Winning at Life: The Intersection of Poker, Decision-Making, and Psychology

Course Overview

A New Yorker writer with a Ph.D. in psychology, Maria Konnikova spent years studying how people manipulate one another, solve complex problems, and make decisions under pressure. Konnikova then decided to see if she could use her knowledge of human behavior to become a professional poker player – starting as a complete novice. The result of her experiment is The Biggest Bluff: How I Learned to Pay Attention, Master Myself, and Win, a book that weaves together human psychology and poker.

In this course, you’ll hear how Konnikova used what she learned playing poker to minimize uncertainty, manage risk, and harness the fickle power of luck. You’ll also discover how understanding common poker elements like “tilting” and “folding” can help you develop your own healthy decision-making skills.

Unique Features of the Course

• Interactive Course
• Video(s)
• Knowledge Check(s)
• Quiz

Table to Content

• Introduction
• A Philosophy of Betting
• Pick Your Spots
• The Danger of Going With Your Gut
• Don’t Tilt
• The Truth About Bad Luck
• Process, Outcome, and the Nature of Control
• Know When to Fold
• The Art of the Tell
• Conclusion
• Quiz

Intended audience

This course is intended for undergraduate and postgraduate students as well as working professionals from all streams/departments/functions.