I am not the best poker player in the world, quite the opposite. Still, I might have gotten struck by the wonderful sensation called beginners luck, last Friday.

It was the fifth day at my new job and after the working day was over, the poker table was unfolded and the cards dealt. Of course, Texas Hold’em was the game of choice for the evening. I got good cards already from the beginning, so it was more a matter of betting wisely than what to do with the hand I was holding. After a colleague had to leave the game he started helping me, whispering betting advices. I got mostly painted cards, and some couples. In the end I went All In pretty much every time, just because I could. My colleagues started to leave the table and went off to play Guitar Hero instead (which I turned out to be less lucky in…), but I was very excited to have beaten them. I guess we were all a bit surprised about that fact. In the end it was just me and another guy left, also he new at poker. Even though neither of us had particularly good cards I beat him with a pair of 7’s over a pair of 4’s.

I am sure I won’t be as lucky the next time, but hey, I got a pair of movie tickets!

Beginners luck in a more general perspective, is something that some people suggests just is something that shows how much chance there is to a game. The fact that I won over nine guys that plays poker on a regular basis could very well just be evidence that poker is about luck for everyone. Of course you have to be smart when you are betting and when you fold or raise. But it does seem a bit odd that it was I and another man, who never plays poker either, that reached the final.

Another reason for beginners luck could be that the player that is new to the game gets underestimated by the other, more experienced, players. To a certain extent I also think that you are a bolder better when you don’t fully realize how much is on the line (the honor, if nothing else!), and by mere chance you win faster because of that.

However, there probably lies a small risk in pegging a new player as a bad player. Also, out of single respect, it is probably good to not immediately claim the surprised winner to necessarily have been lucky.

Even if there is such a thing as beginners luck, I don’t think it applies to every new player at a game – and in that case there must be plenty of new beginners winning out of sheer skill.