The “way ahead/way behind” situation is a fairly common one in no-limit hold’em. Novice players fearing opponents holding the strongest possible hands against them might think being way ahead or way behind happens more often than it actually does. But those with more experience readily recognize those occasions when the betting action, board texture, and other factors add up to such scenarios.
Sometimes a preflop raising war between two players can suggest to one of them — say, the one holding who suspects his opponent can only have pocket aces or ace-king — that he’s either way ahead or way behind.