Maria Konnikova is a Russian-American writer and poker player with over $300,000 in career earnings.
A former PCA National Championship winner, Konnikova built up a strong relationship with Poker Hall of Famer Erik Seidel en-route to publishing 'The Biggest Bluff' a book Konnikova authored about her journey into poker.
Related: Maria Konnikova on Erik Seidel: "He's the Best There Is"
owns a doctorate in psychology
Away from poker, Konnikova owns a doctorate in psychology, and has published two other books: 'Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes' and 'The Confidence Game: Why We Fall for It . . . Every Time'