Alex O’Brien defines herself as a science writer, and her works have been published in the BBC, The Guardian, The Times and New Scientist. When she is not writing she plays poker, and as of this writing she has achieved tournament poker results in six different countries. Last year she published her first book called The Truth Detective, in which she was able to combine her two passions by writing a science book on how to think like a poker player. The book had excellent reviews and was nominated in the Best Written Content category for the 2023 Global Poker Awards.
We reached out to Alex to tell us how the idea for the book came about, how she experienced the writing process and the interviews she conducted for the book. We also asked her about the GPA nomination, the live tournaments she played since 2014, women in poker, and many more topics. After the interview you will be able to read a short review with this author’s opinions of the book.
I spent 4.5 years of my life writing about the Venn diagram between science & poker.
The book champions science and the scientific method. In the process it repositions the game as a highly-cerebral, multidimensional, strategic puzzle game.
I did my best. Was it enough, @gpi? https://t.co/yz2yw8J9Uu
— Alex O’Brien (@obrientweet) February 14, 2024
Interview with Alex O’Brien
How did you find out about poker and what did you like most about the game at first?
My story with poker began when a female writer friend told me that she was a poker player at night. I was very surprised, since I only knew the game from the movies and that it was played mostly by men. Since I don’t like limitations, I asked her to teach me how to play and she did just that.
What I immediately liked the most was the game’s complexity. Before learning to play I thought the game was about how good you could bluff and how good your poker face was. Then I realized that it was so much more than that and that intelligence was needed to be a good player. That attracted me a lot.
Did you spend time studying or were you more into learning by playing?
When I started studying 10 years ago there weren’t many poker training sites, study groups, or many online study tools. There were, however, many videos on YouTube and I remember watching those by Daniel Negreanu or Annie Duke where they gave basic advice. What I would give now to have known how to study properly those first years! I would be a completely different player today. Years ago solvers or the GTO study did not exist. Considering the little study I did back then, I think I did pretty well.
Your first result in Hendon Mob is from 2015 in a £200 WPT National London event. What do you remember about that tournament?
I remember that tournament very well for several reasons. Before that tournament I used to play £30 events since I had only been playing live for six months and I didn’t feel ready to play bigger tournaments. But a female casino dealer who had observed my play during those many afternoon tournaments convinced me to play it. She encouraged me by saying I was absolutely good enough.
I promptly cashed what then felt to me like a big grown up tournament. It was an epic moment. I also remember being the last woman to standing. The other thing I remember well is promising a friend that if I made it to the final table I would wear a dirndl — a typical German outfit. The promise still stands, so if I make it to a final table in a major tournament and you see me wearing a dirndl, you now know why!
Alex with her friend Dara O’Kearney
How did the idea of writing a poker book come about? How long did it take you to finish it?
The idea to write it first came from an editor, who wanted me to write about the psychology of lying. Then the idea transformed into what this book would become: how to think like a poker player player applying the thinking skills and methods used at the tables. I planned to write it in 18 months, but in the middle of work the coronavirus pandemic arose and delayed all my plans.
Writing during the pandemic was very challenging and eventually became impossible for me. I remember calling the editor to tell her my problems and am forever grateful at her gracious response: she told me not to worry about time and to focus on writing the best book I can. That moment will forever stay with me as I felt hugely relieved to have been given such great support. In the end it took four-and-a-half years, and looking back it was absolutely the right call not to rush it.
One of the reasons it took that long was my obsession with making sure that a book about getting to the truth had no factual errors. I could not make any mistakes. I interviewed hundreds of people. I researched each topic deeply. I wanted to present fresh new ideas and, importantly, I wanted to write a book that I myself would want to read. I wanted it to be a book that appeals to a wide range of readers. I am so proud of how I was able to weave two subjects together and give poker players a solid argument that legitimizes their game and at the same time champion science and the scientific method.
What parts of the writing process did you enjoy the most?
There were two elements of the process I loved the most. The first one was discovery. I really enjoyed losing myself in research, and then coming across some brilliant studies that revealed a core little known part of psychology. I love learning about how our world works and why! I could have spent years digging further!
The second part I loved most was interviews. Anyone who knows me knows that I am a very social person and that I love meeting people. This book gave me the perfect excuse to meet some of the brightest minds in science, courageous researchers and fantastic poker players. I loved prepping for interviews and asking questions no one had asked the interviewees before.
For the book you had interviews with many interesting people. Who did you most enjoy talking to? Do you think most of them could be good poker players?
It is a difficult question to answer. There were many moments when I was in the presence of the true greats and I had to pinch myself. For example, Jeff Hancock, who is one of the eminent researchers in lie detection, revealed to me that he was playing poker and had some good results in the past. Though to be fair it’s not really surprising. Poker is a game of intelligence that requires applying critical thinking and scientists do exactly that. Many of them would make great poker players. I was lucky enough to interview brilliant and prolific people and almost everyone I had planned gave me their time, which made me very happy.
This is great stuff and true in my experience. pic.twitter.com/xs4MEiDu0b
— Jaime Staples (@jaimestaples) March 2, 2024
In the book you tell about a bad experience you had at a table simply because you were a woman. Do you think the situation is different today or do similar events continue to happen?
I think the situation is different today and I notice that organizers, platforms and other players celebrate women’s achievements more. Women in poker are talked about more as just another player and that’s how it should be. I also see that Ladies tournaments have better structures and guarantees. I think a lot more is done for women in poker today than 10 years ago, but there is still a long way to go.
