And then there’s the seating issue. “People are superstitious about sitting on ‘third base,’” says Shook. “That’s the last seat at the end of a blackjack table. Whoever sits there is the last person to make a decision on the cards and that’s considered bad luck.” Other players will carefully position their chairs so that the legs don’t rest on a line in the carpet. Because as we all remember from nursery school, if you step on a crack, you’ll break your mother’s back. (Presumably this is bad luck for you, as well as very unpleasant for your mother.)

There are also culturally based traditions. For example, a mojo bag is a little flannel sack holding items considered lucky or magical. (The word “mojo” probably comes from the West African word “mojuba,” or prayer.) A mojo bag may contain roots, herbs, minerals, or dice anointed with special oils. Among gamblers who practice the Yoruba religion, herbal hand washes with ingredients like chamomile, amusing.calendula, Irish moss, and cinnamon are believed to bring good fortune. There are also numerical superstitions; Chinese gamblers are wary of the number four, because it sounds like the Chinese word for “death.” And among gamblers of all ethnicities, woe betide the idiot who even says the word “seven” at the craps table.

Do superstitions and rituals affect the outcome of a game? Statisticians say no. But do they provide a sense of security? You bet. For many gamers, that’s enough. Besides, it seems we’re hard-wired to be superstitious. Last year, researchers at Duke University discovered a region of the brain that automatically looks for patterns in sequences of events. (It’s in the prefrontal cortex, in case this comes up when you’re a contestant on Jeopardy.) The desire to find patterns probably evolved to help us survive—for instance, it once taught us to recognize that a snapping twig indicated the presence of a predator. However, in today’s civilized, post-industrial world, the brain’s need for predictability finds other outlets … such as the belief that a pair of dice is “due” to roll a 7.

In short, whether or not superstitions work, they make us feel more in control. And even casino employees aren’t immune. As Scherrer volunteers, “I’ve been known to drink a shot of Jack with a milk back.” What? A guy who knows all the laws of probability still believes that pounding back a disgusting beverage can affect them? “Well,” says Scherrer, slightly abashed, “I once heard a guy order it, and someone said he was really lucky, so I said, ‘Hey, let me try that!’” Does it work? “I don’t remember!” Scherrer says. “But it can’t hurt!” Amen. And good luck.