[Arnfinn Madsen]

I think one reason why Norwegians do good is because poker has always been considered a game of skill in Norway, not a game of luck. That motivates very many players to study the game really hard (when they lose they go read a book instead of complaining about bad beats). It has also become socially acceptable to i.e. drop out of college and play poker professionally.

In addition, without being racistic, I think we tilt a bit less than many other nationalities. Partly due to our upbringing that sort of is focused on controlling aggression and partly due to the fact that for a Norwegian player losing his entire bankroll in poker is not the end of the world, since the social security system is good.