The James Altucher Show

353 - Maria Konnikova: How to Look at Life Like a Game and Make Better Choices Because of It

Episode Summary

Maria Konnikova is a journalist. She’s written two New York Times best sellers. One about con artists and having the confidence to get away something. The other is about how detectives think. But now she’s immersed in poker (for her next book)....

Episode Notes

Maria Konnikova is a journalist. She’s written two New York Times best sellers. One about con artists and having the confidence to get away something. The other is about how detectives think. But now she’s immersed in poker (for her next book). And making big money (she made $200,000 in her first year playing). That WAS NOT the plan. She wanted to write a book about luck. Now, she’s on her way to play in the world series. She taught me about “game theory,” which is “when you look at the world like a game, where everyone has certain payoffs for certain decisions,” she said.

 

Links and Resources

The Confidence Game: Why We Fall for It . . . Every Time by Maria Konnikova

Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes by Maria Konnikova

My first podcast interview with Maria Konnikova

  Also Mentioned

Word Freak: Heartbreak, Triumph, Genius, and Obsession in the World of Competitive Scrabble Players by Stefan Fatsis

Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything by Josh Foer

My interview with Josh Foer

Doyle Bronson who said he could win without looking at his cards

A Man for All Markets: From Las Vegas to Wall Street, How I Beat the Dealer and the Market by Edward Thorpe

My interview Anders k. Ericson, author of “Peak” and the founder of the 10,000 hour rule

Erik Seidel

Rounders

Brian Koppelman

Youtube clip Erik Seidel playing Johny Chang 

Matt Damon

Daniel Negreanu

Bobby fisher

Harrington on Hold 'em Expert Strategy for No Limit Tournaments, Vol. 1: Strategic Play by Dan Harrington

Every Hand Revealed by Gus Hansen

Poker Go (a site to watch poker)

Nassim Taleb

My interview with Tony Robbins

My interview with Frank Shamrock 

Run It Once (poker strategy site)

Phil Galfond

Joseph Conrad (polish writer)

Thinking in Bets: Making Smarter Decisions When You Don't Have All the Facts by Annie Duke

The story of the Polgar sisters

Chess: 5334 Problems, Combinations and Games by László Polgár and Bruce Pandolfini

Brad Mehldau

  

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