Creating an image

At the weeked I played in a short-handed fun stakes cash game with close friends and it set me thinking about 'player image' and how 'table talk' affects play.  In this particular game we were trying intensely to read each others' bet sizes, patterns and tells and were having fun trying to psych each other out with misdirection and false claims about hands. I was doing quite well building my stack using a low risk small-ball strategy, successfully chopping at untouched pots and dry boards.  It also helped that I hit and got paid off with a few strong hands that went to showdown early on in the game. This in itself may have created a strong and unpredictable table image but I got a little cocky and decided it would be fun to announce how lucky I was 'hitting all kinds of flops' even though 'I only play premium hands.' I knew that I was trying to be deceptive but I didn't really understand what potential benefits or disadvantages it could have to my game, or to my poker karma.  The old phrase 'pride cometh before a fall' could not have been more apt when I faced a reraise shove after betting for protection on a straightening and flushing turn holding bottom two pair. I convinced myself that my opponent was simply overbetting a straight or trips, as frustrated microstakes players are apt to do when they have taken the worst of it for a while before making a hand. (Donk logic also dictates that big bets look weak and so are more likely to be called.) I did not give enough consideration to the fact that  my opponent a) Is considerably better than the average microstakes player b) Was fully aware that I was frequently leading out with marginal hands and did not need the nuts to play back at me c) Knew that despite my table talk I really am a total rock who was getting mega lucky, and would never call down in that spot, even with 75% equity in the hand. This is why you should never play poker with your partner-she knows you better than you do!