The Gist

Facing the News Like a Poker Champ

Guest host Maria Konnikova speaks with Annie Duke about how champion card players stay calm during hard times

Author and poker star Annie Duke.

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Listen to Episode 684 of Slate’s The Gist:

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There’s a term in poker called tilt—when players become overwhelmed by bad news and it starts clouding their decision-making. Poker star Annie Duke talks to guest host Maria Konnikova about the psychological tricks that pro card players use to get through rough patches and how it applies to our political climate today. Duke has written several books about poker and sits on the board of How I Decide, a nonprofit that helps disadvantaged young people make better decisions.

For the Spiel, Maria breaks down what Donald Trump is doing to our brains.

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