Something that we all do daily is use a mirror. We know that everything we see is the opposite of what the mirror reflects. We automatically make adjustments for seeing things backwards. There are a lot of other instances where we also make adjustments to what we see. If look at objects close up, everything else in the background is smaller-even though they may actually be larger than the object we are focused on. We automatically adjust for these background differences and life goes on! Yet, when playing poker, there are a lot of things we can observe that are like looking in a mirror.
One of the basic rules about bluffing is to realize that the actions of other players are the same as looking into a mirror. When a player is behaving as if he has a weak hand, it usually means that his or her hand is strong. When a player, who ordinarily places bets in gently, starts splashing the pot, that usually means he or she is bluffing. Or, does it?
There are ways to correct for mirrors, you know. Have you ever looked out of your rear view mirror and noticed an ambulance behind you? You were able to read its sign because they reversed the letters. Some veteran players know how to reverse for the mirror effects of bluffs. They will purposely splash the pot when they have the nuts-just to look like they are bluffing. In my book, Beyond Bluffs, I referred to this as a meta-bluff, or a bluff that is a bluff.
Now let's talk about the mirror images that players like to project about themselves. These images are often the opposite of what these players display. If a player comes in very friendly and talkative, does this really mean-as I have read-that the player is easy to beat? Not at all! It often is just the opposite with a friendly, talkative player. They have read the same garbage and want you to think they are easy. At the same time, a lot of players get the award for playing "stupid." They make themselves look like beginners and proceed to whip you stupid. Have you ever played with a person who appeared to be drunk yet seemed to have a clear head? Again, beware of wolves that play like sheep.
Just as there are different types of mirrors, look for different types of plays that need to be adjusted for in a poker game. There are concave, convex, and even mirrors that make things appear closer than they actually are. A convex mirror will show different angles when placed in a corner. Unlike convex mirrors, concave mirrors show different types of images depending on their distance from the mirror. Players will change their image and act like such mirrors. They are closer to beating you than they pretend. Other players are further away than they may appear. It's good to know what kind of mirror effect players want to project. When you are backing up and parking your car, the side view mirror is very helpful-if you allow for the fact that things appear closer than they are. So, too, when you are maneuvering with a player you could be closer to winning the pot than you appear. Or, the other player might be closer to fooling you than he or she appears.
So, the next time you sit down at a poker table; bring your talent with you for making corrections when you are using mirrors. Know what kind of mirror you are looking into and remember Alice in Wonderland found a lot of distortions through the looking glass when she followed the white rabbit down that hole. Even with mirrors there's a difference between using one and pretending to be using one; that is, there are bluffs and then there are bluffs that are bluffs.
