The Zeal of Fortune

Allegedly, poker is a logical, rational game. In theory, it's a game of calculated decisions based on odds, strategy, and a careful reading of your opponents. But as we all know, it's not really like this in practice. Factors such as greed, ego, and tilt often play a substantial role in decisions made at the poker table. Moreover, poker players-even skilled players who are supposedly bastions of strategic and mathematical knowledge-can be some of the most superstitious people in the world. For some players, it's as simple as bringing a lucky token to the table or wearing a special item of clothing. For others, superstition becomes much more elaborate and actually interferes with the play of the game.

Anytime you play poker in a live setting, you are liable to see at least one player with some kind of lucky talisman at the table. It can be anything, but frequently it's a small animal figurine or special coin used to cover his hole cards. Other players like to bring photographs of family and loved ones, and will put these pictures right on the table next to their chips. Such objects are supposed to help the player get good cards. Regardless of whether you believe these little tokens can bring good luck, they are definitely helpful to the players who keep them. If nothing else, they provide a source of psychological and emotional comfort. Heaven knows poker can be a nerve-wracking game sometimes, so being able to see and touch an object that is familiar and soothing can be an effective way to ease stress.

Even some of the biggest name professionals do this. Johnny Chan brings his "lucky" orange to the table when he comes to play, while Sam Farha prefers to ruminate over his poker decisions with an unlit cigarette dangling from his mouth. During the final table of the 2003 World Series of Poker, as Farha began to slip farther and farther behind Chris Moneymaker in chips, he kept getting rid of the cigarette and bringing it back again, in an effort to change his luck. And many pros are known for bringing family pictures with them to the table, or wearing special lucky hats or shirts when they play.

Another widely-held superstition is the belief that certain seats at the table can be "hot" or "cold." If a player who has been winning a lot announces his intention to leave, it's not uncommon to see one or more players at the table ask for his seat. And naturally a player in a "cold" seat will want to switch chairs as soon as possible.

Requesting a deck change is also commonplace when a player has been running badly, as if the cards themselves are somehow responsible for how they fall. Just like Farha moving his cigarette around, these players are all hoping a change in their environment will somehow, some way, induce luck itself to reconsider its evil ways and smile down upon them once again. They're trying to control the uncontrollable.

In the short-term, luck is a huge factor in the game, which is a good thing, since otherwise lousy players would never win and the game of poker would have died out a long time ago. But luck can be frightening. The poker gods are a capricious lot, and with one tiny flick of their fingers they can utterly pulverize our bankrolls and our pride. That's a helluva strain at the poker table, to say the least. So it's no wonder that many players do whatever they can to try to coax a little luck their way. But with apologies to Shakespeare, it must be said: The fault, Dear Brutus, lies not in our cards, but in ourselves.

Barbara Connors is a sucker for classic old movies, science fiction, and the St. Louis Cardinals. Her life's ambition is to figure out the unusual behavior patterns of that unique breed of humans who call themselves poker players. Contact her at fyreflye222@yahoo.com.