Are some individuals "better or gifted" players?

Lucky people I know seem to lose less or win more than most others. Has there been any research done with those gifted ones?

For example: My father accompanies us occasionally [about once a month] to the casinos. He has won much more than he has lost. Yesterday was his birthday so we dragged him out. He plays briefly but moves on, saying he likes to watch people more than gambling. Then he'll disappear and puts a few coins into a machine and win! Last night he won $6000! There's no way he's playing nearly as much as we do, yet we always lose-he alsways wins. I can not think of a time in 5 years that he didn't walk away with more than he came with.

I've heard of lucky people but this is uncanny, and yet he does not really enjoy it {prefers to be home] and I think he could make alot of money if he tried.

What say you?

It seems to be the eternal question. My friend insists on playing games with a high house edge because she thinks they are more challenging. Yet she seems to win all the time.

Quote: pacomartin

Yet she seems to win all the time.

Do you believe her?

One notion that dies hard with me is "beginner's luck". I have seen it over and over again, experienced it myself even, yet I know if you actually kept statistics it would be disproven.

I think there is a gremlin involved, and it knows if anyone is keeping stats and puts the ixnay on it then. Only possible explanation [g].

If luck is defined as some kind of force that predestines certain people to win, then there is no such thing. Laws of probability dictate that some people will fall into the winning tail of the bell curve. Past winnings (relative to the mean) mean nothing looking forward.