[bholdr]

the metagame is the component of poker play and strategy that goes beyond the play of any one specific hand to affect the entire session or more.

for example... some stratigests argue that a player should sometimes show down a weak holding when beaten, even though they could choose to muck it instead- the idea beinng that it will lead opponents to believe that the player is weaker/looser/etc than they really are, hopefully this wil lead to loose calls from the opponents later in the game.

another example would be instructive: in a limit game, if there is a close descision between calling a bet and folding, you may want to choose to call to insure that the opposition won't get the idea that they can run over you, or, conversly, you could chose to fold to give them that very impression, hopinng to induce bad bluffs from the opposition on later hands.

metagame is rarely an important consideration in low limit games and online, but becomes important as one encounters the same opposition consistantly or plays higher limits where players are more attentive and read better.