Top 20 Gambling Quotes

Gambling is a talking point across various walks of daily life. Whether it’s directly about taking a chance, testing your luck, or taking a jab at the unpredictability of life itself, gambling quotes contain some guiding wisdom.

Man has been gambling since the dawn of time, and many gambling sayings, phrases, and quotes have been born this way. In the age of mass media and television, we have the chance to consume much of the wisdom that has trickled down since the beginning of time.

Today, we have put a list of gambling quotes that are both amusing and practical, and as is always the case with such things, they contain some truth about life itself. 

Practical Gambling Quotes 

The first round of gambling quotes we have for you have to do with the practical side of the game of chance. These sayings and phrases will serve as a good reminder that chance sometimes prevails and that what is important for you as a gambling man or woman is to be aware of the potential downsides of the activity.  

“Few players recall big pots they have won, strange as it seems, but every player can remember with remarkable accuracy the outstanding tough beats of his career.”

Jack King, Rounders

Rounders is one of the best movies about gambling and poker there is. In fact, it’s one of the reasons the late 1990s and early 2000s saw so much interest in poker. While the movie was not always truthful to the game of poker in practice, the dialogues were always deep and meaningful. As Jack King reminds us, it’s a good idea to remember the good days as well. 

“Quit while you are ahead. All the best gamblers do.”

Baltasar Gracián y Morales

Who would have known that a 17th-century philosopher will ever furnish the single most compelling and meaningful piece of advice any gambler may follow as a catechism. Gambling is doomed to end up costing, and this is why the more prescient observers, such as y Morales, recommend that you enjoy your luck and take it away with you. 

“Play interests me very much,” said Hermann: “but I am not in the position to sacrifice the necessary in the hope of winning the superfluous.”

Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin

Alexander Pushkin is known as a master of literature, and as is the case with every bright mind of our species, gambling is something that he touches upon. Pushkin dedicated his short story, “The Queen of Spades,” to one Herman who becomes obsessed with gambling, and in his passion, he becomes aware of a simple truth successfully captured in the quote.

“It’s hard to walk away from a winning streak, even harder to leave the table when you’re on a losing one.“

Cara Bertoia

On her cruise trips, Cara Bertoia had a lot of time to write, think, and naturally gamble. Her “A Novel About Casinos and Cruise Ships” has caught some of the hardships, highs, and lows of being a gambler, and she has instilled this wisdom in meaningful quotes such as the above. Harder as it is, sometimes walking away is the best thing to do. 

“Hoping to recoup is what ruins a gambler”

Irish proverb  

This Irish saying is the age-old revelation that chasing after your gambling losses can often have an unpalatable end that puts you in a difficult position. Sober up and remember that gambling is all about having fun! 

“Gambling is not about how well you play the games, it’s really about how well you handle your money.” 

V.P. Happy 

Even though Happy is a poker player, his piece of advice applies to pretty much anything we touch in a casino or at a sportsbook. It’s all about how you manage your bankroll, and that is why we believe this is one of the best gambling quotes you will hear today.

Gambling Sayings

Over the years, there have been many sayings and phrases about gambling. Some are offered as friendly advice to make sure you are aware of the dangers. Others tend to encourage gamblers to make the best decisions for themselves and enjoy a better yield. We have put together a mix of both. 

“Scared money never wins”

This gambling saying contains much more meaning than you may guess at first glance. To make something out of your money, you will probably need to risk them first. Naturally, this is not always good advice when gambling, but it often leads to success in other areas of life. 

“Good teams win, great teams cover.”

Since the point spread often comes with a better payout than an outright bet on the moneyline, many gamblers are genuinely interested in covering the spread, hence the saying. You don’t need a team to win or lose, as long as they cover the spread.

“A dollar won is better than a dollar earned.”

We all know the rush of winning money just like that. Whether this is real life or a game, the thrill of landing a win is always one that elates us. This is why the saying “a dollar won is better than a dollar earned” will resonate with anyone who has known the joy of turning a winning selection. 

“At the gambling table, there are no fathers and sons.”

Chinese proverb 

The Chinese are wise people, and this proverb goes to show that one seated at a gambling table, there are no friends, just like a father and son would turn on each other, so would you and your friends. 

“If you must play, decide upon three things at the start: the rules of the game, the stake, and the quitting time.”

Chinese proverb 

Another Chinese gambling saying has to do with how you approach gambling in general. In China, it’s wise to decide on what game you are going to gamble on, but also when you are going to quit and do so before you start playing. 

“There are two great pleasures in gambling; that of winning and that of losing.”

French proverb 

Gamblers get endorphins released in their brains when they win and when they lose. The French, who invented a great many of today’s gambling games, have had a few centuries to figure this out before science, though. 

“Better an ounce of luck than a pound of gold.”

Yiddish proverb

Get lucky playing, and you will end up winning quite a bit more than a pound of gold. This is the logic that goes into this proverb. Of course, all high-risk reward games carry the danger of leaving you penniless, which is precisely what you should be on the lookout for.

“The best throw of the dice is to throw them away.”

English proverb 

Some societies disapprove of gambling altogether. This may not be the case in modern-day England, but it certainly was the case back in the day. That is how the proverb came to be, packing an ounce of wisdom in it and naturally proving an important guiding principle. 

Funny Gambling Quotes 

The gambling tables are filled with chatter, and that has given rise to quite a few whimsical quotes about the activity that we have been able to look up in literature, television, and gamblers’ stories. 

“If anybody ever gives you 10,000-1 odds on anything, you take it. If John Cougar Mellencamp ever wins an Oscar, I’m gonna be a very rich dude”

Kevin Malone, The Office

Kevin Malone from the acclaimed TV show “The Office” is one of the sweetest characters you will ever see. Known for his oddball personality and frankness, Kevin hits the nail on the head in this simple yet insightful remark. 

“Most gods throw dice, but Fate plays chess, and you don’t find out til too late that he’s been playing with two queens all along.”

Terry Pratchett, Interesting Times 

“There is a curse. It says – may you live in interesting times.” This is how Terry Pratchett leads into his Discworld novel “Interesting Times” where he describes how Fate plays chess while all the rest of us are forced to roll the dice and hope for the best outcome.

“Alan: Jake, for the last time, nobody got “creamed”, no one won, no one lost.

Jake: Yeah, except for us, twelve to two.

Charlie: Well, it doesn’t matter if you win or lose; it’s whether or not you beat the spread.”

Two and a Half Men

Ripe with innuendo, this gambling quote from the popular “Two and a Half Men” TV series revisits a well-established fact that the best teams will not so much win as they will cover the win, producing a much better yield in the end. Charlie is right. You don’t have to cream anyone to have a good time. 

“It’s not gambling to play against someone who’s no good. It’s common sense.”

Terry Pratchett, Witches Abroad

In Witches Abroad, Terry Pratchett whimsically reminds us that some people are just not too good at the great institution of gambling. Playing against them is just common sense, and after all, in poker, we all try to “beat the fish.”

“Nobody has ever bet enough on a winning horse.”

Ascribed to community wisdom, this quote has to do with the fact that even though things have turned out good for you, there is always a regret that you didn’t go higher, harder. It’s like this Rounders quote where gamblers only remember the bad beats, not the wins. 

“The gambler who expects to lose is the happiest person at the track.”

Ruby Martin

Ruby does have a point. Most gamblers who head into a casino or to the racetrack have an innate desire to win. Those who do it for fun, though, have nothing to worry about in the long term.