Comic-strip hero Lucky Luke, the cowboy who is faster than his own shadow, owes his name to the above-average share of happiness allotted to him on his path in life. In every comic, the poor lonesome cowboy rides into the setting sun after thwarting the villains’ plans and making the world a better place locally.

Being a comic-strip hero obviously has its advantages in terms of having luck on your side. For ordinary people made of flesh and blood, like you and I, being lucky is more of a game of chance. To increase the chances, we like to reach for assistance. After all, you never know.

In a casino, which is about chance, games and luck, a whole range of rituals and lucky charms can be found under one roof. Under the motto: it doesn’t hurt to try, we enable you to benefit from this. No one would say no to some extra luck, particularly in these strange times.

Those who won’t take advice but secretly prefer to err on the side of caution can cross their fingers or touch wood. For a constant feeling of safety, put a four-leaf clover, a rabbit’s foot or a horseshoe in your pocket.

The fully-fledged player goes for lucky numbers. Seven, three and eight are the most obvious. However, that is precisely why you should not choose them. If you want to increase your chances in a game by using a lucky number, then you are better off opting for your own, unique number. And no, it is better not to take the so-called unlucky number thirteen. Celebrities like Frank Sinatra, Taylor Swift and LL Cool J have already preceded you. Invoking luck by applying the reverse reasoning of misfortune is a well-known technique. So feel free to leave your black cat at home…

Colours also have hidden symbolism often, especially in Chinese culture. Both red and yellow/gold are identified with luck. In addition, red reflects happiness while yellow and gold represent the imperial monarchy.

It has never been scientifically proven that any of these symbols and rituals work. Although…A belief in superstition gives the person in question more self-confidence, which of course helps. So if a football player, a casino visitor or someone who wants to avoid corona feels more at ease wearing their favourite yellow pants, keeping a rabbit’s foot in their inside pocket, or their fingers crossed and wearing a red handkerchief around their ankle, there is nothing exceptionable about this.

Good luck!

Yes, we are closed, and we think – as do you too, hopefully – that is highly regrettable. However, … there is nothing to prevent you from honing your casino skills at home, or from trying out your best poker face in the mirror. Casino games in quarantine – for something a bit different …

Because the aim is not to arrange a casino evening at home, of course, we are focusing on solo activities. A nice game of cards is indispensable in this case.

By the way, did you know that the Chinese invented card games? The first traces of paper playing cards date from the seventh century. According to tradition, Emperor Mu-Tsung played ‘domino cards’ with his wife. Symbols such as a horse, crow, pheasant, fish, or rabbit were depicted on these cards.

Card games were first introduced into Europe in the fourteenth century. The first cards were made by hand, but that was very time-consuming and costly. The printing press was what gave an impetus to card games.

In films you often see artists at work shuffling a deck of cards in the most ingenious manner. Is that something you can practice yourself?

Or would you rather stick with your poker face? As you are no doubt aware, in many cases non-verbal rather than verbal communication is more important. Look out for sudden movements of the eyebrows and lips. That is an indication of nervousness. And if you begin breathing more rapidly, your smart opponents will notice something is up. This can happen when the flop (the first three cards), the turn (the fourth card) or the river (the fifth card) is shown. Your breathing can express excitement or disappointment when the cards are shown. Incidentally, touching your nose or ears is not a good idea either when playing poker. This indicates a certain level of unease that is at odds with the concept of ‘adopting a poker face’.

So find your perfect poker face. Perhaps you can practice during one of our favourite poker films. We are happy to propose a selection for you:

Casino Royale
James Bond and villain Le Chiffre take their seats around the poker table in Montenegro. The stakes are sky-high and the tension great. A rollercoaster with special effects that has a surprising climax in Venice.

Rounders
Matt Damon and Edward Norton shine in this poker film from 1998. Two shrewd poker fanatics play to pay off Norton’s debts. He has just been released from prison and is being pursued by a gang of heavy-handed creditors.

Maverick
Maverick, played by Mel Gibson, is a gambler who wants to compete in a well-known championship on a riverboat. It is a high-stakes ‘Winner Takes All’ poker game. In order to participate, he needs USD 25,000. To increase his chances, he forges a pact with a female poker player (played by Jodie Foster).

The Cincinnati Kid
The Cincinnati Kid, notorious in 1930s New Orleans, is a true classic. ‘The Kid’ (played by Steve McQueen) takes on the legendary champion ‘The Man’ in a high-stakes poker game. What follows is a tremendously exciting poker game to decide who will become the poker king of New Orleans.

Photo ⓒ MomoFotografi

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