Sayings That Originated in Gambling

Casino, Life

Sayings That Originated in Gambling

Casino, Life

vector illustration of dice character with blank balloon speech

Sayings That Originated in Gambling

Casino, Life

vector illustration of dice character with blank balloon speech

Whether you’ve been to a casino or not, we’re sure that you’ve heard gambling phrases or used gambling lingo in your everyday life. It could be about taking a chance, testing your luck or simply talking about the unpredictability of life – gambling quotes are sure to have been mentioned. Let’s look at some quotes that originated in gambling way before the days of online slots and other online casino games.

The history of gambling culture

The first casino establishment was legally opened in Venice in 1638. In fact, the word “casino” has an Italian origin, meaning “a small house.” Before gambling was legal, it would be organized in small houses with lots of dancing and music. This gave life to a whole gambling culture. Along with the best casino games to play, players could indulge in meals and drinks and plenty of entertainment. 

Of course, whenever people get together around a common interest, a familiar language and way of conversing are born. Casino table games such as roulette and Vingt-et-un (21) made their way to the United States via French settlers, and steamboats on the Mississippi became the place for settlers to gamble. All the gambling around the table also gave rise to common sayings that we now use in everyday life. 

Take a look at some of the sayings that originated in gambling.

“Quit while you’re ahead”

Quit while you're ahead, inspirational quote over an abstract watercolor textured background

You’ve probably used this saying more than once in your life. The meaning is obvious enough – quit gambling before you’ve lost too much. But exactly where this phrase came from is hard to say. There’s an old Chinese gambling quote that gives us a clue: “If you must play, decide upon three things at the start: The rules of the game, the stakes and the quitting time.” This is good advice that stands the test of time. The fact is, it’s never good to chase your losses, so the closer you hold this maxim to your heart, the better. Of course, this goes for playing at the best online casinos in the USA too. For a fun experience, avoid going over your bankroll budget.

And if you thought this catchy phrase was relatively new, think again. The Spanish Jesuit priest Baltasar Gracián y Morales, who lived from 1601 to 1658, said: “Quit while you’re ahead. All the best gamblers do.” The priest was the author of a book called The Art of Worldly Wisdom and it seems even back then, he agreed that life reflects gambling. Or is it the other way around?

“Put your cards on the table”

This is undoubtedly one of the most insightful quotes for gamblers that has spread to many other aspects of life. When we’re told to put all our cards on the table, we’re being asked to show our true intentions while holding nothing back. It’s commonly used in business or negotiations to infer transparency. But did you know that this gambling saying has been around since the early 1900s?

It seems it didn’t take long for this expression to find its way into everyday speech. The opposite of this saying is “playing your cards close to your chest.” Both can, of course, be put into practice while playing casino games such as blackjack and learning how to play poker in casinos.

“The harder I work the luckier I get”

The harder you work the luckier you get, a quote in a speech bubble  

If you thought this expression belonged to South African golf legend Gary Player, you wouldn’t be alone. However, the original quote came from our very own Thomas Jefferson, who said, “I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it.”

This may not be a gambler quote or saying in the strictest sense, but we do know that millions of books on gambling strategies sell every year. Many of us like to think it is possible to get the inside edge on our old favorites or that new online casino slot you’re starting to get the hang of. But in many cases, no skill is involved, so it really does rely on whether it’s your lucky day or not. Nevertheless, the more you read about strategy and the harder you work at improving your gambling skills and actively learning how to play casino games, the better chance you’ll have, in theory, at earning some big wins.

“A spin of the wheel”

Tupac Shakur said, “Life’s a wheel of fortune and it’s my chance to spin it.” But the wheel of fortune is found in the sayings of others, too. Gautama Buddha said, “His success may be great, but be it ever so great the wheel of fortune may turn again and bring him down into the dust.” 

Confucius put it this way: “The wheel of fortune turns round incessantly, and who can say to himself, I shall today be uppermost?”

Ever had those days when you feel more “brought down into the dust” than “uppermost?” Let’s say you’re playing casino games online and today they’re just not treating you right, or you’ve just won a bonus prize on a free spin. We bet that, at one time or another, you’ve shrugged and said, “it all comes down to a spin of the wheel, anyway.”

