This was theorised in Larry Niven's Ringworld.
Certain people were engineered to be lucky.
( Smallbrainfield is hard at work, probably., Mon 7 Apr 2008, 13:44, archived)

I watched a spanish movie a while ago
about some crazy mafia-types that would read newspapers and find the luckiest people on earth, then make them do things like run blindfolded through a forest without hitting any trees, or russian roulette with five bullets in a barrel, and if they passed every test someone would take a photo of them and steal their luck.

The big boss guy at the end of the movie had a bunch of filing cabinets full of these photos.
( gronkpan MUSICIANS! www.zombiemoonrobots.com, Mon 7 Apr 2008, 13:52, archived)

I MUST know what this film is please!
It's been recommended to me SO many times but no-one knows what it's called!
(Colonel Santiago is a quadra-limbed groove machine, Mon 7 Apr 2008, 14:00, archived)

I am going to have to join those ranks.
Tell me if you ever find out.
( gronkpan MUSICIANS! www.zombiemoonrobots.com, Mon 7 Apr 2008, 14:05, archived)

haha
unlucky
(duketh, Mon 7 Apr 2008, 15:05, archived)

Intacto
uk.imdb.com/title/tt0220580/

Edit: Sorry. Woo to the Pic.
(Doktor Mangler, Wed 9 Apr 2008, 0:21, archived)