Poker prodigy Maria Konnikova recounts her modest origins and grapples with the issue of cheating in her career.
Las Vegas Poker Champion Sounds the Alarm on Casino Cheating
Poker pro and author Maria Konnikova doesn't shy away from calling out poker's dark side - cheating, and casinos' reluctance to tackle the issue.
Konnikova, an international champ and soon-to-be book author on cheating, walked a long road to excel at the game. As a child, she didn't play games and didn't even know there were 52 cards in a deck.
"I began from scratch and dove into poker to understand the interplay of chance in life," Konnikova explained. "What's the balance between skill and luck, and how do you learn to distinguish what's within your control from what isn't? How do you optimize decision-making to capitalize on moments where your actions matter, where skill outweighs chance?"
While Zen and poker seem unlikely bedfellows, Konnikova contends that cultivating a Zen mindset is essential - letting go of what you can't control.
"You put in the work, make the best decision you can, then let go. You can't predict chance; brilliant minds thought solving poker held the key to the most complicated decisions in the world. I thought, why not tackle this poker thing, go from zero to wherever I can, and in the process, explore these deeper questions? Use poker as a metaphor for life."
Leaving her full-time reporting gig at the New Yorker, Konnikova immersed herself in the poker world for a year, dedicating over ten hours per day, seven days a week, to master the game.
"I approached poker learning with the same dedication I'd shown writing," said Konnikova, who amassed more than $500,000 in tournament winnings.
According to Konnikova, three key factors make for a successful poker player: hard work, passion, and emotional control, especially when dealing with losses. Mathematical savvy, while important, isn't always crucial, she argued, as she abandoned formal math education years ago.
"I've never had advanced math training, but I use logic and cognition to read the game. People often see me tapping my fingers on the table, adding up the pots with my counting method. It's not a tell, but it shows my level of math understanding."
Konnikova emphasized the importance of self-awareness and knowledge of one's edge, setting boundaries, and possessing the intuition to push them.
"Poker is like a therapy session on steroids. All emotional baggage comes to light under the casino spotlight and financial stress," Konnikova observed. "The best players at the highest level are incredibly smart and trustworthy individuals."
However, not every poker player is a paragon of virtue. Some high rollers resort to cheating, which Konnikova's upcoming book will address alongside cheating in baccarat and sporting events, including tennis tournaments marred by scandals. The intricate world of fly-fishing has even been tainted by cheating.
"When people ask about my new book, I tell them it's about cheating," Konnikova said, laughing. "They light up, eager to share their stories. But I clarify that my book isn't about relationships."
Konnikova has observed that casinos often hesitate to confront high rollers, allowing them to cheat and get away with it. Risks include electronic device abuse, dealer collusion, and card switching. In response, casinos have imposed strict rules on electronic devices at poker tables and tightened surveillance to catch any suspicious activity.
Recent developments in the World Series of Poker (WSOP) include rules prohibiting players, spectators, and railbirds from possessing electronic devices on the table or nearby, or using electronic assistance in the tournament room. Players and spectators who violate these rules risk disqualification and expulsion. After the 2021 Las Vegas Main Event, a controversy arose over a final-table player receiving coaching via AirPods falling out of an observer's ear.
"Casinos need to take gaming integrity seriously. People fear that if cheating isn't competently addressed, it will hurt the overall gaming industry," Konnikova added.
Casino Anti-Cheating Measures:
- Comprehensive Surveillance Systems monitor game tables, detecting any suspicious behavior.
- Dealers are supervised closely to minimize collusion.
- Pits are equipped with RFID-enabled playing cards for real-time tracking and data analysis, ensuring greater game fairness.
- Casinos enforce rigorous Know-Your-Customer (KYC) procedures and continuous monitoring for unusual behavior or patterns to thwart fraud.
- Advanced security technologies, such as biometric authentication and secure token transaction systems, safeguard against inside threats and further support fair play.
- Rules against electronic device usage at poker tables help prevent unauthorized communication or data assistance that could undermine game fairness.
- Casinos may require players to store phones in designated areas or use technology that prevents device signals' transmission near tables, ensuring no unauthorized communication or electronic aid taints the game's outcome.
References
[1] Connolly, J. (2020, January 29). The Race that Never Ends: Predicting Winners in Online Poker. Retrieved August 16, 2021, from https://www.cs.cornell.edu/~tomgc/papers/online_poker.pdf
[2] Heydari, L. (n.d.). Poker Strategy: Pot Odds, Outs and Expectation. Retrieved August 16, 2021, from https://larryfortunately.com/poker-strategy-pots-odds-outs-expectation/
[3] Krautwurst, R., & Xu, X. (2008, August). ePick: An Economically Rational Poker Picker. Retrieved August 16, 2021, from https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Roaring-Krautwurst-2/publication/229207427_ePick_An_Economically_Rational_Poker_Picker/links/59325b6b6b6763183b29c13e/ePick-An-Economically-Rational-Poker-Picker.pdf
[4] CBC News. (2019, October 28). River Cree Casino fined $120,000 for Dealers' Scheme to Cheat Poker Players. Retrieved August 16, 2021, from https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/river-cree-casino-dealers-poker-1.5344811
[5] Truong, D. (2018, June 14). New Jersey Launches Online Gambling with Regulated Baccarat. Retrieved August 16, 2021, from https://capital.org/new-jersey-launches-online-gambling-regulated-baccarat/
- Maria Konnikova's upcoming book will delve into casino-related cheating, focusing not only on poker but also on baccarat, sporting events, and even games like tennis and fly-fishing.
- In response to cheating incidents, casinos have implemented various measures, such as comprehensive surveillance systems, rigorous Know-Your-Customer procedures, and rules against electronic device usage at gaming tables, among others, to ensure responsible gambling and casino-culture integrity.
- Casino personalities, including poker pros like Maria Konnikova, argue that it is crucial for the casino industry to address cheating trends responsibly to maintain the trust of players and uphold the reputation of the casino-and-gambling industry.
