The Confidence Game
Why We Fall for It ... Every Time
A New Yorker science writer who rocketed to poker stardom, Maria Konnikova is a brilliant decoder of why we make decisions—and how we can make better ones. And with a PhD in the psychology of risk perception plus a major poker title under her belt, Konnikova is walking proof of successful decision-making in action. A New York Times bestselling author of the recently released The Biggest Bluff, Konnikova’s talks offer a fascinating lesson on the science of decision-making and how our performance can be improved by a deeper understanding of human nature and logical choices.
“Poker is one of the best environments for highlighting how often emotion gets in the way of logical decision-making, and how often we don’t look at risk objectively,” says Maria Konnikova. “We don’t actually sit there calculating probabilities, and instead, we react.” Her interest in the of decision-making microcosm of poker inspired Konnikova’s third book, The Biggest Bluff. Dropping headfirst into the world of high-stakes poker, Konnikova went from journalistic observer to star player, first winning the cutthroat PCA Tournament in 2018 (a story that made headlines) and then continuing to rise swiftly through the ranks to win more than $260,000 in other pro tournaments. In exciting talks—including a recent keynote at the World Economic Forum at Davos—Konnikova discusses more than poker, using it as a lens to investigate how luck, biases, and snap decisions can shape our lives. She also shares tactics for performing well under pressure—against seemingly unbeatable odds—and playing the hands we’re dealt to the best of our ability.
Her second book, The Confidence Game: Why We Fall for It … Every Time, is a compelling investigation into the minds, motives, and methods of con artists. At its root, Konnikova says, mastering the “con” is about listening to people to understand what makes them tick. “A lot of the same skills that make a good con artist also make a good leader, a good business person, a good lawyer, a good writer.” In her breakout debut, Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes, Konnikova explored the famous detective’s signature methods of observation, logical deduction, and mindfulness, showing us how to apply his techniques in everyday situations. Drawing on the intrigue and wisdom of her books, Konnikova translates insights from the frontiers of the mind into imminently fascinating, perspective-changing talks. With brilliant clarity, she brings modern life into focus, helping even the brightest, sharpest minds snap awake to make better decisions.
Konnikova previously wrote the weekly “Literally Psyched” column for Scientific American as well as the “Artful Choice” blog for Big Think. Her writing has appeared in The Atlantic, The New York Times, The Paris Review, Wired, The Wall Street Journal, Scientific American MIND, and Scientific American, among others. A former producer on the Charlie Rose show on PBS, and host of the longform storytelling podcast The Grift, she received her PhD in Psychology from Columbia.