As with most things in poker, my reading skills are something I am always trying to improve.  Its a process that never ends.

I had a player at my table the other night that really tested those skills.  He made me question almost every move I made ... because of his moves.  The mark of a good player is to always keep your opponents guessing.  The worst thing you can be is predictable.

I noticed this player in a few pots calling to the river with ace high.  I thought, here is a gambler.  Just when I was putting a label on him he gets involved in a pot with AA and just calls his opponent to the river and takes it down ?

Now I'm thinking, is he just trying to set up a loose image to take down the bigger pots ?  Is this his strategy ?

We get involved in a hand and I have AsKh on the button.  He raises 3x from the cutoff +1 and I call and the bb calls.  The flop brings 7h Js Kd rainbow.  He checks, I bet half the pot and the bb folds.  He waits ... then calls, as per his previous type of plays.  I rarely saw him raise or bet out.  The turn is the 8 of diamonds.  He waits ... then bets the pot ?  Now he bets?   He wouldnt bet a flush draw to try and steal ... would he?  A pot bet and i have top pair and top kicker ?

Then I remembered, the only time I recall seeing him raise or bet out was early in the match.  I franticlly bring up the hand history and 4 hands in he raised an opponent who bet out after a flop of 3 7 J.  It turned out he had trip 7's and his opponent had A J.

I've got about 3 seconds left and decide to fold.  He shows JJ and I show my AK.  He writes in the chat box, "great fold, how did you know ?"

I just replied ... "paying attention"