A Little Intro to Tattoos – Where Do They Come From?
Before we start, let’s take a moment and actually talk about the history of tattoos. In a nutshell, tattooing is a practice known and, well, practised very early in human history. The very first tattoos were made of carbon and ash and as time passed by, there were new ways discovered to cover your body in tattoos, a lot of them that are still used today (henna, ‘stick and poke’ tattoos, etc.). Some tattoo arts have been considered ugly and suitable only for people of bad reputation, while other tattoos were considered a sign of bravery and even aristocracy. Would you like to read more? Here are some more interesting facts about the art of tattoos and tattooing in general:
- According to our historic resources, tattooing has been practised since the Neolithic times. There have been possible tattooing tools found during archaeological expeditions. There has also been evidence of early tattoo art on human skin found on mummies from different parts of the world, extending to the 4th Millenium BC! Amazing!
- The word ‘tattoo’ or ‘tattow’ was first introduced in the 18th century. It’s a loanword from the Samoan word ‘tatau’, meaning ‘to strike’. Before the importation of the word, this practice has been described as painting, scarring or staining.
- We know we’re talking mainly about gambling-inspired tattoos here, but we cannot miss mentioning some other types of tattoos that people get on purpose…or by accident. In the past, coal miners could develope tattoos from the coal dust, gunpowder, even asphalt. People could also get a tattoo by accident if they somehow stab themselves deep with a pencil or a pen, leaving graphite or ink beneath the skin. These are just some of the so-called ‘Traumatic’ tattoos.
- The oldest tattoo artist is a Filipino woman called Whang-od Oggay. Also known as Maria Oggay, this amazing woman practices an ancient traditional Kalinga tattooing and she’s considered the last and the oldest mambabatok (traditional Kalinga tattoo artist). While doing the tattoo, Whang-od also used to do fortune telling and chanting. She has stopped tattooing in 2017 due to medical reasons. Did we mention she’s 101 years old? Yup! She definitely deserves to be called a ‘National Living Treasure’ and she is now passing this ancient and beautiful tradition to the next generation!
Top 5 Design Ideas – Gamblers, Get Your Ink On!
All in all, tattoos have been around for some time now and there have been some highs and lows of this magical art. If in the past tattoos weren’t that popular or was considered barbaric, or were too popular that they’ve become an inseparable part of a human’s personality, nowadays, you could basically tattoo anything onto your skin just because you can and you want to! And with the colourful varieties of slot symbols you can see online, it isn’t hard to find inspiration! But, as we mentioned earlier, this article is about the best gambling tattoos. So, without further or do, here are the most common tattoos players get and why!
1. Lady Luck Tattoo – A Classy Design
This is more for the gentlemen out there. In a different article we thought you how to summon Lady Luck and her power to give you a lot of winnings when playing (You can check it out here!). Others prefer to keep the Goddess close and, if you look around, you’ll see that a lot of people have a tattoo representing Lady Luck! Often times the tattoo represents a beautiful woman that is blindfolded – this symbolizes the non-discriminatory nature of chance. The Goddess can be depicted with a pair of lucky dice or a Full House – the choices are endless, and the result is always amazing!
2. Joker Card Tattoo Design
Don’t worry, these types of tattoos are famous long before the movie ‘Suicide Squad’ (Where the Joker is pretty much…um…topless all the time!)! The movie is not that bad actually, but that’s not the point. The Joker has always been associated not only with Batman’s worst enemy (*reads this in a deep Batman-like voice*), but also as the main character in gambling in general. Some poker games include the Joker as a wild card in a game. The second meaning of this frequently inked character is a slang term in Texas Hold’em. If you have a pair of jacks, you can say that you ‘have jokers’. More gambling terms you can read in our vocabulary.
3. Roulette Tattoo- Colourful Design
A lot of people have never set foot in a casino and still get gambling-inspired tattoos to appear cool and savvy. The Roulette wheel tattoo is one of those considered ‘basic’ tattoos that a lot of people get, but not necessarily have played the game in person. It’s a very classic, very casino-inspired tattoo that can be depicted in many ways – it could be just the wheel, numbers only or, oftentimes, casino enthusiasts ink themselves with a Roulette wheel plus the Las Vegas sign. It may be quite average as a design, but a lot of fellow players love it and want to have it on their bodies!
4. Playing Cards or Playing Cards’ Elements Tatto Design
Here is yet another very classic and popular tattoo design. Having a deck of cards on your chest or just the elements on your fingers (On the hands, you naughty! Unless you like feet, that’s okay, too.) really show people your passion for gambling. This may not always be taken seriously or in a good way (Play responsibly!) but it is a pretty good way to show people that you at least know which card is which. This shouldn’t be mistaken with the ‘couple’ king and queen of hearts-inspired tattoos! It has nothing to do with gambling! Or does it?
5. Dead Man’s Hand Tattoo
Probably the most beautiful and meaningful gambling tattoo, if we do say so ourselves! There is really a deep thought behind this phrase. In poker, when you have two black aces and two black eights, there is also a fifth card in the combo, known as the ‘dead man’s hand’. This is a very well-known symbol in pop culture and it represents the need for caution and wisdom, as the Old West folk hero and inspiration behind this phrase, Wild Bill, was murdered on the one day he failed to guard his back while playing poker. Be wise and cautious, peeps! If you want to know more about check out our dedicated article here.
That’s All, Folks! Did You Find What You Seek?
And there you have it – 5 very interesting and casino tattoo designs for you to explore and maybe even ink on yourself! We hope you enjoyed reading as much as we did writing and researching. And remember – play and ink responsibly! You don’t want to be left empty-handed and with a tattoo that you’re going to hate! There are many more designs to write about like lucky dice or poker chips, but we get back with more gambling tattoos soon. Stay tuned and get inked!
