Early life and education

Maria Konnikova was born in Moscow, Russia, to Jewish parents.^[3] Her family emigrated to the United States and settled in Massachusetts^[4] when she was four years old.

Konnikova attended Acton-Boxborough Regional High School in Massachusetts.^[5][6] After graduating from high school she attended Harvard University and graduated with a B.A. in psychology and creative writing where she was mentored by Steven Pinker.^[7] She earned a Ph.D. in psychology from Columbia University in 2013^[8] under Walter Mischel.^[4]

Writing and media

Konnikova worked as a producer for the Charlie Rose Show, where she helped to set up the segment "Brain Series."^[4][9] She wrote the "Literally Psyched" column for Scientific American^[10] and the psychology blog "Artful Choice" for Big Think.^[11][12] In April 2013, her article on uncertainty in decision-making was published in The New Yorker,^[13] to which she continues to contribute.^[14][15]

Konnikova's first book, Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes, was nominated for an Agatha Award and the Anthony Award for Best Nonfiction in 2013.^[16][14] Her book The Confidence Game was published in 2016 and appeared on the New York Times' Crime and Punishment bestseller list.^[17] Her third book, The Biggest Bluff, published in 2020, chronicled her participation in the world of poker.^[18]

Konnikova makes regular appearances on The Gist podcast in her own segment, "Is That Bullshit?" In early 2017, she published a 10-part podcast about con artists and the lives they ruin, called The Grift.^[19]

Poker career

Konnikova's interest in poker was piqued when she encountered John von Neumann's game theory. She saw poker as a way to explore the interplay of skill and chance in the human psyche. In an interview with The New York Times, Konnikova stated that her motivation was not rooted in gambling, but in understanding the psychological aspects of the game.^[20] In 2016, Konnikova established contact with Erik Seidel, a seasoned poker professional, who became her mentor and coach as she immersed herself for a year in the world of competitive poker.^[21]

Konnikova made her debut on a major poker stage at the 2017 PokerStars tournament in Monte Carlo. In January 2018 she won the PCA National event in the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure No-Limit Hold'em Championship, earning a cash prize of $84,600.^[22] She was awarded a Platinum Pass worth $30,000, which gave her entry to the PokerStars Players Championship in January 2019. Her accumulated winnings prior to this had amounted to approximately $30,000.^[23]

After her win in 2018, Konnikova delayed work on her book The Biggest Bluff in order to compete in more tournaments with higher stakes^[21] and she became a full-time professional poker player. From June 2018 to November 2019 she partnered with PokerStars, who sponsored her in professional tournaments.^[18]