Available to book
Transform decision-making with Maria Konnikova, speaker, bestselling author and psychology expert. Maria works with organizations to apply cognitive insights, behavioral science, and strategic thinking, delivering award-winning content backed by her success as an international poker champion.
Maria Konnikova is a shining light — with achievements in a wide range of fields. She's a New York Times bestselling author, a journalist, a psychologist, and a professional poker player.
Her first book, The Confidence Game, was a commercial hit and won the 2016 Robert P. Balles Prize in Critical Thinking.
Her next book, Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes, also received critical acclaim.
However, Maria's most notable work is The Biggest Bluff. While researching for this book, she immersed herself in poker and became an international poker champion, earning over $300,000. This exciting journey adds a unique layer to her diverse career.
Additionally, Maria contributes to The New Yorker, where her work has earned her the 2019 Excellence in Science Journalism Award from the Society of Personality and Social Psychology, underscoring her skill in communicating complex ideas and engaging readers effectively.
Topics, sessions and talks
No fictional character is more renowned for his powers of thought and observation than Sherlock Holmes. But is his extraordinary intellect merely a gift of fiction, or can we learn to cultivate these abilities ourselves, to improve our lives at work and at home? We Can, as Maria Konnikova shows us in this talk. Beginning with the “brain attic” – Holmes’s metaphor for how we store information and organize knowledge – she unpacks the mental strategies that lead to clearer thinking and deeper insights. Drawing on twenty-first-century neuroscience and psychology, this talk explores Holmes’s unique methods of ever-present mindfulness, astute observation, and logical deduction. In doing so, it shows how each of us, with some self-awareness and a little practice, can employ these same methods to sharpen our perceptions, solve difficult problems, and enhance our own creative powers.
Maria Konnikova, while researching her best-selling book "The Confidence Game," spent over three years with confidence artists and their victims, mastering the techniques of persuasion and deception. In her talk, Konnikova delves into the psychology behind cons and why even the smartest individuals fall for them. She offers insights on how to avoid these pitfalls without losing trust. Attendees will learn to identify and protect themselves against fraud in various aspects of life and will gain tools to become more effective and confident persuaders, using the techniques of con artists for positive influence.
In this talk, Maria Konnikova combines her personal experience as a champion poker player with her original research into the psychology of human decision-making to explore how we can all learn to make better decisions in every aspect of our lives – from the negotiating table to our personal relationships. How can we think probabilistically, manage our emotions, evaluate risk, distinguish the noise of chance from the elements of control, learn when to go all in, and when to fold? Journey With Konnikova into some of the deepest crevices of the human mind, and emerge with a roadmap for how you can – immediately and practically – become a clearer thinker and more optimal decision maker in all areas of your life.
Maria brings a unique blend of psychology, storytelling, and real-world poker championship experience to the table, offering unparalleled insights into decision-making, risk assessment, and the art of reading people. Her engaging talks, backed by her award-winning writing and research, can inspire your team to think more critically and creatively. Booking Maria as a speaker will not only motivate your team but also equip them with practical strategies to navigate the complexities of business and life with confidence and skill.
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frequently asked questions
Something we've not covered here?
To book Maria Konnikova, email maria.konnikova@getapeptalk.com or call PepTalk on +44 20 3835 2929 (UK) or +1 737 888 5112 (US), and one of our speaker agents will contact you within hours to confirm Maria's availability and speaking fee. If you can, please include your budget upfront – it helps us fast-track your request. It’s also helpful to know the date, format (virtual or in-person), location, and about your audience.
Maria Konnikova structures her talks around immersive first-person research — spending three years embedded with con artists for The Confidence Game and training as a professional poker player to write The Biggest Bluff — using these lived experiences as the primary vehicle for translating psychological and behavioural science into practical frameworks for the audience.
Maria Konnikova speaks on critical thinking and observation, the psychology of persuasion and confidence fraud, and decision-making through probabilistic reasoning. She is a New York Times bestselling author whose book The Biggest Bluff documented her journey to becoming an international poker champion, earning over $300,000 in winnings, and her journalism for The New Yorker earned her the 2019 Excellence in Science Journalism Award from the Society of Personality and Social Psychology.
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Three to six months ahead is comfortable for most events, and 12 months is better for large conferences, peak-season dates or one specific in-demand speaker. Shorter timelines are workable, and PepTalk regularly fills last-minute and replacement bookings within days. Availability is the constraint, so get in touch as soon as you have a date.
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