Palin's Poker Analogy

After Mrs Palin remarked that she is, to update the idiom by making it less masculine, holding her cards close to her chest, there's been some discussion of her poker metaphor.  Conservatives4Palin has some interesting research on what is known as slow playing that throws light on Palin's thinking regarding the timing of her announcement. Slow playing is a strategy that decieves by betting as if the poker player had a weak rather than a strong hand.  It seems a perfect fit:

The most important consideration of all in a slow-play, of course, is that you’re conserving resources while making you’re opponents burn through theirs. They underestimate your strength.

Isn't that what we've watched happen?  Nicole at C4P continues:

After Bachmann raised, it forced Pawlenty to fold, and encouraged Perry to join the betting. Perry’s continued bluff (that everyone has now caught on to) has sweetened the pot even more for Governor Palin. She hasn’t risked much so far while others are mortgaging the farm and betting aggressively.

Worth reading.