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Artwork for Risky Business

Risky Business with Nate Silver and Maria Konnikova

Pushkin Industries
Donald Trump
Joe Biden
World Series Of Poker
Kamala Harris
2024 Presidential Election
Poker
Decision Making
Risk Management
Climate Change
Home Insurance Industry
Democratic Party
Politics
Cognitive Biases
Ethereum
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Sonia Sotomayor
Artificial Intelligence
Department Of Transportation
Prediction Markets
Global Warming

Risky Business is a weekly podcast about making better decisions. The hosts, Maria Konnikova and Nate Silver, are both journalists who moonlight as high-stakes poker players. On Risky Business, they bring their analytical framework to everything from politics to poker to personal decisions.

Maria has a PhD in psychology and is the author of several books including, most recently, The Biggest Bluf... more

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes129Founded2 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Society & CulturePoliticsNews

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Artwork for Risky Business

Latest Episodes

We’re sharing a preview of another podcast, Deep Cover Presents: Snowball, that Maria participated in. Snowball follows journalist Ollie Wards as he unravels the wild story of how his family lost everything after their brush with a charming Californi... more

Here’s a preview of another podcast we enjoy, Odd Lots with Tracy Alloway and Joe Weisenthal.

Odd Lots has some of the most interesting conversations in finance, markets and economics, and every episode has the “perfect guest” – from truckers and b... more

Nate and Maria game out the comparative benefits (and risks) of flying vs. driving vs. taking the train when traveling for the holidays. They also discuss Olivia Nuzzi’s new memoir, her ex-fiancé Ryan Lizza’s substack revelations about her, and the c... more

YouTube

According to the science, it really is better to give than receive. Donating a dollar; sharing a kind word or lending someone a hand changes lives, but can also hugely boost your happiness. So we're teaming up with other podcasts from Hidden Brain to... more

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Recent Guests

Nate Soares
President of the Machine Intelligence Research Institute
MIRI
Episode: Society is betting on AI – and the outcomes aren’t looking good (with Nate Soares)
Nicholas Thompson
CEO of The Atlantic, former editor-in-chief of Wired, author of The Running Ground
The Atlantic
Episode: Lessons From A Marathoner (with Nicholas Thompson)
Sheila Heti
Author and writer, best known for her book Motherhood
Episode: The Canal, the Crash and the Ketamine - Pushkin's Reign of Error
Jonathan Goldstein
Host of Heavyweight
Heavyweight
Episode: The Canal, the Crash and the Ketamine - Pushkin's Reign of Error
Elie Honig
CNN's senior legal analyst and former federal prosecutor
CNN
Episode: When You Come at the King: Holding Presidents to Account (with Elie Honig)
David Epstein
Brilliant writer, author of The Sports Gene and Range
Episode: Determinative Decisions Before Birth: Genes and Names
Robert Mariano
Reality TV legend and poker player, known as Boston Rob
Episode: The Game Theory of Reality TV (with Survivor’s Boston Rob)
Leo Margets
Professional poker player and the first woman in 30 years to reach the final table of the WSOP main event
Episode: You Play Better When You’re Having Fun (with Leo Margets and Erik Seidel)
Erik Seidel
Poker hall of famer and 10-time WSOP Bracelet winner
Episode: You Play Better When You’re Having Fun (with Leo Margets and Erik Seidel)

Hosts

Maria Konnikova
Maria Konnikova has a PhD in psychology and is an accomplished author and poker player, known for her expertise in decision-making and behavioral analysis. She was previously the editor of a column about psychology in the New Yorker and became a professional poker player while researching her book, "The Biggest Bluff."
Nate Silver
Nate Silver is a prominent statistician and journalist recognized for his innovative work in political forecasting, particularly through his founding of the interactive data journalism site, FiveThirtyEight. He combines his analytical acumen with a passion for poker and gambling, leveraging these experiences to provide insights into decision-making.

Reviews

3.7 out of 5 stars from 606 ratings
  • Could easily be 5 stars.

    Would prefer more Maria and less Nate. Maria’s points are well thought out and succinct; whereas, Nate just seems to ramble on for minutes hoping to hit the point somewhere along the way. Can’t rate higher when there is 15 minutes of these rambling each episode. Edit. Changed to 5 because the dynamics are much better lately.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    redjay66
    Canada25 days ago
  • Risky Business Rocks

    Been listening to the show for a few months. Outstanding podcast. Read Nate’s new Edge book. Great! Read Maria’s poker and con books. Both great! Keep up entertaining us with cutting edge analysis. Bravo.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Ken Ace Ten
    United Statesa month ago
  • Enjoy this quite a bit. Good insights and fresh perspective on risk-informed decisions.

    Podcast Addict
    4
    vasil
    a month ago
  • Right?

    I tried to like this podcast, but the nonstop “right?” duet broke me.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    ilovepodcats
    United States2 months ago
  • Great Show

    I really enjoy the show. I like both hosts individually and I think they do a great job together covering decision making topics. Highly recommend.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    MattOlleck
    Canada2 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

The podcast is recognized for its in-depth analysis of current events and its engaging presentation.
Reviews indicate a mix of opinions on host dynamics, with some preferring one host's style over the other.
Listeners appreciate the unique blend of insights from poker and decision-making strategies in various contexts.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#124
United States/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#131
Canada/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#177
United Kingdom/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#132
Italy/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#132
Australia/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#62
Ireland/News/Politics

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Society is betting on AI – and the outcomes aren’t looking good (with Nate Soares)
Q: As an author, what do you think about the book title and its implications?
Nate Soares explains that the title reflects deep concerns about the risks associated with AI, aiming to spark more public discourse on the matter.
Risky Business Live! How To Read People In Poker And Beyond
Q: How do you distinguish between making a read and falling for a fake tell?
It's risky to throw fake tells, and the best strategy is to standardize behavior to minimize unintended signals.
Risky Business Live! How To Read People In Poker And Beyond
Q: What do you think is the difference between bias in reading reputation and intuition?
Honing in on biases due to preconceptions can lead to misreads; intuition can inadvertently be a reflection of deep expertise rather than just a gut feeling.
Why did COVID Decision-Making Go So Wrong? (with David Zweig)
Q: What were the key moments early in the pandemic that indicated the failure of school closures?
22 countries in Europe began reopening schools with no negative consequences, contradicting the prolonged closures in the U.S.
Why did COVID Decision-Making Go So Wrong? (with David Zweig)
Q: Why is it important to talk about the COVID response?
It's one of the most important events infringing on personal liberties in a generation, with significant implications for children's wellbeing.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Risky Business

What is Risky Business about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A weekly podcast that explores the dynamics of decision-making across various domains such as politics, economics, and personal life. The hosts, both accomplished journalists and seasoned poker players, utilize their analytical skills to dissect the complexities involved in making choices by drawing parallels between poker strategies and real-world scenarios. With a unique blend of insights from psychology and statistical analysis, they discuss current events, ethical dilemmas, and the implications of decision-making in a rapidly changing world while often incorporating elements of game theory and personal anecdotes from their poker experiences. The hosts also engage with themes of risk, optimization, and human behavior, making the content ... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Risky Business?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Risky Business:

1. Against the Rules: The Big Short Companion
2. GD POLITICS
3. Odd Lots
4. Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford
5. Plain English with Derek Thompson

How many episodes of Risky Business are there?

Risky Business launched 2 years ago and published 129 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Risky Business?

Recent guests on Risky Business include:

1. Nate Soares
2. Nicholas Thompson
3. Sheila Heti
4. Jonathan Goldstein
5. Elie Honig
6. David Epstein
7. Robert Mariano
8. Leo Margets

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