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United States Annie Duke is a former professional poker champion and cognitive psychologist who now shares her expertise in decision science with corporate and academic audiences, empowering individuals and organizations to make smarter decisions in complex environments.
Annie Duke serves as a Special Partner at First Round Capital, focusing on Decision Science. She works with the team to apply her expertise in decision-making.
Annie Duke collaborated with Alteryx, sharing insights on how business strategy relates to poker, highlighting her expertise in decision-making for corporate contexts.
Annie Duke worked with Renegade Partners, advising business leaders on the importance of knowing when to discontinue an unsuccessful endeavor, drawing parallels from poker strategy.
From 2001 to 2004, Duke served as a spokesperson and consultant for ieLogic, a company that developed online poker software for multiplayer poker websites, including Ultimate Bet.
In 2005, Annie Duke launched a range of poker products in collaboration with ESPN.
Annie Duke has delivered keynote remarks to the executive teams or sales forces of organizations like Marriott, speaking on decision fitness and emotional control.
Annie Duke has delivered keynote remarks to the executive teams or sales forces of organizations like Gaylord Resorts, speaking on decision fitness and emotional control.
Annie Duke has delivered keynote remarks to the executive teams or sales forces of organizations like Ultimate Software, speaking on decision fitness and emotional control.
Annie Duke is a sought-after speaker in the financial sector, with clients including Susquehanna International Group, where she shares her insights on decision-making.
Annie Duke is a sought-after speaker in the financial sector, with clients including CitiBank, where she shares her insights on decision-making.
Anne LaBarr Duke was born on September 13, 1965, in Concord, New Hampshire. Her parents were both enthusiastic card players, fostering an early interest in games. She attended St. Paul’s School before enrolling at Columbia University, where she double majored in English and Psychology. Following her graduation, Duke pursued a Ph.D. in cognitive psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, with a focus on cognitive linguistics. One month prior to defending her dissertation in 1991, she decided to leave academia. In 1992, she relocated to Billings, Montana, and married, subsequently moving between Las Vegas and Montana. The couple had four children before divorcing in 2004. Duke later married Eric Brooks and currently resides in the Philadelphia area. In 2023, she completed her Ph.D. in cognitive psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, returning to academia after a three-decade hiatus.
Duke’s professional poker career began in 1992 after her brother encouraged her to play professionally. She quickly found success, winning $70,000 within her first month of playing at the 1994 World Series of Poker (WSOP) in Las Vegas. This led to her decision to pursue poker full-time. Over two decades, she became a highly decorated player, securing a WSOP gold bracelet in 2004 by winning the Omaha Hi-Lo Split tournament. In the same year, she triumphed in the $2 million winner-take-all WSOP Tournament of Champions. In 2010, Duke won the NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship, becoming the event’s only female winner. She retired from professional poker around 2012, having accumulated $4,270,548 in total lifetime live tournament winnings, ranking her among the top women in WSOP history. She also served on the World Series of Poker Player Advisory Council and taught at the WSOP Poker Academy.
Beyond poker, Duke has become a respected authority on decision-making. She authored best-selling books such as “Thinking in Bets: Making Smarter Decisions When You Don’t Have All the Facts” (2018), “How to Decide: Simple Tools for Making Better Choices” (2020), and “Quit: The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away” (2022). She co-founded Ante Up for Africa in 2007 with Don Cheadle, raising millions for African charities. Duke also co-founded the Alliance for Decision Education in 2014, dedicated to teaching critical thinking and decision-making skills to young people. She served as co-founder and commissioner of the Epic Poker League from 2011 to 2012. Her media appearances include “The Colbert Report” (2006) and a runner-up finish on “The Celebrity Apprentice” (2009), where she raised over $700,000 for Refugees International. She is currently an adjunct professor at Harvard Kennedy School and UPenn Wharton School of Executive Education.
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