GOOD LUCK
What is the rhyming saying for when you find a penny on the ground?
Find a penny, pick it up,
All day long you’ll have good luck.
See a penny, let it lie,
And your luck will pass you by.
What famous river is dyed green every year in a large U.S. city for St. Patrick’s Day?
THE CHICAGO RIVER
What object when opened indoors is traditionally considered bad luck?
Umbrella
It was believed to insult the Ra, the Egyptian sun god.
To bring better luck, what should you do with dice before you roll them?
BLOW ON THEM IN YOUR HANDS
Why do performers say,
"Break a leg!" to each other instead of "Good luck"?
Saying “good luck” directly was thought to tempt fate—so instead, they used the opposite phrase to trick evil spirits into letting the performance go well.
What is Ireland called in Irish?
ERIN
What objects if broken are said to bring seven years of bad luck?
MIRRORS
What is the highest-ranking hand in poker?
Royal Flush
Which animal in East Asian cultures means not just wealth--but also physical comfort and harmony at home?
PIG
What are the three colors of the Irish flag?
GREEN, WHITE, and ORANGE
What is the RHYME about the bad luck brought by stepping on cracks in sidewalks, floors, etc.?
Step on a crack, break your mother’s back.
How many cards are in a “full house”?
Five
What does wearing tiger's eye (jewel stone) precisely provide?
PROTECTION from the all-seeing gods (of ancient Egypt)
How many leaves does a shamrock have?
THREE
When and why do people say "Knock on wood"?
Right after they say something positive, to prevent it from reversing.
In Texas Hold’em, how many hole cards does each player get?
Two
What lucky color are traditional wedding dresses in China?
RED
According to legend, what creatures did St. Patrick drive out of Ireland?
SNAKES
Why do people cross their fingers or say, "Fingers crossed!"
FOR PROTECTION
From early Christianity: the belief that cross shapes have protective power
What is the first betting round in Texas Hold’em called?
Pre-flop
Which rabbit's foot is the luckiest?
LEFT HIND FOOT
(West African origin)
What creature will be guarding the treasure you find at the end of the rainbow?
LEPRECHAUN
What is a dreamcatcher?
HOOP with a NET hung over your head as you sleep.
Native American decorative object that traps bad dreams but lets the good dreams through.
Blindfolded and spinning a wheel, she's the Roman goddess Fortuna. But what do WE call her?
LADY LUCK
In Spain, you must eat one of these for each of the last ten seconds of the year.
GRAPES
What direction should a horseshoe face to avoid losing its luck?
UPWARD
(so luck doesn’t fall out)
What OBJECT should you not place on a bed because doing so brings death?
HAT
(In Appalachia, it means the hat's owner will soon die in bed)
What two numbers are considered lucky in American craps?
SEVEN and ELEVEN
In which country do monks wear wrist bells to ward off evil spirits?
TIBET
In Irish and many European cultures, what type of bird landing on a house is a bad omen?
CROW
In baseball superstition, what should players avoid talking about during a possible no-hitter?
The possible no-hitter!
`What is the nickname for a Poker hand with an Ace AND a King?
BIG SLICK
Which single-digit number is considered the luckiest in Chinese gambling?
EIGHT
In Chinese, the words for eight and prosperity SOUND ALIKE.
In Ireland, what insect appearing in your home is considered a sign of good fortune?
LADYBUG
Worn around the wrist to protect against misfortune, according to Chinese and Jewish folklore
RED STRING OR RIBBON
Traditionally, which symbol across the slot machine means the jackpot?
liberty bell
In Brazil, dressing totally in WHAT COLOR on New Year’s Eve will bring you both peace and good fortune the following year?
WHITE
What animal of what color crossing your path is considered lucky in Ireland?
Hint: NOT a black which is either good or luck, depending on various other factors
WHITE HORSE, wild or tame
What day is considered unlucky in Spain (and many Spanish-speaking countries) instead of Friday the 13th?
Tuesday the 13th
What is a “split” bet in roulette?
Betting on two adjacent numbers.
In Asia, if you hear this INSECT in your house you'll have good luck if you DO THIS with it.
Cricket, let it outside very gently
What color was originally associated with St. Patrick before green became popular?
BLUE
In many East Asian cultures, what single-digit number is considered unlucky because it sounds like the word for "death" in their languages?
FOUR
Mandarin Chinese, Cantonese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Thai
What is a “cold number”?
(not guessing a specific number)
Numbers that haven’t appeared for a while and due to show up soon
Why is jade considered luckier than gold in China?
SCARCITY
In ancient China, it was much harder to find jade than gold--in large quantities.
What does dropping a fork foretell?
An unexpected visitor!
What is the SPECIFIC reason to throw salt over your left shoulder after spilling it?
To blind or chase away the devil standing there.
Which exact four cards are always included in the five-card “Dead Man’s Hand” in Poker?
THE TWO BLACK ACES AND THE TWO BLACK EIGHTS
In southern South America, dry lentils are thrown into the air as the clock strikes midnight on New Year's Eve. What exact physical object do the lentils represent?
COINS
What does each leaf of the four-leaf clover signify?
FAITH, HOPE or CHARITY, LOVE, and LUCK
Which number is considered unlucky in Italian culture and why?
SEVENTEEN
XVII, rearranged as VIXI, means “I have already lived,” so DEATH WILL COME for the person who has that number.
Which roulette wheel is designed to give the house a slightly better advantage, the American or European AND why?
AMERICAN
Because the American has one extra number: 00
American Roulette (5.26%) vs. European (2.7%)