Female participation in tournaments remains very low. Do you think that may change in the future? What promotional actions would you carry out to capture the attention of women?
I don’t think there is a single answer that will change the root of the problem. Rather, several changes and calibrations are needed within the industry to achieve improvements. Many are working on them and the more work is done, the closer we will be to seeing changes.
Thank you @Tantina1 for asking me to co-host the women’s championship! What a day!
Smashed the guarantee by 2.5x, record number of entries (57), one of the fiercest women’s fields ever, laughed all day, got to final table, signed copies of my book. Came second! Still smiling.❤️ pic.twitter.com/ZkThiAarql
— Alex O’Brien (@obrientweet) February 5, 2024
You have four final tables and two second place finishes in ladies tournaments. Will you try to go for first place this year? What are your poker plans for the rest of 2024?
Of course I want to win a tournament! Every time I sit down to play I want to be the champion and I was close many times. I’ve been playing some festivals in the first few months of this year and I’ve been in Las Vegas for the World Series of Poker. But after that I’m going to focus on writing my second book, which won’t be about poker.
Would you like to write a second poker book in the future?
I haven’t thought about it yet, and would only consider it if there is an organic follow-up to The Truth Detective.
Last year you were in Las Vegas and notched two cashes in WSOP tournaments. Tell us what that experience was like.
Yes, last year was amazing. It was my second time at the World Series of Poker, but I was a completely different player since she had learned to study, improve my game and find my leaks. The hard work paid off and I was able to achieve two cashes.
What did it mean to you to be nominated for the Global Poker Awards?
It was a great honor to be nominated for the second time. I felt very appreciated by the industry that nominated me for my first book. I couldn’t win, but being nominated in that category meant a lot to me.
Poker Book Review: The Truth Detective
The first word that comes to mind to describe this book is original. We are used to reading poker books about strategy, mental game, personal experiences, novels and biographies. But The Truth Detective does not fall into any of those categories and, instead, creates a new one: experts from different areas helping you think like a poker player to make better decisions.
The book is divided into four parts:
- Making Sense of a Complex World: Criticaal Thinking and Poker.
- Learning How to Read Others: Communication, Interpretation and Impressions.
- Being a Real-Life Truth Detective: Deception and Patterns.
- Learning to Live with Uncertainty: Risk, Game Theory and Imperfect Information.
For each of the parts O’Brien conducted interviews with very interesting people from the world of psychology, neuroscience and game theory. Some of them include Joe Navarro, Jessica Welman, David Lappin, Avi Rubin, David Cox, Jeff Hancock, Gustav Kuhn and David Matsumoto, among others. It is very interesting to read about their opinions and you learn a lot in each topic.
The time that the author dedicated to researching each topic is very noticeable and she reinforces each concept with real-life examples and studies that were carried out. It is a book that makes you think about many things in the complex world we live in, but at the same time informs you and opens your mind. I really enjoyed reading it and it’s Global Poker Awards nomination was certainly well-earned.
I would like to end the review with a paragraph from the book: “The Truth Detective is your roadmap to a more effective mindset. Thinking like a poker player helps us sniff out lurking threats, because none of us is safe from being manipulated to someone else’s advantage. This book will transform your thinking and enhance your ability to detect the traps set to exploit us, by people who want to shift our opinions, manipulate our reality and control our thoughts.”
Book & Mate, a great combination of pleasure
Book Information: By The Numbers
- Title: “The Truth Detective”
- Author: Alex O’Brien
- Publisher: Souvenir Press
- Year of publication: 2023
- Pages: 275
- Amazon rating: 4.8/5 ⭐️
- Goodreads rating: 4/5 ⭐️
- Prices: $20 Hardcover / $16 Kindle
- Where to buy it? Amazon
‘A riveting read and a call to action’ – @JenShahade
Publishing this Thursday, #TheTruthDetective by @obrientweet offers insights from the latest psychology, neuroscience, game theory and more, to explore how the skills of poker can help our everyday.https://t.co/iOoVt4tHJK pic.twitter.com/mBs8MXM6Eg
— Souvenir Press (@SouvenirPress) October 30, 2023
More reviews of The Truth Detective:
- Dara O’Kearney: “This is the best book I’ve read since Daniel Kahneman’s ‘Thinking Fast and Slow,’ which until now was always the non-poker strategy book I most strongly recommended to poker players when they asked.”
- Richard Fisher: “A wise, mind-expanding guide to help you make smarter choices.”
- David Lappin: “Carries a throughline about how poker demands a certain rigor in logical faculties and consistency in thought process.”
- Jennifer Shahade: “A riveting read and a call to action on how to understand the world and ourselves better.”
- Seth Stephens-Davidowitz: “Fascinating. Who knew one book could teach you so much?”
- Kara Scott: “Go get it and read it. The ability to determine ‘truth’ in today’s world is one of the great challenges of our time and Alex addresses it so entertainingly.”
- Angela Saini: “Reveals the tricks that can help each of us navigate a world beset with misinformation.”
- Jaime Staples: “It’s refreshing to get a scientist’s view, an enthusiast’s view, a feminine view.”
- Pokerlogia: “One of the best poker books from 2023.”
- Jacqui Bardelang: “Excellent read into some fascinating discussions and studies around detecting lies in a post-truth society.”
- Alom Shaha: “The kind of timely popular science that captures people’s attention and deserves to be widely read.”
