The Thought Processes of Poker

What we mean by the psychology of poker is getting into your opponents' heads, analyzing how they think, figuring out what they think you think, and even determining what they think
you think they think. In this sense the psychology of poker is an extension of reading opponents' hands, and it is also an extension of using deception in the way you play your own hand.
Recently, while I was working on this book, a friend ran up to me and said, "I made a great play in seven-stud last night at the Castaways." We had recently been talking about using deception
by betting a second-best hand to make an opponent think you are stronger than you really are in hopes he will fold if you improve.
"Low card brought it in, and I called with a pair of kings," my friend began. "One of the kings was showing. Behind me a guy who was steaming and almost all-in called with an ace showing. He could have anything. Another guy, A.D., the best player in the game, raised with an ace showing. We all called.
"On fourth street I catch a 5. I have a king, 5 showing - still only a pair of kings. The guy who's steaming has ace, 10, and he bets. Maybe he has a small pair. The good player calls. Now I
know for sure the good player has aces because he would never call another ace unless he had aces himself, especially with me sitting behind him with, maybe, two kings. He's played with me a lot, and he knows how I play."
"So you folded your pair of kings." "No, I raised!"
"That's pretty dangerous in that spot," I said.