Maria Konnikova Quotes

Players talk about pot odds all the time, especially when they try to justify a call that they made. Whenever I hear this line of reasoning, though, I can't help but wonder if they properly thought through the consequences of their call.

I learned playing poker that you never count your winnings because that's when you start to lose.

Every poker player is smarter than me.

Both poker and investing are games of incomplete information. You have a certain set of facts and you are looking for situations where you have an edge, whether the edge is psychological or statistical.

Chess is a great training ground for poker players because it's a math-based game, much like backgammon is.

Look, for some players, pot odds should guide your decision making.

Poker isn't the roulette wheel of pure chance, nor is it the chess of mathematical elegance and perfect information. Apart from the underlying mathematics, poker depends on the nuanced reading of human intention, interactions, and deceptions.

Obsessing about statistics won't make you a better poker player. In fact, you'll end up wasting too much valuable time on that stuff when you should be concentrating on crucial issues, like getting a read on your opponents and studying the psychological aspects of the game.

Blackjack is very scientific. There's always a right answer and a wrong answer. Do you take a card, increase your bet, bet big or bet small. There's absolutely a right and wrong answer.

Yes, I think poker really isn't gambling.

But in a tournament, you can be said in for all your money at any point so you can't make any mistakes so you have to, it's all about where you're sitting at the table.

I like to play cards. I'm not very good, because I don't want to calculate, I just play by instinct. But I've learned a lot of business philosophy by playing poker.

If you're playing a poker game and you look around the table and and can't tell who the sucker is, it's you.

World Class players can lay down the toughest hands and play any two cards at any time without fear. Their reads are impeccable.

All-star lay downs are all about reading your opponents, trusting your instincts, and then making the right move.

To be a great poker player, you're going to have to learn this fact: Everything that's said at a poker table is worth listening to. It's all information that you can use to make better decisions, whether people are talking about baseball, politics, or, oh yeah, poker.

Poker is about understanding human behavior and managing emotions - yours and the other guy's. That's huge in poker, and it's huge in business.

If you read people great then you can become a great No Limit Hold 'Em player.

Always keep in mind that poker is about limiting your losses and maximizing your gains on every hand you play.

Trust me when I tell you that Andy Roddick has the game to win a major poker tournament. I've played Hold 'em with him several times and he consistently demonstrates the kind of playing style and competitive drive that gives him a legitimate chance to win.

I like blackjack. I like the psychology of poker.

I think one of the interesting things about poker is that once you let your ego in, you're done for.

Manipulating people is what's so fun about poker. I love that you can just look into someone's eyes and lie - and it's perfectly acceptable.

I'm not a good poker player, but I've got one bluffing technique - as long as you're quick with the blinds, you're fine.

Poker is a skill game pretending to be a chance game.