It seems the idea of a wheel of fortune did not start with game show hosts Pat Sajak and Vanna White in 1973. It goes all the way back to an ancient philosophy that used the Wheel of Fortune to represent the unpredictable nature of fate. As all gamblers know, the goddess Fortuna spins at random, changing the fortunes of those on the wheel. 

This saying certainly does conjure images of one of the most popular casino table games – roulette. The roulette wheel can certainly change your fortune. It’s up to you to make sure you only bet with money you can afford to lose, though, because no matter how much you believe it’s your turn to get lucky, it won’t change whether you are.

“He’s a card”

Collage of models in dresses and jewelry covering one eye by two playing cards, smiling and posing

There are plenty of ways you can use this saying. English author Charles Dickens used it in his novels. He wrote, “Mr. Thomas Potter, whose great aim it was to be considered as a ‘knowing card’…” and “Such an old card has this; so deep, so sly, and secret.” Most agree Dickens had playing cards in mind when writing these words. At the time, phrases like “sure card,” “a safe card” and “a best card” were common ways of referring to different kinds of people.

Even in Victorian England, card games were as old as the pharaohs. That’s why it isn’t surprising that these gambler quotes would have been understood by most people at the time. “He’s a right card” is still used today by older folk when talking about an unpredictable or eccentric joker.

We like this one for its endless possibilities. Just think, there are four suits in a deck of cards and 13 card types. Queen of Hearts is taken, but you still have the others to help inspire your very own collection of gambling sayings.

“Don’t think you can palm off those old pretzels on me”

Does this sound like something you’d hear on a Sunday morning in a sportsbook casino or maybe even some old-time bingo slang being thrown around at a bingo night? There are plenty of old explanations for the expression “palm off.” It seems it first appeared in written English in 1822 in reference to a magician’s trick. An audience is shown an object – usually a playing card or silver dollar. The magician then hides it in his palm as he produces another object, say a quarter or a different card of lesser value.

It seems the phrase came to be used as a general term for any bait-and-switch tactic where someone “palms off” an inferior item as a superior one. It’s not hard to see where (or who) this started with: The old card shark; hustler; ye old gambling cheat.

“You can’t read my poker face”

Man in tuxedo with cigar looking up from poker table in casino

This saying originated way before the 2008 release of Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face.” We’ve all put on a poker face at one time or another and being able to pull off a poker face is a crucial skill even for the most underrated players on the felt (although this isn’t something any player has to worry about in online poker.)

Expert advice for pulling off the perfect poker bluff is to think about how your play will look to your opponent. What’s the fun part? You get to put on your acting hat by thinking about how you would play the hand if you had the cards that would beat them. Then think it through from start to finish so your actions are consistent and believable.

It’s always best to practice your poker face in a mirror before trying it out for real. If you’re new to the game, another way to practice your bluff (or semi-bluff) is to play at an online casino. This way, your opponents can’t read your facial reactions.

As the old gambling saying goes, “Life is like a poker game. You deal or are dealt to. Your success depends on skill, luck and creativity. You bet, check, bluff and raise. Your education comes from those you play with. Sometimes, you win with a pair or lose with a full house. But whatever happens, it pays to keep a sense of humor.”

“Down to the Wire”

To say something is “down to the wire” means that it’s down to the last minute or very end before we know the outcome of something. People have used it in numerous contexts that imply something is going to be a close finish. For example, “the election between two candidates was down to the wire” or “completion of a project was down to the wire.”

This saying has its roots in horse racing, where a wire was actually strung across the finishing point on the track with spectators not knowing who would win until a horse had crossed the wire because it was a close race.

This phrase is very similar to the term “neck-in-neck,” which also comes from horse racing.

“Have an ace up your sleeve”

To have an ace up your sleeve is to have a secret weapon or advantage that you have not yet revealed, but that someone suspects you are hiding. For example, a football team may have a special play to help them score a touchdown that they don’t reveal until they need to.

It has its origins in poker where someone who was cheating may literally be hiding an ace up their sleeve. This was possible when it was more common for men to wear long-sleeved shirts.

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