is why many sports bettors refuse to disclose who or what they bet. Imagine you bet the Giants -3.5 over the Cowboys. By halftime, New York is up big 28-3. Your friend then says to you, “Looks like you have this one in the books!” That is a bettor’s worst nightmare to hear (see Patriots vs. Falcons Super Bowl LI). Fast forward to the last minute of the fourth quarter, after scoring a touchdown to make it 28-23, the Cowboys opt to go for a two-point conversion which they convert easily to make it 28-25. With no timeouts and a failed onside kick, the Giants take a knee to end the game — what a way to jinx the bet.
• Lucky Mistake? What happens when you are thinking of betting the over but mistakenly wager the under? Or if you wanted to take the points but accidentally told the teller the wrong odds line? Most bettors consider this a stroke of mistaken luck and decide to ride the bet instead of correcting it. It’s as if the universe intervened and directed you down the right path. Of course, there is no way to prove whether your initial instinct is right or wrong until after the game is final, but either way, you do not want to ignore what the bettings gods may be signaling to you.
• Lucky Charms. I don’t personally use any trinkets, tchotchkes, or good luck charms. However, I do happen to know several sports gamblers who always carry a lucky rock, two-dollar bill, or rabbit’s foot with them at all times when they bet at the sportsbooks or wager online. Individuals tend to have a heavy attachment to certain small belongings, believing they bring nothing but good luck. Unless that object is with them at the time, they will hold back from casting any bets out of superstition.