Slot machines were first played in the late nineteenth century. Since then the machines have changed with more reels and increased number columns and slots, however, the basic concept of operating them remains the same. Players seem to devise various strategies to be a winner. The most common strategy advocated is to play safe with one’s money. Play the machine till a pre-decided sum of money and if the trend of loosing does not change save the rest of the money. Another advice given by the experts is to prefer casino cards to casino meters. Other self proclaimed ‘experts’ boast to beat slot odds. This can hardly be true as the slot results are generated randomly through electronic number generators.

Blackjack is a pro-player game. The techniques and strategies suggested by some cannot be claimed to be foolproof. Playing with a single deck is believed to be easiest. With the increase in the number of cards the house advantage also increases and the out come of the game becomes highly unpredictable. Card counting requires skill and one needs to be a master of blackjack to carry out this technique. Though it involves simple mathematics, it can take hours to judge other player’s hands to play a safe bet. Another technique is shuffle tracking. It is believed that mostly shuffles do not lead to random arrangement of cards and there is probability that certain sequences go unshuffled. This technique can be quite unreliable. Another argument is that the seating arrangement can affect the outcome of the game. This appears to be a myth and is discarded by most strategists.

Lotteries have the worst odd than any other gambling game. The most common myth suffered by the player is that “I can Win”. This myth forces millions to participate and can also lead to ha\heavy losses for a few. Another myth is playing one’s lucky numbers. This number can be the birth date, wedding date, or any other anniversary. Some people may also refer to numerologists.

Horse racing is one of the most popular and expensive forms of betting. The technique most people employ while betting on a horse is ‘Handicapping’. This involves studying the horse’s history - its performance, pedigree, medical history etc before betting on it. A rather fashionable practice to bring good luck is to wear fancy hats. The ladies wear colorful hats at the Kentucky Derby traditionally as a good omen.

While myths can be quite harmless and funny at times, a more unethical technique desperate players employ is cheating. The various methods used include the us of a tampered dice, commonly called a ‘loaded dice’, marking the cards with juice or special ink, or resorting to tricky shuffles. Cheating is essentially antisocial and should eb curbed.

Myths and folklores related to the games are good as long as they are healthy. However, if the player looses his rationality completely, they can be dangerous as well, leading to heavy financial losses. Myths are a mixture of hidden facts and lots of speculation and one should treat them as a part of the game.