Risky Business with Nate Silver and Maria Konnikova Risky Business Live! How To Read People In Poker And Beyond
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Nov 22, 2025 Discover the art of reading people, both at the poker table and in real life. Nate and Maria reveal why humans default to truthfulness and how this complicates spotting bluffs. They share insights on cognitive load, discussing strategies to bluff effectively. Tune in for real poker examples and learn about nonverbal tells, the importance of behavioral baselines, and the influence of player image. Plus, explore insights on intuition versus expertise, the ethics of bluffing, and the need to protect others at the table.
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Default To Truth Explains Poor Deception Detection
- Humans default to assuming truth because cooperative societies reward trust and honesty.
- This default makes people poor at spotting deception without strong incentives or feedback.
Nate's Bluffing vs Real-Life Lying
- Nate says he bluffs well in poker but is bad at lying in real life because lying creates discomfort.
- He treats poker bluffing as part of the game's rules, not moral deception.
Reframe Bluffing As Strategy To Reduce Load
- Reframe bluffing as the correct strategic choice to reduce cognitive load and bluff more confidently.
- Treat the action as game strategy instead of moral deception to avoid extra mental overhead.
