Did you ever notice that Tiger Woods always wears a shirt with some red
on it, on the final day of a golf tournament? It seems that Tiger believes
that by doing that it makes him lucky, and who is going to argue with
that. Now, I am not going to suggest we all wear a shirt with red on it at
the final table of a poker tournament, but wouldn't it be nice if we could
all be that lucky with our superstitions.
n past years, I must admit that I had more than one little thing that I
would do while playing poker that would constitute a superstition. My
dilemma with keeping these superstitions came when I first got serious
about my wife Debbie. You see Debbie was born on Friday the
thirteenth. When we first met and she told me about it, I really didn't
give it a second thought. But ultimately it became decision time, whether
to continue to be superstitious and break up with the girl with whom I
had fallen in love, or trash can all the superstitions. Debbie and I have
had almost 15 wonderful years together, and someday I'll let you know
whether trash canning all my superstitions was a complete success or
not.
We all remember the lucky orange sitting next to Johnny Chan as he won
two straight World Series of Poker. Here are some of the superstitions
that some of the players were kind enough to share with me--some of
which I just could not help adding my own thoughts.
• Diana Weden: She will play a few games of solitaire and if she wins
at solitaire, it's safe to go play poker.
• Debbie Burkhead: She won't allow her ashtray to be changed if she is
winning. They can clean it but they have to give it back to her.
• Oklahoma Johnny Hale: When it rains, he heads for the poker room.
He will win when it rains.
• David Rabbi: He believes it is unlucky to play on Saturdays.
• Phil Helmuth: He says some shirts are lucky, depending on the color.
(Did you ever see Phil playing a tournament in a white shirt?)
• Bill Johnson: He thinks it's unlucky when he has an early seat change
in a tournament.
• David Burch: He has to have a Mountain Dew next to him when
playing poker.
• Men the Master Ngyuen: He believes it is good luck to never cut
whiskers growing out of his moles. (Now ladies, please think about this
one carefully before you try it.)
• Susie Isaacs: She believes there are lucky undergarments, lucky
earrings, lucky perfume and lucky parking places. (What's left?)
• Mike Sexton: He claims he is not superstitious but goes on to say he
doesn't look up at the dealers because he doesn't want to ever believe
that certain dealers could be unlucky. (Wait a minute Mike. Isn't that
being superstitious?)
• Frank DiElsi: He makes sure all of his chips have the money amount
facing down.
• Jack Fox: He has his lucky jacket. (I might add he continues to torture
us all by wearing it. It's soooo ugly.)
• Hans Tuna Lund: A toothpick is lucky until proven differently.
• John Bonetti: Dealers who chew gum are unlucky for him. (I guess not
too many who deal to John chew gum!)
• Robert Turner: If he sees a panhandler when he is on the way to play
poker, he believes it's unlucky not to give him money. (Anybody wanting
money, catch Robert on the way into the Casino.)
• Joe Petro: Dealers who look unhappy are unlucky for Joe.
• Edria Petro: She believes seats 1 and 10 are unlucky.
• Will Noyes: He won't allow his brother Tom to sweat him, if Tom has
been knocked out of the tournament.
• Mike Laing: He feels it makes him lucky to speak to everyone he
passes by, after he is knocked out of a tournament. (I asked Mike why
he thought it was lucky to do that and he said you never know whom
you'll be asking to put you in tomorrow.)
• Howard Tahoe Andrew: He thinks seats 1 and 10 are unlucky. (Does
he know Edria?)
• Marsha Waggoner: If a black cat crosses her path she will not play
poker that day.
• Kathy Leibert: She feels it's unlucky when asked to turn over her
hand, on all in pots.
• Hal Kant: He believes it is bad luck to count your chips.
• Berry Johnston: He believes that seat number 6 is cursed.
• T.J. Cloutier: If a card is exposed when he is in a pot, he thinks it's
unlucky. T.J. will bet you that he will have one of them in his hand.
• Andy Glaser: He thinks it's unlucky to wear his press pass while
playing.
• Brad Daughtery: He has unlucky and lucky shirts.
• Tom McEvoy: Don't try to give Tom a $50 bill.
• Steve Hohn: He will not keep odd chips. (Like, two one hundred dollar
chips are okay, but not one.)
• Q: The hat of course is lucky, and there other lucky and unlucky
clothes.
• Barbara Enright: She is unlucky whenever Max "Blackcat" Shapiro
comes and stands behind her.
• Razzo: Feels it lucky to sign up the night before the tournament starts.
• Max Shapiro: He is unlucky whenever Barbara Enright comes and
stands behind him. (Sounds like a marriage made in heaven.)
• Allen Cunningham: He rearranges his chips to change his luck.
• Greg Pappas: He carries his lucky handcuffs (Really, he showed them
to me.)
• Stevie Del Borrell: When he needs some luck, he'll take out his Frank
Sinatra chip. (Now I know my problem, I've been taking out my Woody
Allen chip.)
• Mel Judah: His lucky seat is number one.
• Craig DiSalvo: It brings him luck to sell a small piece of himself.
• Danny Lewis: He gets lucky when William or Ralph sweat him.
• Petie"poopdeck" Barbas: He never plays the first hand dealt to him.
Well, as you can see, the superstitions are as varied as the players
themselves. I don't know how valid most of them are, but I do know
that I am really getting tired of asking my wife, "What shall I wear to the
tournament today?" and her response always seems to be, "Wear the
red shirt!"
