Every poker player knows that luck plays a part in winning poker, with estimates ranging from as low as 20% to as high as 60%. What causes great discussion, though, is whether some people appear to be luckier than others. It can certainly seem the case over the short term, with players hitting flop after flop and sucking out on the river. But are there really lucky poker players, and is it possible to become one of them?

One man says it is, and he isn’t some nut to be indulged. His name is Dr Richard Wiseman, a professor of psychology and the author of studies of luck and perception.