Advertise on podcast: Risky Business with Nate Silver and Maria Konnikova
Rating
3.7from
This podcast has
136 episodes
Language
EnglishPublisher
Pushkin IndustriesExplicit
No
Date created
2024/04/25
Latest episode
2026/01/07
Average duration
43 min.
Release period
4 days
Description
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.
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Check latest episodes from Risky Business with Nate Silver and Maria Konnikova podcast
Nate and Maria’s 2026 Predictions
2026/01/07
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:
The Leap from Maria Konnikova
Silver Bulletin from Nate Silver
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Best of Risky Business: Life After Poker (with Vanessa Selbst)
2026/01/03
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 finance, and why, at her first job after poker, she kept a giant bag of pennies underneath her desk.
For more from Nate and Maria, subscribe to their newsletters:
The Leap from Maria Konnikova
Silver Bulletin from Nate Silver
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why Are Some Countries Happier Than Others?
2025/12/31
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 the methodology of this research. As well as what it reveals (and doesn’t) about happiness.
For more from Nate and Maria, subscribe to their newsletters:
The Leap from Maria Konnikova
Silver Bulletin from Nate Silver
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Best Of Risky Business: Lessons From The River
2025/12/24
When Nate’s book “On The Edge” released in 2024, Maria interviewed him about why he wrote it and what we can learn from the enigmatic risk-loving community he calls The River.
Get your copy here
For more from Nate and Maria, subscribe to their newsletters:
The Leap from Maria Konnikova
Silver Bulletin from Nate Silver
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Best of Risky Business: Building a Championship Team (with Daryl Morey)
2025/12/20
We’re closing out the year with some of our (and your) favorite episodes to date. First up: Nate and Maria’s conversation with Philadelphia 76ers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey about bringing game theory and probabilistic thinking to the NBA.
For more from Nate and Maria, subscribe to their newsletters:
The Leap from Maria Konnikova
Silver Bulletin from Nate Silver
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Riskies! 2025 Edition
2025/12/17
Nate and Maria give out their second annual awards for decision-making in 2025: Who made the best decision this year? Who made the worst? Who were 2025’s biggest nits and degens? And which host had the best poker year?
For more from Nate and Maria, subscribe to their newsletters:
The Leap from Maria Konnikova
Silver Bulletin from Nate Silver
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What’s In Store With Self-Driving Cars
2025/12/13
Nate has ridden in a Waymo, and it was like stepping into the future. Maria’s never been in one, but she’s been stuck behind a lot of autonomous vehicles… They swap human-driven car horror stories and discuss some of the risks and benefits of a future full of self-driving cars.
From the New York Times: The Data on Self-Driving Cars Is Clear. We Have to Change Course.
For more from Nate and Maria, subscribe to their newsletters:
The Leap from Maria Konnikova
Silver Bulletin from Nate Silver
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What Movies Get Right and Wrong About Poker
2025/12/10
Maria finally gets to reveal a project she’s been working on that’s been kept under wraps, and then it’s movie night on Risky Business! Nate and Maria talk about their favorite poker movies and explain why portrayals of poker for a movie audience often don’t get the game quite right. Plus, they share what poker movie they’d like to make and who’d play them in it.
For more from Nate and Maria, subscribe to their newsletters:
The Leap from Maria Konnikova
Silver Bulletin from Nate Silver
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Frisky Business: Olivia Nuzzi, Ryan Lizza, and Journalistic Ethics
2025/12/03
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 current state of journalistic ethics.
For more from Nate and Maria, subscribe to their newsletters:
The Leap from Maria Konnikova
Silver Bulletin from Nate Silver
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Prisoners’ Dilemma of Performance-Enhancing Drugs
2025/11/29
This week we answer a question from listener Brandon, who’s noticed a rise in performance-enhancing drugs outside of sports. Nate and Maria discuss their own philosophies on PEDs, their impact on equilibriums, and what people risk when they decide to juice.
For more from Nate and Maria, subscribe to their newsletters:
The Leap from Maria Konnikova
Silver Bulletin from Nate Silver
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
NO LIMIT, Some AI… Poker’s Documentary-Gate
2025/11/26
The WSOP’s NO LIMIT docuseries has been scrubbed from the internet following revelations that it includes AI-generated content, despite creator Dustin Ianotti’s explanation that the material “tracked closely” with other quotes and was only used for “faster scene transitions and narrative pacing."
