Game theory question re "The Mathematics of Poker"

[ShaneP]

At a quick glance, that game is a half street game; the second player can either call or fold if there is a bet by the first player, and just check if there is no bet. So looking at the Y has a K, X has an A, normally X would win the pot. That is the base payoff that they are using.

Then, if Y bets and X folds, Y gets the pot that he wouldn't have gotten earlier, so his payoff is 2 bigger than the base (or +2). If X calls, then Y loses one more than the base case (the -1). So the initial pot of 2 is in fact in the matrix, it's just that the payoffs are the deviations from the amounts the players would get in the check-check situation.

Shane