Risky Business with Nate Silver and Maria Konnikova What Movies Get Right and Wrong About Poker
Dec 10, 2025
Maria reveals her exciting new project about Vegas casinos, featuring collaboration with renowned figures like Scorsese. The duo gets into why many poker movies miss the mark, highlighting common mistakes like poor etiquette and unrealistic stakes. They reflect on the psychological depth showcased in 'California Split' and how movies often oversimplify the randomness of the game. 'Molly's Game' is praised for its realism. Plus, they dream up their ideal poker movie and speculate on who would play them. Movie night, anyone?
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Episode notes
Show Real Stakes And Stack Sizes
- Avoid unrealistic poker portrayals like pausing hands to fetch money or off-table consultations; they break gameplay logic.
- Know stack sizes and table stakes because they fundamentally change strategy and should be shown accurately.
Conceal Your Cards Properly
- Conceal your cards; never lift them high to show others your hand or tell opponents information.
- Teach novices proper card etiquette because visible tells cost real money at serious tables.
Cash Versus Tournament Confusion
- Movies often conflate cash games and tournaments, misrepresenting chip values and betting language.
- That confusion misleads viewers about risk, strategy, and what chips actually represent in play.
