Presidential campaigns use all sorts of sophisticated operations against their opponents, but Barack Obama is also relying on some good, old-fashioned lucky charms.

The presumptive Democratic nominee said Monday that he carries around a few trinkets supporters have handed him at campaign appearances along the way _ including a “lucky poker chip” and a Native American eagle.

“They’ll hand it to you and they’ll say, ‘I want you to be well, but I want you to fight for me,’” Obama said at a campaign stop here, where he pulled some of the items from a pocket. “And they’ll talk about not having health care for their family, or they’ll talk about being laid off.”

He said those are the moments when he knows the exhaustive campaign is worth it.

“If you’ve been talking to somebody like that, then you want to work harder if you’re asking them to vote for you,” he said.

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Compiled by Sara Kugler