Risky Business with Nate Silver and Maria Konnikova Life After Poker (with Vanessa Selbst)
6 snips
May 8, 2025 
Vanessa Selbst, a groundbreaking former professional poker player and the first woman to top the Global Poker Index, shares her captivating journey from the poker table to the finance world at Jane Street Capital. She reminisces about the thrill of high-stakes games and the values of integrity in poker, including a humorous incident regarding a giant bag of pennies at her first job. The conversation touches on the challenges of balancing competitive careers and personal identities, revealing insights into decision-making and growth.
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Poker Reputation Strategy
- Vanessa Selbst got a reputation as a crazy poker player by making unexpected aggressive moves on TV.
- She maintained this image deliberately to maximize her profit edge in poker tournaments.
Emotions Grow Over Time
- Longer decision times often let emotions override rational thinking in poker.
- This emotional interference makes opponents act less logically the more they hesitate.
Exploit Players' Comfort Zones
- Vanessa's poker edge came from exploiting common player mistakes, not perfect GTO play.
- She put opponents in unfamiliar spots to outthink them when pots got big.