Play Poker Like an Octopus, Not Like a Mantis Shrimp

Phil Hellmuth (dealing with the animals)In his 2003 book Play Poker Like the Pros, Phil Hellmuth famously categorized poker players as one of five animal types — the lion, the jackal, the elephant, the mouse, and, best of all, the eagle. It's also common to hear poker players described as a fish or a donkey. After a bad beat, a player might be said to be on "monkey tilt."

But have you ever heard of a poker player described as a mantis shrimp? How about an octopus?

A couple of months ago, I mentioned having recently learned about evolutionary biologist Robert Trivers. His impressive life's work has centered around uncovering the role that deception plays in the survival of every species —…