Having already read and thoroughly enjoyed Maria Konnikova’s two previous books,[1] I pre-ordered her newest book as soon as I learned about it. The Biggest Bluff did not disappoint. I believe it’s her best book yet, and I thoroughly recommend it.
First, let me summarize what it’s about. Konnikova is a psychology PhD who studies human cognition and decision making. In 2016, for various professional and personal reasons, she set herself the challenge of learning how to play poker from scratch, with the hugely ambitious goal of finishing in the money at a World Series of Poker event—within one year.
What strengths did she bring to the table? A strong academic grasp of the science of decision-making; an deep capacity to learn; and, most importantly, a humble recognition of her own ignorance. Not least, she chose her teacher wisely: Erik Seidel, a legendary poker champion who also has an incredible gift for teaching.
Reading The Biggest Bluff is like peeling an onion, because there are at least four layers to this deep book.
On the surface, The Biggest Bluff is about poker. I don’t play poker, so I can’t comment on how well it does its job. I did have trouble following some of the descriptions of certain hands she played, but those few instances do not detract from following the often suspenseful action and grasping the meaning of what’s going on.
Second, it’s a book about psychology, and the primary reason I bought the book. It’s one thing to study decision-making using other subjects in a laboratory setting; it’s another challenge entirely to study it under unrelenting time pressure, intimidation, using yourself as the test subject, with real money at stake. Konnikova learns and teaches useful insights about attention, emotional control, working with your own cognitive biases, reading people, and acquiring expertise. If the book had stopped here, I would have still considered it well worth reading. The next two layers are an unexpected bonus.
Third, The Biggest Bluff is a memoir that reads like a novel, a hero’s journey of self-discovery and personal transformation. As a neophyte, she had to adapt and learn quickly in order to survive her quest. As a woman in the heavily male-dominated world of poker, she had to learn to endure appalling insults and attempts at intimidation; Although it took longer than her initial one-year target, she ultimately fulfills her quest, but gains far more than she intended when she began. And something tells me that Konnikova’s journey is not over yet.
The fourth layer, and the one that resonated most strongly with me personally, is as a philosophy book, particularly Stoic philosophy. I’m not sure if she meant it that way. She only mentions the stoics once, near the end of the book, but their philosophy weaves throughout the book. Three key themes of stoicism are also key themes in this book: knowing what you can and can’t control; managing your perception and interpretation of reality; and staying calm and rational whether you’re winning or losing, especially the latter.
I strongly recommend you read this book if you’re interested in any one of the layers. You may even find other layers I’ve missed.
[1] Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes and The Confidence Game: Why We Fall for It…Every Time,
