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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
Sonia Sotomayor
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Artificial Intelligence
Department Of Transportation
Prediction Markets
Heat Waves

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 weeklyEpisodes137Founded2 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Society & CultureNewsPolitics

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Artwork for Risky Business

Latest Episodes

Streamed by millions every day, porn is everywhere. It shapes our culture, our relationships, and even technology. Yet, nobody seems to know who really controls the business. The power brokers tend to lurk in the shadows, while their performers remai... more

In the final episode of Risky Business, Nate and Maria check in on the predictions they made back in January for 2025, and then talk about what they think might be in store in 2026.

For more from Nate and Maria, subscribe to their newsletters:

T... more

We look back at Nate and Maria’s interview with former professional poker player Vanessa Selbst—the only woman ever to reach the number one ranking on the Global Poker Index. They discuss her experiences playing poker, her move into the world of fina... more

Every year, the World Happiness Report comes out and the Nordic countries rejoice. Just kidding – sort of. Small, homogenous countries like Finland (2025’s happiest country) often top the list. But what does that really mean? Nate and Maria dive into... more

Key Facts

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Number of Listeners
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Recent Guests

Vanessa Selbst
Professional poker player and trader
Jane Street Capital
Episode: Best of Risky Business: Life After Poker (with Vanessa Selbst)
Matt Levine
Former investment banker and journalist, columnist for Bloomberg Opinion
Bloomberg
Episode: The Big Short Companion from Against the Rules: How the Financial Crisis Broke Wall Street
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)

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 617 ratings
  • That was great!

    Thanks!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Lena_1980
    Germany2 months ago
  • 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
    Canada3 months 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 States3 months ago
  • Enjoy this quite a bit. Good insights and fresh perspective on risk-informed decisions.

    Podcast Addict
    4
    vasil
    3 months ago
  • Right?

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

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    ilovepodcats
    United States4 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
#193
United States/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#157
United Kingdom/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#191
Canada/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#211
Australia/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#219
Germany/News/Politics
Apple Podcasts
#45
Israel/News/Politics

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Best of Risky Business: Life After Poker (with Vanessa Selbst)
Q: Do you feel like poker has enabled you to excel in that environment?
Vanessa explains that poker and trading share strategic thinking components, especially regarding expected values and understanding other players' motivations.
Best of Risky Business: Life After Poker (with Vanessa Selbst)
Q: How did that all work out?
Vanessa describes her early poker career as a hobby and pursued law after undergrad, but she fell back into poker due to her success in tournaments during law school.
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.

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. GD POLITICS
2. Against the Rules: The Big Short Companion
3. Odd Lots
4. Plain English with Derek Thompson
5. Money Stuff: The Podcast

How many episodes of Risky Business are there?

Risky Business launched 2 years ago and published 137 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. Vanessa Selbst
2. Matt Levine
3. Nate Soares
4. Nicholas Thompson
5. Sheila Heti
6. Jonathan Goldstein
7. Elie Honig
8. David Epstein

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