For what it's worth...
on it, on the final day of a golf tournament? It seems that Tiger believes
that by doing that it makes him lucky, and who is going to argue with
that. Now, I am not going to suggest we all wear a shirt with red on it at
the final table of a poker tournament, but wouldn't it be nice if we could
all be that lucky with our superstitions.
n past years, I must admit that I had more than one little thing that I
would do while playing poker that would constitute a superstition. My
dilemma with keeping these superstitions came when I first got serious
about my wife Debbie. You see Debbie was born on Friday the
thirteenth. When we first met and she told me about it, I really didn't
give it a second thought. But ultimately it became decision time, whether
to continue to be superstitious and break up with the girl with whom I
had fallen in love, or trash can all the superstitions. Debbie and I have
had almost 15 wonderful years together, and someday I'll let you know
whether trash canning all my superstitions was a complete success or
not.
We all remember the lucky orange sitting next to Johnny Chan as he won
two straight World Series of Poker. Here are some of the superstitions
that some of the players were kind enough to share with me--some of
which I just could not help adding my own thoughts.
• Diana Weden: She will play a few games of solitaire and if she wins
at solitaire, it's safe to go play poker.
• Debbie Burkhead: She won't allow her ashtray to be changed if she is
winning. They can clean it but they have to give it back to her.
• Oklahoma Johnny Hale: When it rains, he heads for the poker room.
He will win when it rains.
• David Rabbi: He believes it is unlucky to play on Saturdays.
• Phil Helmuth: He says some shirts are lucky, depending on the color.
(Did you ever see Phil playing a tournament in a white shirt?)
• Bill Johnson: He thinks it's unlucky when he has an early seat change
in a tournament.
• David Burch: He has to have a Mountain Dew next to him when
playing poker.
• Men the Master Ngyuen: He believes it is good luck to never cut
whiskers growing out of his moles. (Now ladies, please think about this
one carefully before you try it.)
• Susie Isaacs: She believes there are lucky undergarments, lucky
earrings, lucky perfume and lucky parking places. (What's left?)
• Mike Sexton: He claims he is not superstitious but goes on to say he
doesn't look up at the dealers because he doesn't want to ever believe
that certain dealers could be unlucky. (Wait a minute Mike. Isn't that
being superstitious?)
• Frank DiElsi: He makes sure all of his chips have the money amount
facing down.
• Jack Fox: He has his lucky jacket. (I might add he continues to torture
us all by wearing it. It's soooo ugly.)
• Hans Tuna Lund: A toothpick is lucky until proven differently.
• John Bonetti: Dealers who chew gum are unlucky for him. (I guess not
too many who deal to John chew gum!)
• Robert Turner: If he sees a panhandler when he is on the way to play
poker, he believes it's unlucky not to give him money. (Anybody wanting
money, catch Robert on the way into the Casino.)
• Joe Petro: Dealers who look unhappy are unlucky for Joe.
• Edria Petro: She believes seats 1 and 10 are unlucky.
• Will Noyes: He won't allow his brother Tom to sweat him, if Tom has
been knocked out of the tournament.
• Mike Laing: He feels it makes him lucky to speak to everyone he
passes by, after he is knocked out of a tournament. (I asked Mike why
he thought it was lucky to do that and he said you never know whom
you'll be asking to put you in tomorrow.)
• Howard Tahoe Andrew: He thinks seats 1 and 10 are unlucky. (Does
he know Edria?)
• Marsha Waggoner: If a black cat crosses her path she will not play
poker that day.
• Kathy Leibert: She feels it's unlucky when asked to turn over her
hand, on all in pots.
• Hal Kant: He believes it is bad luck to count your chips.
• Berry Johnston: He believes that seat number 6 is cursed.
• T.J. Cloutier: If a card is exposed when he is in a pot, he thinks it's
unlucky. T.J. will bet you that he will have one of them in his hand.
• Andy Glaser: He thinks it's unlucky to wear his press pass while
playing.
• Brad Daughtery: He has unlucky and lucky shirts.
• Tom McEvoy: Don't try to give Tom a $50 bill.
• Steve Hohn: He will not keep odd chips. (Like, two one hundred dollar
chips are okay, but not one.)
• Q: The hat of course is lucky, and there other lucky and unlucky
clothes.
• Barbara Enright: She is unlucky whenever Max "Blackcat" Shapiro
comes and stands behind her.
• Razzo: Feels it lucky to sign up the night before the tournament starts.
• Max Shapiro: He is unlucky whenever Barbara Enright comes and
stands behind him. (Sounds like a marriage made in heaven.)
• Allen Cunningham: He rearranges his chips to change his luck.
• Greg Pappas: He carries his lucky handcuffs (Really, he showed them
to me.)
• Stevie Del Borrell: When he needs some luck, he'll take out his Frank
Sinatra chip. (Now I know my problem, I've been taking out my Woody
Allen chip.)
• Mel Judah: His lucky seat is number one.
• Craig DiSalvo: It brings him luck to sell a small piece of himself.
• Danny Lewis: He gets lucky when William or Ralph sweat him.
• Petie"poopdeck" Barbas: He never plays the first hand dealt to him.
Well, as you can see, the superstitions are as varied as the players
themselves. I don't know how valid most of them are, but I do know
that I am really getting tired of asking my wife, "What shall I wear to the
tournament today?" and her response always seems to be, "Wear the
red shirt!"
For what it's worth...
Very Superstitious
By Vince Burgio
By Vince Burgio
