In traditional bingo halls and on online bingo sites players place a premium on votive totems placating lady luck. Even if you’ve never played bingo, there’s a good chance that when imagining a bingo hall one of the images that comes to mind a player’s table encrusted with tchotchkes, knick-knacks, and the like. So, like any horrible stereotype, it has to be coming from somewhere—though, while many players do have luck charms, usually they aren’t over the top (think trash bag full of troll dolls). Anyway, here are some of the most common.

Pictures

Pictures of family, pets, or religious icons are common companions to superstitious bingo players. Sometimes these images will be framed but are more often just wallet sized snaps placed next to the player’s card.

Troll Dolls

Yes, this image of the troll doll bearing bingo biddy does come from somewhere as, for whatever reason, are quite popular. Even though they aren’t the height of taste I hear manipulation of the troll’s hair can provide a modicum of relief from the stress of bingo.

Clothing

Doesn’t everyone have a pair of lucky underwear? For bingo players this often extends to a variety of different lucky clothing options—tee-shirts, socks, etc. This is charming save for when the individual believes washing the item to ‘wash-out’ the luck from the garment, Yuck.

Real Estate

Bingo players can be a territorial bunch when they believe a certain seat or table is lucky. This can be a midfield for newbies entering a hall for the first time, and can quickly find themselves being evicted from their chosen perch. Perhaps then it is best to wait till most of the other players have settled before finding your seat (if you are new of course).

Daubers

You know those things you mark your cards with? Yep, those are lucky too. For this reason online bingo sites almost invariably have the dauber icons customizable as brand, shape and color are all integral to any luck that the dauber might impart.

Ritual

For the superstitious, ritual plays an important part of the gaming process. For example, some players eat the same thing at the same time of day or take a cigarette break at a certain time between play.

Living, Breathing Human Beings

Many players will only play bingo with a friend that they deem to be lucky. This can express itself to the extent that these pairs (or more) will not play bingo without each other

It may be easy to scoff at those who express superstitious tendencies, but it’s generally a harmless addition to the game and makes it more enjoyable for those players. Equally, behaviours like this probably extend to most people in some form because, I mean, who in their right mind walks under ladders?

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