Life Outside Poker is a new podcast hosted by Connor Richards for PokerNews. It allows viewers and listeners to get to know poker players on a personal level.
In its 18th episode, Connor got to speak with author and psychologist Maria Konnikova on some things about her life, starting with her family leaving Russia to come to the USA when she was just four years old, writing her first story in kindergarten, being mentored by popular experimental psychologist Steven Pinker at Harvard, meeting poker pro Erik Seidel for the first time, and her 2020 bestseller The Biggest Bluff that documented her poker journey.
Konnikova, currently a PokerStars ambassador, also shared about her research for an upcoming book on cheating in poker and other games, and also game integrity rule changes implemented at EPT Barcelona that she said needed to go even further.
"I think what PokerStars has done is amazing. I think you need to go a step further and not have any electronics anywhere on the table. Like, I think phones need to be on the floor, in your bag. I would actually also ban sunglasses because ... there's so much technology that (that can enable cheating)."
Maria Konnikova, born in Moscow in 1984, is a Russian-American writer and poker player with more than $300,000 in career earnings. She has written three New York Times bestseller list books, including Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes.
The interview was filmed in Spain during the 2024 PokerStars EPT Barcelona festival at Casino Barcelona.
Time Stamps
0:00
Intro
1:09
EPT Barcelona 20th anniversary
2:35
Parents leaving Russia
6:25
Writing
10:27
First story
14:36
Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes
18:44
Being mentored by Steven Pinker
25:37
The Biggest Bluff
27:34
First time to meet Erik Seidel
31:55
New cheating methods in poker
36:22
Should sunglasses be banned?
39:46
Upcoming book on cheating in games
40:57
Being a PokerStars ambassador
44:53
Women in poker
47:16
Risky Business podcast w/ Nate Silver
52:07
Book recommendation
52:37
What makes you hopeful?
54:49
Advice for younger self
56:05
Favorite life lesson from poker
Should electronics and sunglasses be banned while playing poker?
Tell us what you think by writing a comment below!
I agree that it is frustrating to watch some clever guys use their phones at the tables while they play , play with the help of the shove fold charts or gto AI and real assistance programmes . If I was a recreational guy who doesn't know how to use such tools , who only wants to play simple poker , then i would feel cheated against these guys , scammed ..
I don't believe that nowadays casinos are willing to impose such restrictions everywhere . I think that such a measure would not be accepted willingly by most players . Many like to have their cellphone at the tables , just for fun , communicate with their beloved ones ,post at social media , do sth else while they wait for their turn to play a good hand ..
Mike postle was using his phone to cheat I think according to some people who posted videos of him while he was playing . I don't know for sure if that truth , but for sure cheating with mobiles can be done easily .
I also remember some cases in wsop where players were caught in action while they were trying to use poker apps to calculate odds or see the best move according to gto while their hand was in play , while the opponent was waiting for them to decide . This is so unfair advantage . Online this problem is completely out of control . New players should know this
The cell phone is to distract yourself while they give you hands, but that can also be to cheat, and I think there should be rules in each tournament and they have to be followed, if we want to grow the community and make the player feel that confidence, it must be given priority to the player.
That's right, the company should always worry about its users, its players are the priority, and transparent scenarios should be created, so that players can play and not feel like they are being cheated anywhere.
Btw i think mike postle was not convicted in a court of law , but still many accuse him of cheating , when they talk about biggest scams in poker he is one of the top 5 to be referred . Just google it .
Anyway , any protection measure is good tor the integrity of the game . All players if they ate not one of the cheaters , then they must support anyone who tries to impose new rules , stricter for the gameplay , to fight cheaters , colluding behavior , GTO AI solvers and programmes and other cheating methods
Lol What she says about sunglasses , its true , they also must be banned , forbidden at the poker tables . I thought fog my self of sone ways to cheat with sunglasses or special glasses , its not so hard to use some cheating tricks and steal pots . Mark and put sth at the cards , see it only with your glasses and know the card value . Many other ways . So yeah , sunglasses must be banned With all these cheating methods , i don't believe anyone can trust online or live poker , and play without fear of being cheated by scammers . Scammers tule in poker nowadays , especially online .
You will find scammers anywhere, but the responsibility of looking after their clients is the companies, and I think that now all poker rooms should be more aware of these cases and ensure that fair games are always developed.
Even if they ban and forbid sunglasses or mobiles or anything else at the tables , scammers will always find new ways to cheat . Poker friends and colludors are worse live or online , sharing info for their hands , playing you for a fool and steal your money . I guess these guys cannot be caught live easily . Especially when they target small fish , fun players , not the house
I started with Texas Hold'em but the poker rooms don't work properly for all the players and it's not fair. Some are very advantaged in many games and small players are very disadvantaged by softwares.
There are many things that have to be improved in live poker tournaments, I think what this player says is correct, many will be in favor and others will not, but we know that the majority wants a fair game.
Unfortunately, online poker is very disadvantageous for small players, where they don't give you the chance to make big plays and win bigger prizes. Poker rooms can be blamed for this.
Besides cheating here is also the speech play . It myst also be banned . It is very annoying , it distracts you and it might become offensive and insulting towards you . It is also a problem when you face some bullin players like helmuth .
Poker casinos should care much more about the safety of small poker players. I think that creating an ecosystem where everyone is protected will mean that more players arrive and stay in the room.
poker has to be a fair game, a clean game so that other generations see that and get hooked on this game, every poker room in the world should see that and take action on the matter, first the most veteran ones must give one step first.
