In time she sheds what she calls her female socialisation and brings aggression into her game; because in poker, as in life, there is a ‘false sense of security in passivity’. ‘You think that you can’t get into too much trouble — but really, every passive decision leads to a slow but steady loss of chips.’ Lean in, in other words. Or, as they used to say, nothing ventured, nothing gained. The eternal verities are worth repeating anew, although there is something a little strange about reading so much about the latest scientific research only to end up having it all summarised by quotations from Kipling: ‘If you can make a heap of all your winnings/ And risk it on one turn of pitch and toss…’ The readiness to go all in, in love, in life or in a game, is everything. Konnikova goes for it, and wins.