The Biggest Bluff
How I Learned to Pay Attention, Master Myself, and Win
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The Biggest Bluff
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Narrated by:
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Maria Konnikova
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By:
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Maria Konnikova
About this listen
How a New York Times bestselling author and New Yorker contributor parlayed a strong grasp of the science of human decision-making and a woeful ignorance of cards into a life-changing run as a professional poker player, under the wing of a legend of the game
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, winner of tens of millions of dollars in earnings – and asked him to be her mentor. She had faced a stretch of personal bad luck, and her reflections on the role of chance in her life had pointed her to poker as the ultimate master class in learning to distinguish what can be controlled and what can’t. Seidel was in, and soon Konnikova was down the rabbit hole with him, a journey that would lead her to the following year’s World Series of Poker.
Then something extraordinary happened. Under Seidel’s guidance, Konnikova began to 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. She found her way to making better decisions and to a place where she could accept luck for what it is, and what it isn’t. But she also began to win. She even learned to like Las Vegas.
In the end, Konnikova is a student of human behaviour, and ultimately the point of her incredible adventure was to render it into a container for its invaluable lessons. The biggest bluff of all, she learned is that skill is enough. This is a book that will focus your mind and strengthen your hand.
©2020 Maria Konnikova (P)2020 HarperCollins Publishers LimitedCritic Reviews
"The narrative is so gripping that you might get halfway through The Biggest Bluff before you even notice that you’re getting a master class in learning, focus, and decision-making. I tore through it in two sittings, and haven’t stopped thinking about it since." (David Epstein, author of Range)
"One of the most extraordinary outcomes of any experiment in participatory journalism. This is a book not just about poker, but about the meaning of luck, the science of skill, and the psychology of outsmarting your competitors." (Joshua Foer, author of Moonwalking with Einstein)
"A flat out classic. It’s a ripping good story - with an underdog heroine, a Yoda-like mentor, and a cast of wild characters. It’s a sophisticated meditation on the relative importance of deep skill and dumb luck.... [Listening to] this book is like drawing a straight flush." (Daniel H. Pink, author of When, Drive and To Sell Is Human)
What listeners say about The Biggest Bluff
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 28-12-2020
Thought Provoking
A very interesting story which nicely blends anecdotes and statistics to come to a thought provoking, philosophical conclusion.
Maria is easy to listen to although in an audio book she may very occasionally lose people with no understanding of poker.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Hawk!
- 22-05-2025
Good listening
That was good details and insight regarding poker and how keep control of our own actions and reactions.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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- Amazon Customer
- 23-09-2020
A great book
Love it! Maria's wit and charm makes for a great listen and a very interesting perspective on life, luck and skill.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- IanA
- 05-09-2020
the poker pro's mind
Brilliant book, well structured, well written, and well narrated!
Really captivating personal journey into thinking more effectively, more sustainably, and in a more learning way. Filled with great anecdotes and characters. So many insights into the way we think and how we are deluded.
Loved it!
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Kymberley Beal
- 18-12-2020
Enjoyable
Interesting story with lots of life lessons. Engagingly told. Non fiction that is as engaging as fiction.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Luisa
- 21-08-2020
Thoroughly enjoyable
It’s wonderful to hear Maria’s voice narrating the words she wrote. She is a wordsmith. I found the content very insightful even though i don’t play poker.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Str3tch
- 09-10-2020
Really really good!
A fantastic gripping real life story. There’s enough poker talk in it for me to nerd out (I am a poker player), but I do believe even a non poker player would enjoy this book. Maria references some great material as she compares poker to life (I have gone and looked them up as so interesting). Overall a great mix of poker talk, some hidden poker tips, and a real life story of how she did really overcome the odds to become a very good poker player. Definitely recommend!
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Djay
- 01-09-2020
Amazing story with a wealth of meaningful insights
Artful storytelling weaved with amazing insight about decision-making, uncertainty, skill and luck. I would recommend this to anyone.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Anonymous User
- 14-06-2025
Great book, story and narration
Having the author read it felt so authentic. such a good listen highly recommend
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- M
- 13-10-2020
Probably best for poker buffs
Well spoken, but with so much of the terminology and scenarios being domain specific, even to a casual player it's hard to follow sometimes. Some good game theory content though.
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1 person found this helpful