What are Your Odds of Getting Lucky?
Hitting pay-dirt with your lucky numbers.
We've all heard of them, many of us have played them, but what are the odds of cashing in on your lucky numbers?
Gamblers have been religiously playing their lucky numbers since the dawn of time. Whether it's poker, blackjack or roulette, perhaps even the lottery, it's the call of the magical numbers. There is a culture of expectation surrounding the repetitive playing of certain numbers. These digits are steeped in myth and ingrained in our collective psyche.
The numbers
A good place to start is the number 7. This has long been a prime example of the ultimate lucky number. The image of the "Lucky 7" dice roll is usually made of 5 + 2 and it is a gambler's dream craps roll. That's why the number 7 has come to symbolize gambler's luck. Its origins: perhaps the 7 days of the week, the 7 arts and sciences, the 7 ancient planets or the fact that the Arabians had 7 holy temples.
Derivations of 7 include the number 777 and there's a potential religious link too. A Benedictine monastery was built in Austria in the year 777 by the Duke of Bavaria, Tassilo III. People enjoy flying in a Boeing 777 as opposed to the arch enemy number 666 - which would have few people taking to the skies. 777 is the ultimate gambler's lucky number!
Let's hit 21
Why is 21 a lucky number? Well it's not because of the hit gambling movie 21; it could be its divisibility by 7 or the fact that it's the legal and binding age in many countries. 888 - a derivative of the lucky number 8, is considered highly in Asian culture, where the number 4 is unlucky and means death! But 8 - which sounds similar to the word 'prosper' in Mandarin is hailed, respected and loved. Hence casinos promote this number with zeal!
