Risky Business with Nate Silver and Maria Konnikova podcast

Risky Business with Nate Silver and Maria Konnikova

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 Bluff. While researching the book, she inadvertently became a professional poker player, with over $500,000 in tournament winnings. She is a PokerStars Team Pro. Nate is the founder and former editor-in-chief of FiveThirtyEight, and one of the country’s leading election forecasters. He has over $800,000 in lifetime poker tournament winnings and his forthcoming book, On the Edge, is about gambling and risk. Risky Business is a co-production of iHeart Media and Pushkin Industries.

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 Bluff. While researching the book, she inadvertently became a professional poker player, with over $500,000 in tournament winnings. She is a PokerStars Team Pro. Nate is the founder and former editor-in-chief of FiveThirtyEight, and one of the country’s leading election forecasters. He has over $800,000 in lifetime poker tournament winnings and his forthcoming book, On the Edge, is about gambling and risk. Risky Business is a co-production of iHeart Media and Pushkin Industries.

 

#101

What’s In Store With Self-Driving Cars

Nate has ridden in a Waymo, and it was like stepping into the future. Maria’s never ... more

Yesterday

39 MINS

39:39

Yesterday


#100

What Movies Get Right and Wrong About Poker

Maria finally gets to reveal a project she’s been working on that’s been kept ... more

10 Dec 2025

40 MINS

40:25

10 Dec 2025


#99

Deep Cover Presents: Snowball [ft. Maria Konnikova]

We’re sharing a preview of another podcast, Deep Cover Presents: Snowball, that Mari... more

08 Dec 2025

49 MINS

49:50

08 Dec 2025


#98

Introducing: Odd Lots with Joe Weisenthal and Tracy Alloway

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

06 Dec 2025

02 MINS

02:43

06 Dec 2025


#97

Frisky Business: Olivia Nuzzi, Ryan Lizza, and Journalistic Ethics

Nate and Maria game out the comparative benefits (and risks) of flying vs. driving vs. tak... more

03 Dec 2025

40 MINS

40:26

03 Dec 2025


#96

How to Experience the Joy of Giving Right Now: A Giving Tuesday Special from The Happiness Lab

According to the science, it really is better to give than receive. Donating a dollar; sha... more

02 Dec 2025

47 MINS

47:42

02 Dec 2025


#95

The Prisoners’ Dilemma of Performance-Enhancing Drugs

This week we answer a question from listener Brandon, who’s noticed a rise in perfor... more

29 Nov 2025

37 MINS

37:29

29 Nov 2025


#94

NO LIMIT, Some AI… Poker’s Documentary-Gate

The WSOP’s NO LIMIT [docuseries] (https://www.pokernews.com/news/2025/10/no-limit-ws... more

26 Nov 2025

42 MINS

42:01

26 Nov 2025


#93

Risky Business Live! How To Read People In Poker And Beyond

Most people are bad at spotting bluffs and tells – but there are ways to get better.... more

22 Nov 2025

52 MINS

52:25

22 Nov 2025


#92

Will The Epstein Files Sink Trump?

After months of resistance, President Trump made a striking reversal on the Epstein files ... more

19 Nov 2025

37 MINS

37:48

19 Nov 2025


#91

Society is betting on AI – and the outcomes aren’t looking good (with Nate Soares)

Humanity’s attempts to achieve artificial superintelligence will be our downfall, ac... more

15 Nov 2025

51 MINS

51:40

15 Nov 2025


#90

The Democrats Are Folding on the Shutdown

Despite a blue wave in recent state and local elections, Senate Democrats caved to Republi... more

12 Nov 2025

46 MINS

46:31

12 Nov 2025


#89

Even Our Economy Is Gamified Now

From social media and dynamic pricing to meme stocks and AI hype, gamification has taken o... more

08 Nov 2025

36 MINS

36:00

08 Nov 2025


#88

What Happens in Vegas...Might Tell Us Something About the US Economy

With traffic down, gambling down, and hotel prices bottoming out, everyone’s asking:... more

05 Nov 2025

43 MINS

43:40

05 Nov 2025


#87

What to Make of the NBA Sports Betting Scandal

Last week, two federal indictments and several high-profile arrests rocked the NBA. One in... more

01 Nov 2025

41 MINS

41:09

01 Nov 2025


#86

Lessons From A Marathoner (with Nicholas Thompson)

Nate and Maria sit down with the elite amateur runner Nicholas Thompson (who also happens ... more

29 Oct 2025

42 MINS

42:25

29 Oct 2025


#85

The Canal, the Crash and the Ketamine - Pushkin's Reign of Error

We have a special episode for you today! In which Nate and Maria join their fellow Pushkin... more

25 Oct 2025

44 MINS

44:25

25 Oct 2025


#84

What Democrats Should Take from No Kings Protests

Over the weekend, some 5 million people across the United States marched in ‘No King... more

22 Oct 2025

45 MINS

45:11

22 Oct 2025


#83

What the Nobels Tell Us About the World Right Now

The 2025 Nobel Prizes have now been announced, and Maria convinces Nate to learn about the... more

18 Oct 2025

40 MINS

40:56

18 Oct 2025


#82

Good Call/Bad Call: Bari Weiss as CBS’s New Editor-in-Chief

Last week, Paramount bought digital news site The Free Press for $150 million, and made on... more

15 Oct 2025

38 MINS

38:01

15 Oct 2025


#81

What Jane Goodall Teaches Us About Outsider Thought

Pioneering primatologist and anthropologist Jane Goodall died last week at 91. Nate and Ma... more

11 Oct 2025

41 MINS

41:36

11 Oct 2025