She wants to show strength by indicating that the outcome is a sure thing.
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Strong players sometimes reach for the pot prematurely as a ploy to induce a call. (That's why this tell has a small value in big-limit games.) Often, this is done ostentatiously while an opponent is just beginning to consider. However, when a player reaches for the pot while the opponent is in the act of passing, the interpretation is different. Usually, the bettor wants to ensure that the pot is won by driving the last tiny doubt from the mind of an already-passing opponent. While this may be difficult to conceptualize at first, consider that any player who truly holds a winning hand would give you every opportunity to call. If this woman wanted a call, she wouldn't reach for the pot until there was no chance whatsoever that you might change your mind.
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If you were about to throw your hand away, consider calling -- even with a fairly weak hand. And if you have a hand so horrible that you can't beat anything, try raising as a bluff. Here's a chance to snare a whole pot that would have gotten away.
