#637: What Poker Can Teach You About Luck, Skill, and Mastering Yourself

#637: What Poker Can Teach You About Luck, Skill, and Mastering Yourself

Maria Konnikova, who has her Ph.D in psychology and studies human behavior, had never played poker when she approached Eric Seidel, a renowned player of the game, asking him to show her the ropes. Eric agreed to be her coach and Maria spent a year working towards the World Series of Poker, playing in numerous tournaments and winning a major title and hundreds of thousands of dollars along the way. But the real prize she was after in this experimental endeavor wasn't money, but insight into the intersection between skill and luck, and how much control we humans have over our fate.

She got those insights in spades, and shares them in her latest book: The Biggest Bluff: How I Learned to Pay Attention, Master Myself, and Win. Today on the show Maria explains why the poker table may be the best place to learn about the balance between chance and skill, and why we have such trouble untangling those two forces. We then get into how gambling has long been an interest of philosophers and led to advancements in probability theory, as well as why understanding the dynamics of betting allows us to improve ourselves. Maria then shares how she learned to detach herself from the outcomes of hands and concentrate only on what she could control, and how liberating it is to separate process from results. She describes the connection between poker and Sherlock Holmes, and how the game helped her not just see things but observe them. We then delve into the biases that get you off track with your goals, and the simple technique you can use to overcome them. We end our conversation with Maria's conclusions on the respective roles luck and skill play in our lives.

Get the show notes at aom.is/poker.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jaksot(1158)

Systems and Tools for Stealing Back Hours of Productivity

Systems and Tools for Stealing Back Hours of Productivity

Businesses and individuals often feel overwhelmed and stretched — that they can't get done all the work they need to. The solution they frequently turn to is finding a new app to use or hiring more em...

24 Kesä 202449min

EPISODE #1,000! Rules for the Modern Man

EPISODE #1,000! Rules for the Modern Man

Fifteen years and more than 200 million downloads later, this episode marks the 1,000th installment of the Art of Manliness podcast! It begins with a bit of a retrospective on the podcast and then seg...

19 Kesä 20241h 23min

The Epic Adventures of America’s Forgotten Mountain Man

The Epic Adventures of America’s Forgotten Mountain Man

Plenty of famous explorers and frontiersmen emerged from America's periods of expansion and exploration, and today the likes of Daniel Boone, Kit Carson, and Davy Crockett remain household names.You'r...

17 Kesä 202451min

Dad's Essential Role in Making Kids Awesome

Dad's Essential Role in Making Kids Awesome

As compared to mothers, fathers are sometimes thought of as a secondary, almost superfluous, parent.But my guest says that fathers actually saved the human race, and continue to do so today.Anna Machi...

12 Kesä 202447min

The Laws of Connection — The Scientific Secrets of Building Stronger Relationships

The Laws of Connection — The Scientific Secrets of Building Stronger Relationships

Everyone has heard about the incredible benefits that come to mind, body, and spirit from having strong relationships. The quality of our social ties has a huge impact on our physical and mental healt...

10 Kesä 202450min

Remembering D-Day 80 Years Later

Remembering D-Day 80 Years Later

On D-Day, June 6, 1944, 160,000 troops participated in the invasion of Normandy. Today just a few thousand of these veterans are still alive, with the youngest in their late nineties. As their voices,...

5 Kesä 202451min

Why You're So Bad at Giving and Receiving Compliments (And How to Fix That)

Why You're So Bad at Giving and Receiving Compliments (And How to Fix That)

Over a decade ago, I remember reading a story that stuck with me. I think it was connected to the famous Harvard Study on Adult Development that studied a group of men across their lifetimes, but I ca...

3 Kesä 202442min

A Guide to Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

A Guide to Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the publication of the book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig. It's a peculiar book, especially for a bestseller. Not a lot of it is ac...

29 Touko 202453min

Suosittua kategoriassa Koulutus

rss-murhan-anatomia
psykopodiaa-podcast
voi-hyvin-meditaatiot-2
rss-narsisti
adhd-podi
rss-rahamania
psykologia
rss-liian-kuuma-peruna
kesken
rss-valo-minussa-2
ihminen-tavattavissa-tommy-hellsten-instituutti
rss-duodecim-lehti
rss-tietoinen-yhteys-podcast-2
leikitaanko-laakaria
rss-vapaudu-voimaasi
rss-niinku-asia-on
jari-sarasvuo-podcast
mielipaivakirja
puhutaan-koiraa
rss-rentotapaus