The Biggest Bluff How I Learned to Pay Attention Master Myself and Win by Maria Konnikova – Book Review

How a Female Writer with a Ph.D. in Psychology Became a Sponsored Poker Pro Player?

The heart of the book is Maria’s story of going from complete novice to sponsored pro in less than two years. She accomplishes that thanks to the coaching she gets from Erik Seidel, Poker Hall of Fame inductee with millions of dollars in earnings. Her intelligence, self-discipline, and willingness to learn also played an important role. Maria and Erik travel together to various tournaments, including the World Series of Poker; they discuss hands, strategy and the mental part of poker.

What poker knowledge did Konnikova have before writing the book?

Maria Konnikova had never actually played poker before writing the book. She had no clue about Texas Hold ’em rules when she approached Erik. Thanks to Seidel’s associations, she also receives advice from other well-known players. Konnikova is lucky to meet some of the greatest in the game, who won tens of millions of dollars:

• Dan Harrington,
• Phil Galfond,
• Paul Magriel,
• LuckyChewy,
• Ike Haxton,
• and Patrik Antonius.

Is Maria Konnikova’s goal to become a poker champ?  

In the beginning, her intention is not to become a successful poker player but to study the concept of personal decision-making. She wants to explore the skill-luck balance:

“My reasons for getting into poker in the first place were to better understand that line between skill and luck, to learn what I could control and what I couldn’t, and here was a strongly-worded lesson if ever there were: you can’t bluff chance.”

Maria Konnikova studies poker insights and explains how those apply to many of the choices we all have to make. 

 “I don’t have the guts because I’m afraid–still–of looking stupid, of making mistakes, of being judged and judging myself.”

Multi-lingual Konnikova has a phd in psychology; she is a very talented writer and beautifully describes the similarities between poker and life. Both require critical decision-making with limited data, and both are controlled by chance.

She is an excellent student of human behavior and tries to answer the following questions: 

• How much control do we have over our lives.? 

 “Choice of attention–to pay attention to this and ignore that–is to the inner life what choice of action is to the outer. In both cases man is responsible for his choice and must accept the consequences.”

• Are winning people successful because of luck or correct decisions? 

” There is the draw—clearly chance—and there is the betting—clearly decision. But where success falls into the mix of these is nearly as complicated as success in life.”

• Do superstitions assist us with overcoming the whims of fortune or succumb to them? 

Did Erick Seidel commit so much time to teach a person he doesn’t know for free?

I wish Maria had shared more information about the funding of her coaching. It’s difficult to believe that one of the best players in the world turned her into a professional player for free.

Who is the “The Biggest Bluff” for?

If you are interested in psychology, the book is for you. However, if you are looking for poker tips, you should choose another book.

The book will teach you more about the psychology of the game than about poker strategy. It will help you improve your mindset and realize the importance of preparation, persistence, and regular training.

To some extend, I found the book to be well balanced. The amount of storytelling and lessons on mental poker, luck, and development is adequate. Nevertheless, some psychology parts seemed to be overwritten as if it was a science book, although someone with a Ph.D. in psychology could have a different opinion.

On the memoir aspect, The Biggest Bluff is first class. But, considering that Maria trained with one of the greatest poker players, I would love to see some more texas hold’em strategy tips.