From PhD to Poker Pro: Maria Konnikova’s Life-Altering Bet

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🎙️ Episode 73 - Maria Konnikova

What happens when a Harvard PhD with zero poker experience cold emails Erik Seidel — one of the greatest poker minds of all time — and asks him to teach her the game?

Maria Konnikova didn’t just learn poker. She lived it. And her journey from academic to pro player became the basis for her bestselling book The Biggest Bluff.

In this episode, we talk about:

• 🎓 Why Maria walked away from academia
• ♠️ The insane story of how she got Erik Seidel to coach her
• 🧠 What poker teaches us about decision-making, risk, and life
• 📕 Behind the scenes of writing The Biggest Bluff
• 🎙️ How storytelling, emotion, and psychology collide at the table

Whether you’re a poker fan, a writer, or just love wild career pivots — this is one of our best episodes yet.

📋 Show Notes

• 00:00 Maria Hates Games And Can’t Count
• 07:20 Rounders = Poker
• 09:57 Learning Poker To Write a Book
• 14:26 Cold Calling Erik Seidel Out Of Position
• 25:42 The Biggest Bluff Book Release
• 31:47 Staying in Poker After The Book
• 36:41 Some Angling & Some Poker Mistakes
• 44:40 The WSOP Circuit Event Drama
• 47:10 Cheating vs Angling
• 52:33 The Future!

🎯 Maria's Links

• Official Site
• Substack
• Risky Business Podcast
• X (Twitter)

🃏 Table 1 Links

• Play live at Table 1
• Play online with us
• X (Twitter)
• Instagram

🎧 Art’s Links

• X (Twitter)
• SlotMaps — Learn to Beat Slot Machines
• PokerHQ — Your Poker Network, Upgraded

🧠 Justin’s Links

• X (Twitter)
• Phenom Poker

🪑 About Table 1 Podcast

Welcome to the Table 1 Podcast, your ultimate destination for everything high-stakes poker. Hosted by Art Parmann and Justin Young, we bring you deep-dive interviews, legendary stories, and sharp insights from the poker world.

Whether you're a seasoned pro or just learning the ropes, we’ve got something for you:

• 🎤 Exclusive Interviews: Top players, underground legends, and poker’s brightest minds
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• From Zero to Hero: Poker's Biggest Success Stories
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