What happens when a prolific writer steps into the world of poker? In this edition of Inside the Poker Circles — drawn from Between the Blinds: Interviewing Poker Professionals by Sara O’Connor (coming this fall), we spotlight Maria Konnikova, a bestselling author who entered the game as an experiment and emerged a tournament champion.
Guided by poker legend Erik Seidel, Konnikova dove headfirst into the world of cards, applying her deep understanding of human behavior to the complexities of the felt. Her journey from novice to pro is a masterclass in curiosity, discipline, and the unexpected ways poker can reshape how we think.
Bridging the gap between storytelling and strategy, Konnikova has not only earned her place at the table, she has also helped expand the game’s reach to readers and thinkers around the world.
This is Inside the Poker Circles.
Do you remember your first time playing? If so, what was it like?
I was at a charity poker event in New York. I thought I’d be there just to watch. So that I wouldn’t be nervous, my coach, Erik Seidel, sprung it on me that I’d be there to play!
It was really early in my poker learning journey, so I had to use the little cheat sheets they have on the tables – which hand beats which hand!
Do you prefer cash games or tournaments?
I’m a tournament player; I trained as a tournament player. I hate cash games. I play cash when I have to, but I find it boring. I like tournaments more, so that’s where I devote my energy to studying and playing.
How do you not let past successes affect your current play?
It’s really easy (laughs). I have so many shitty months and runs that I’ve been down an insane amount. I just won a bracelet, so I’m going to enjoy that, but each event is a new event. You have to reset and play your best game each time.
What does it mean to be Team Pro with PokerStars?
I signed with PokerStars because I believe in their mission. I like how they think of poker and how they’re trying to bring the brand back to North America. I love that they operate above board and take cheating very seriously.
I think it’s a great team that is trying to create the best live and online events in poker. I thought it was a nice synergy to work with them in growing poker live and online. I want to bring more people to the game, and I get to do that with them.
Where do you see yourself in five to ten years?
I have no idea! And that’s one of the beautiful things about life. My life has been a series of gratuitous turns that I could have never predicted. I wouldn’t have been able to tell you what poker even is six years ago.
Any favorite moments when playing?
Nothing will compare to the moment of winning the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA) National in 2018. It changed the trajectory of The Biggest Bluff. Winning a bracelet was pretty cool too, but that was at four in the morning, and I was playing online. With PCA, I had a rail with Erik Seidel supporting me.
When I won the PCA National, Erik and his wife Ruah took me out to dinner. To be able to share that moment with someone who trained me as well as someone I see as another mother meant so much to me. It was really great to have them both there.
What’s something you wish you were told when you started playing?
There is nothing that I wasn’t told, because I was ridiculously lucky at having the single best coach in the world, Erik Seidel. He taught me the most important things right away.
I knew the importance of bankroll management, for example. People get so focused on the strategy, but Erik made that secondary in some respects.
What’s one thing you wish people knew about playing Texas Hold ‘Em tournaments?
There are two important things. First, the variance is going to kill you. Secondly, don’t expect immediate results. If you do get great results at the beginning, don’t underestimate good luck.
As a player, how, if at all, do you handle disputes at the table?
I speak up. I am someone who is used to getting a lot of shit at the table, because I’m female. Unfortunately, I still remember, since I started playing so recently, that I felt like I had to smile and be quiet and take the abuse.
Now, I’m a much better-known player and am an ambassador for PokerStars. I have a platform. So, I take no shit.
I don’t have to be involved directly. If someone is being an asshole, I will call that shit out and call the floor over and make a point of it. I think people who have a voice have an obligation to do something.
If you are a jerk to the dealer, I’m not literally going to kill you, but I’m going to kill you. Be nice to your dealers.
What advice would you give to players about table etiquette and interacting with dealers and players?
Be really nice. If a dealer makes a mistake, be understanding. If you’re an experienced player and the dealer isn’t, be helpful. If a player is making a dealer miserable, call that out nicely.
Dealers work really hard. If you’re lucky to be at a PokerStars event, trust your dealers. Sometimes they mess up, but it’s so freeing when you can trust the dealers. If you need to verify something, call the floor nicely.
What do you think are the benefits of having Women’s Only poker events?
This is a really bad question for me, because I don’t like them. I respect the ones that happen, but I don’t play them. I’m a big proponent of open competition. But I understand that they can be more welcoming and help women join, and I think that’s great.
For all those people that work hard on women’s events, I support them. It’s a difference in philosophy. It’s not for me, but I’m glad they exist.
What is the most valuable thing you’ve learned in life as a whole and since becoming a celebrity card player?
I just think that trying to be more inclusive and positive, always, is something that has come out from how many battles I’ve had to fight on the poker felt; there is so much negativity there. I think it’s important to focus on the positives, because this game can really bring so much to the world.
Thanks to the game, I’ve become more of an energetic person outside of poker. I’m a writer and I’m naturally very introverted, but poker has made me come out of that shell.
