The Biggest Bluff

How I Learned to Pay Attention, Master Myself, and Win

By: Maria Konnikova

Narrated by: Maria Konnikova

A New York Times bestseller • A New York Times Notable Book

“The tale of how Konnikova followed a story about poker players and wound up becoming a story herself will have you riveted, first as you learn about her big winnings, and then as she conveys the lessons she learned both about human nature and herself.” (The Washington Post)

It's true that Maria Konnikova had never actually played poker before and didn't even know the rules when she approached Erik Seidel, Poker Hall of Fame inductee and winner of tens of millions of dollars in earnings, and convinced him to be her mentor. But she knew her man: a famously thoughtful and broad-minded player, he was intrigued by her pitch that she wasn't interested in making money so much as learning about life. She had faced a stretch of personal bad luck, and her reflections on the role of chance had led her to a giant of game theory, who pointed her to poker as the ultimate master class in learning to distinguish between what can be controlled and what can't. And she certainly brought something to the table, including a PhD in psychology and an acclaimed and growing body of work on human behavior and how to hack it. So Seidel was in, and soon she was down the rabbit hole with him, into the wild, fiercely competitive, overwhelmingly masculine world of high-stakes Texas Hold'em, their initial end point the following year's World Series of Poker.

But then something extraordinary happened. Under Seidel's guidance, Konnikova did have many epiphanies about life that derived from her new pursuit, including how to better read not just her opponents but far more importantly herself; how to identify what tilted her into an emotional state that got in the way of good decisions; and how to get to a place where she could accept luck for what it was, and what it wasn't. But she also began to win. And win. In a little over a year, she began making earnest money from tournaments, ultimately totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars. She won a major title, got a sponsor, and got used to being on television, and to headlines like "How one writer's book deal turned her into a professional poker player." She even learned to like Las Vegas.

But in the end, Maria Konnikova is a writer and student of human behavior, and ultimately the point was to render her incredible journey into a container for its invaluable lessons. The biggest bluff of all, she learned, is that skill is enough. Bad cards will come our way, but keeping our focus on how we play them and not on the outcome will keep us moving through many a dark patch, until the luck once again breaks our way.

©2020 Maria Konnikova (P)2020 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“Fascinating. . . . Konnikova is like your smart friend who instantly contextualizes everything by sharing the latest data and sharpest insight, whom you come to quote too often. . . . Konnikova keeps the lines so clean and even, so steady and unshowy that she might be the Charlie Watts of prose: While the backbeat never ceases and the narrative propels along, it’s her curiosity that proliferates. In fact, one of the biggest bluffs of The Biggest Bluff may be that Konnikova hasn’t written a book about her success with cards and chips exactly, but bet the house on the power of her mind to synthesize big philosophical ideas and psychological insights at a time when we, too, find ourselves questioning our fortunes, hoping to master our fates and playing much bigger odds than ever before.”—New York Times Book Review

“There has never been a more pressing need for digestible and coherent literature on rational decision-making. Enter The Biggest Bluff, psychologist Maria Konnikova’s depiction of her journey into professional poker. What at first seems a light-hearted story about a curious academic dipping her toe into shark-infested waters delivers a crucial lesson in how to thrive in an increasingly misleading world. . . . As someone who has read almost every piece of literature on poker, I can say that The Biggest Bluff is the best depiction yet of the game I love, and the invaluable thinking skills it teaches. . . . Konnikova’s is an uplifting zero-to-hero journey that will raise a smile in these trying times.”—Nature

“The Biggest Bluff is a great read if you play poker. But it's also a great read for those, like me, who don't play poker. For us, the game provides the backdrop for a fascinating look at human nature, at attention and focus, at game theory (applied much more broadly than just to games), and at making better decisions. And how to better deal with the outcomes of those decisions—and not just learn, but keep moving forward. . . . [A] must-read for most entrepreneurs.”—Inc.

Incredible story, applicable to life

Absolutely loved this story. She set out to learn skills that could be amortized beyond poker and I think she got more than she bargained for.

Inspiring

The Biggest Bluff was just the story I needed to listen to while making the round trip drive between LA to SF.

I'm in a transitional phase of life and have dedicated the last 12 months training to embark on a new career path. Many of the book's antidotes resonated with me, and it has invigorated a mindset to always think about my decisions based on whatever hand life has dealt.

beautifully narrated, capturing content

One of the best books I've heard. The topic, the narrative, the philosophical enquires, everything is nothing short of great.

Brilliant book!

Amazingly insightful views on human behavior and decision efficacy. The challenges inherent in playing high stakes poker serve as the author's vehicle to illuminating the interplay of rationality, skill, emotion, superstition, and luck in a probabilistic world.

Entertaining Educational Enjoyable

A wonderful storyline with expected and unexpected insights. Much more than a poker book. Valuable employable concepts from first hand experiences, not a bunch of theory.

Excellent!

This is what I needed! To have a story that says anyone can do it. The work is the work! I practice Stoicism. I love psychology as well. This book is going to get me over the hump in my poker quest. I know it will! If you like psychology you might love this book!

Patience

Each chapter takes patience to get thru. . It takes a while to get to the meaning of the story. At the end, it all makes sense. Overall, a thumbs up 👍

Thank You Freakanomics!

I learned more about myself with this book than I did about Poker, and I learned a lot about Poker.

Great book for life and poker

I see several saying they didn't like Maria's voice but I thought it was fine. This is well written and very enlightening. As a poker player myself and having my own journey with the game I could definitely appreciate her's. I wish my journey included Eric Siedel. Maria has become a very good poker player since this book was published.

Even if you're not a poker player this book is a good book on life. If you are a poker player it's a must read.

Life lessons from Poker

I found this book to be quite interesting and gleaned several nuggets from Maria’s story. I think that because I’m not a poker player I was compelled to listen attentively and therefore I found myself thinking about how I respond to various life challenges. Some reviewers didn’t like Maria’s narration but I enjoyed her voice.