It was only supposed to be a book. A book that explored how the poker mind works in tournaments. But it turned out to be so much more, and now, Maria Konnikova has turned the project into a profession, and an up-and-coming star in professional poker.

To prepare for the book, the two-time New York Times best-selling author talked poker pro Erik Seidel into letting her “shadow” him in a tournament. From there, other players, like Jason Koon and Isaac Haxton, got involved, letting her watch them, as well. Konnikova explained to Poker News: “It was an insane experience. It was a beautiful learning experience that really accelerated my ability to learn the game. I think they all want to see me succeed because they all want poker to become a bigger game. They all think it’s a cool and interesting project and they’re excited about the book and glad to be involved.”

From her first experience with Seidel, the psychologist was attracted to the game. Konnikova took part in a few low-stakes tournaments, finishing in second place in one and pocketing $2,215. And that was it—Konnikova was hooked on poker. She continued to play in tournaments, moving up to games with higher stakes. She cashed at several tournaments during the PokerStars Championship Monte Carlo and WSOP events, and participated in PokerStars’ 2018 Caribbean Adventure (PCA). She won first place at the $1,650 PCA National, earning $86,400 and a $30,000 Platinum Pass for the 2019 PokerStars Players NLHE Championship.

“PCA was the moment where everything kind of came together,” Konnikova said, “I’m learning and it’s sticking and I’m playing well. It’s a really wonderful feeling when you’re studying and working to have that validated.” Her success prompted her to consider her book plans, which have now been relegated to second place behind tournament participation.