The Psychology of High-Stakes Poker

What I learned from reading The Professor, the Banker, and the Suicide King: Inside the Richest Poker Game of All Timeby Michael Craig.

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Some Texas banker was playing poker with over $15 million on the table. 15 million on the table? This much cash would weigh over 250 pounds. [0:01]

Founders #38 Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk The Space Barons: Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and the Quest to Colonize the Cosmos [4:12]

Poker players are misfits / Poker as a capital intensive business / How to avoid going over the edge [6:51]

The early life and personality traits of Andy Beal [12:20]

Other founders mentioned in this episode: 

#59 Howard Hughes: Hughes: The Private Diaries, Memos and Letters; The Definitive Biography of the First American Billionaire.

#65 Kirk Kerkorian: The Gambler: How Penniless Dropout Kirk Kerkorian Became The Greatest Deal Maker In Capitalist History.

#67 Conrad Hilton: The Hiltons: The True Story of an American Dynasty

[19:24]

Professional poker players were the ultimate independent businessmen. They had no bosses, no employees, and no set hours. [20:36]

He came. He saw. He was conquered. [26:01]

The entrepreneurial emotional roller coaster + Bet on yourself [28:20]

A young Andy Beal’s adventures in entrepreneurship [36:30]

Beal Aerospace [49:45]

How Andy Beal finds an edge in poker [55:04]

The difference between knowing and doing [1:07:49]

The benefits of facing tough competition: Andy had played abasing the best poker players in the world for nearly 300 hours. It was impossible to stick around against this level of competition and not improve. How can we simulate an environment like this for ourselves?   [1:09:45]

What a bizarre, nonchalant way to start an important day [1:14:20]

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