You might have come across the term “Beginner’s luck” several times in your life. Many of us even have experienced it. Ever beaten your friend in a board game who is a pro? Or have you completely bamboozled an expert table tennis player? Or been to a casino and won on your first try? If yes, you definitely have experienced beginner’s luck.
The concept of beginner’s luck is not new or restricted to a specific area, but it is a well-known concept existing worldwide in different languages.
What exactly is beginner’s luck?
It refers to a state where a rookie defeats or outclasses someone, who is a pro in his domain. The experienced person is expected to win easily, but an upset victory by a beginner raises a question mark. These opposite results are usually referred to as beginner’s luck.
Recall your first visit to the casino. Whether you played a slot or dove into the intimidating table games, you were unquestionably a novice. Being a novice at slots is hardly an issue because winning is simply a matter of fortune. Whereas, on the table game some decent strategies can be employed.
Despite this well-known fact, novice players stroll into casinos around the globe, before testing their luck at the tables and walking away from a winner.
Beginner’s luck- Reality or Myth
The existence of Beginner’s luck is a hot topic of debate among casino experts. Does beginner’s luck really exists or is it just a myth? The people who disagree or deny the existence of this concept, actually claim that the expert might be having an “off day” or the rookie might have played similar games before, and utilized the strategies to win the game. These people argue that the beginner is completely towards a domain, hence he has nothing to lose and is playing without any pressure.
The expert on the other hand knows the complexity of the domain and thinks accordingly, which might prove as a drawback on some occasions. The expert contemplates deeply, before making any next move, causing him to overthink.
The beginner’s luck can often be seen in card games such as poker or blackjack. The fact that you are playing online or a real money casino, there is always a chance for a rookie to outperform a pro.
Novices versus Pros
Many of us have often been amazed by the way children think. They leave us awestruck with their unpredictable approach towards a situation. A novice is just like a child. He is unaware of the right and wrong moves of the game and is open to all kinds of options. This is often worrisome because they might do something dumb but at the same time, they have nothing at stake. They might find a more creative way and take a worthwhile risk to win a game. Experts approach a move relying on their experience, which is a good thing but at the same time, it provides them with limited options.
Experts are usually involved in deep thought processing, thinking about complex moves and strategies that might lead them to win the game. It overshadows the obvious moves which might lead experts to lose to a novice. Moreover, the experts have to encounter the immense pressure of the game and the thought of living up to the fan’s expectations.
Imagine being the sticker in the football world cup or defending your US Open title. A lot of concentration is being placed even on the tiniest detail. A novice on the other hand is free from all the pressure and expectations. The fact that a novice has nothing to lose helps him to play with more confidence.
Relation of the Honeymoon period with the Beginner’s luck
In casinos, this winning streak or the winning period is usually referred to as the honeymoon period or winning phase. It is seen across different card games, slots, and the wheel. There are some strong explanations regarding the honeymoon period claiming that the player becomes more confident after the wins, leading him to develop more understanding of the game and developing certain strategies for it.
However, in reality, everything is temporary and included in the honeymoon period or the winning streak. The streak of winning will eventually end, sooner or later. What matters is that how the player deals with the loss when the streak ends. As soon as, the player understands that the game is more about statistics and probability than mere luck, the player starts to develop certain skills rather than just being greedy and eventually losing a fortune.
Replicating Beginner’s Luck
Even if you are a pro, you can always take advantage of beginner’s luck. All you need to do is, to open your mind to every situation possible and try applying those. Take a step back from your routine moves and try something new by looking at the game from a different point of view. This might help you win the game without your conventional moves. Following are the step you can take to replicate beginner’s luck.
- Always consider what you have already seen and what could be different about it. Try implementing that.
- Try to think out of the box with an unusual approach. That’s the only way to find something exciting.
- Even you are sure that something won’t work, consider giving it a try anyway.
- Stop holding back ideas which you are too afraid to try. Who knows the risk might prove worth taking.
- Bring out the child inside you and think accordingly. This might give you a different perspective of the situation. Keep the burden of the game aside and go for something unpredictable.
- If you are a beginner you should be well aware of the fact that beginner’s luck is for time being and eventually, it will end. A good strategy for the rookie is to enjoy the game and play along, rather than focusing on winning big. Even if you win, it is wise to withdraw the profit timely, instead of being greedy and losing it all.