definition of "levelling"

[StatsProf857]

I've read this verb "to level" on these forums for a while now, and I THINK I know what it means -- that it has to do with knowing what somebody else is thinking. I was wondering if people could post some examples of levelling, both in the poker and humor contexts, with some explanations of what makes the situation a levelling.

I'm posting in this section because "Poker Theory" is the closest thing I can find to "Poker Vocabulary".

StatsProf857

[Abbaddabba]

it's when you run a bulldozer over a section of hand and make it flat.

[Pokerlogist]

from urban dictionary:
Verb or noun. A joke or comment not meant to be taken seriously, but presented in a serious manner.
Thought of as a "cool" thing to do on various websites; the level also functions as a get out of jail free card when your comment is decisively shown to be silly or misinformed because you can claim you were "just levelling".
The term originates from the question of whether you take the comment seriously depending on the "level" you are thinking. In a game of poker, the levels of thinking are:

level 0 = thinking about the cards you're holding
level 1 = thinking about the cards your opponent is holding
level 2 = thinking about what your opponent thinks you are holding
level 3 = thinking about what your opponent thinks you think he his holding
etc

Person 1 - Generic ridiculous stupid comment.
Person 2 - I really hope you are levelling here.
Person 1 - No I'm serious.
Person 3 - Haha you're stupid, you should have left it as a level.
by David Sklansky Las Vegas Aug 28, 2007 email it