Episode #82: Decision-making and when to walk away, with Dr. Annie Duke

Feb 23, 2026

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About this episode:

Annie Duke is an author, speaker, and consultant in the decision-making space. She loves to dive deep into decision-making under uncertainty. Her latest obsession is on the topic of quitting. In particular, she is on a mission to rehabilitate the term “quitting” and get people to be proud of walking away from things.

Annie is the author of two bestsellers, Quit: The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away (2022), and Thinking in Bets (2018). As a former professional poker player, she has won more than $4 million in tournament poker. During her career, Annie won a World Series of Poker bracelet and is the only woman to have won the World Series of Poker Tournament of Champions and the NBC National Poker Heads-Up Championship.

Annie retired from poker in 2012. Prior to becoming a professional poker player, she was awarded a National Science Foundation Fellowship to study Cognitive Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, where she earned her master’s degree. In 2023, Annie completed her Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology.

Annie is the co-founder of The Alliance for Decision Education, a non-profit whose mission is to improve lives by empowering students through decision skills education.

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00:00 Meet Dr. Annie Duke: Decision-Making, Poker, and the Case for Quitting

05:22 Defining a “Good Decision”: Goals, Values, and the Four Quadrants

09:14 Luck vs. Choice: Avoiding Nihilism and Leaning Into Uncertainty

12:49 Sponsor Break: The Anti-Fragile Academy

14:21 Decision-Making for Flourishing: Agency Without Illusions of Control

18:33 Quitting Well: Updating Beliefs, Identity Threats, and Mental Time Travel

28:03 Quitting, Happiness & the Forecasting Problem (Tying the Strands Together)

29:38 Why We Misread Our Values—and Resist Changing Course

30:52 The ‘Future Unhappy’ Exercise: Mental Time Travel for Better Decisions

32:42 Get Outside Perspectives (Independently): Friends, Mentors & Written Answers

34:11 Real-World Example: Forecasting Reveals It’s Time to Shut the Business Down

35:15 Why Focus on What Could Go Wrong: Optimism, Faster Pivots & Opportunity Cost

37:01 Flourishing Takeaway: Tech-Free Savoring Walks (and the Dog Rule)

43:26 Flow, Sports & Real Connection: Pickleball/Tennis as Tech-Free Joy

46:10 Wrap-Up: Courses, Decision Education in K–12, and Final Thanks