For more from Nate and Maria, subscribe to their newsletters:
The Leap from Maria Konnikova
Silver Bulletin from Nate Silver
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Risky Business Live! How To Read People In Poker And Beyond
2025/11/22
Most people are bad at spotting bluffs and tells – but there are ways to get better. Nate and Maria discuss tips and tricks from the poker tables with a live audience at Ludlow House in New York City.
For more from Nate and Maria, subscribe to their newsletters:
The Leap from Maria Konnikova
Silver Bulletin from Nate Silver
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Will The Epstein Files Sink Trump?
2025/11/19
After months of resistance, President Trump made a striking reversal on the Epstein files this week, signaling he would sign legislation to release them. Nate and Maria discuss whether this is the start of a “lame duck” spiral for Trump, and whether (or to what extent) it will impact his tenure if the files do finally come to light.
For more from Nate and Maria, subscribe to their newsletters:
The Leap from Maria Konnikova
Silver Bulletin from Nate Silver
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Society is betting on AI – and the outcomes aren’t looking good (with Nate Soares)
2025/11/15
Humanity’s attempts to achieve artificial superintelligence will be our downfall, according to If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies. That’s the new book out by AI experts Nates Soares and Eliezer Yudkowsky. And while their provocation may feel extreme in this moment when AI slop abounds and the media is hyping a bubble on the verge of bursting, Soares is so convinced of his argument that he’s calling for a complete stop to AI development.
Today on the show, Nate and Maria ask Soares how he came to this conclusion and what everyone else is missing.
For more from Nate and Maria, subscribe to their newsletters:
The Leap from Maria Konnikova
Silver Bulletin from Nate Silver
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Democrats Are Folding on the Shutdown
2025/11/12
Despite a blue wave in recent state and local elections, Senate Democrats caved to Republican demands on the shutdown, giving up the health care subsidies they started the shutdown over nearly 50 days ago. Nate and Maria argue that the Democrats are squandering their momentum, and discuss the consequences for key figures like Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. They also reflect on the election of Zohran Mamdani, the Mayor-Elect of New York City, and talk about the difference between campaigns and reality.
For more from Nate and Maria, subscribe to their newsletters:
The Leap from Maria Konnikova
Silver Bulletin from Nate Silver
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Podcast reviews
Read Risky Business with Nate Silver and Maria Konnikova podcast reviews
JayW NC 2025/10/20
Maria doesn’t want a co-host
Interesting topics and some discussion, but Nate cannot get a sentence in without Maria telling him to wait and then monologuing for 10 more minutes. ...
Ken Ace Ten 2025/11/02
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! Ke...
ilovepodcats 2025/10/24
Right?
I tried to like this podcast, but the nonstop “right?” duet broke me.
Jake_isn't_real 2025/09/14
Time for N.S to fold and walk away
I've enjoyed Maria Konnikova's books and articles so I was looking forward to this podcast. Unfortunately her co-host, Nate Silver brings nothing to t...
m081542 2025/10/16
Nate, pls find free thinking co-host
Maria emotes about Bari Weiss for god knows how long, basically a regurgitation of Bluesky talking points of the day, Nate tries to jump in and gently...
Great With Money 2025/10/13
3 minute ad breaks is too long
Update: You stopped having as many 3 minute ad breaks, so I’m changing my review from 1 star to 5 stars.
Original Review: Seriously, why 3 minutes p...
Jawney Desparado 2025/10/08
Interesting
Brings otherwise overlooked opinions to interesting discussions
Horgathar 2025/10/04
Disappointment
I have appreciated Nate Silver’s other work, but this podcast is not serious or entertaining. I hope he decides to find a better cohost and spend his ...
urmom12278 2025/07/11
Episode 7.10.25
Man talk about hindsight bias! Nate is it too late to take your blurb back?
Qswitch 2025/07/16
I was a subscriber until the 7-10-25 episode
The episode from 7-10-2025 made me never trust Nate Silver again. David Zweig is horribly biased and has a terminal case of 20/20 hindsight. To criti...
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