I've been in the application process for a couple Law Enforcement agencies for the last couple of months.  I found this website, obviously, while looking into what polygraphs were all about.  I was very skeptical about the whole thing, and after educating myself through the different posts and articles (and TLBTLD), I became convinced that the whole polygraph smoke and mirrors routine was a farce.
I took my test, and as far as I know it went fine.  But there has been many a horror story posted here about apparently successful polys ending up going bad, so I'm not counting any chickens yet.
If I did not have an understanding of what REALLY goes on in that interrogation room, I believe I would have failed the test miserably.  I would have failed because I would have fallen for the slick lies and INVITATIONS TO HANG MYSELF made by the LIAR of a polygrapher.  This guy was so slick.  Even though I knew what he would say before he said it, and even though I knew what he was REALLY trying to get out of me, I almost felt like confessing a nonexistant prior mishap just to please him.  I am not an idiot, I don't fall for scams, but this guy was so smooth that I felt it would be 'okay' to 'fess up, because he expected it of me.  I'm still trying to understand my reaction.
Anyways, he LIED to me about everything:  about how the polygraph works (you should have seen the type-written summary on How the Poly can detect lies- what a joke).  He LIED about which questions were important - he made it seem like the CRITICAL questions were the Control Questions - those were the ones he was most interested in.  The Relevant questions were just thrown in there, according to him.  No big deal, everybody takes drugs now and then, just make sure to change your prior answers to include that cocaine you snorted last week - then your concience will be clear and you'll pass.  yeah right.
By the way, there was a kind of pad, almost like an oven mit thing on the poly chair.  I guess to discourage counter-measures.  I didn't even flinch.  the thing wasn't connected to any wires anyway.
He LIED to me about what would happen if I fessed up to something that was 'bothering me.'  He said it would help me pass, when I knew that any change in my prior answers would be fatal.  
I knew my answers before I went in, and I stuck to them.  No doubt in my mind about anything.  I threw in some issues that 'concerned' me with the control questions, just to play along.
The bottom line is I told ONE LIE in that interrogation room.  I said that I had no knowledge of how the poly procedure goes.  I was honest about everything else.  Actually, the questions were pretty easy to be honest with.  
But since he was LYING to me about how the Poly worked, I felt justified saying I had no idea that it did what he claimed.  In fact it was the truth, if you think about it.  I did not know that the poly could read my mind, I had thought it was a farce based on my believing the polygraphers lies.  Silly me.  Anyways, I truthfully told him that I had no idea it could perform as he claimed, and then I told the truth to his questions.  
Everything went as described in TLBTLD, from beginning to end.  I am grateful for the education I gained here.  I think that if I had gone in without this knowledge, I would have definitely believed his LIES and it would have screwed up my reactions so badly that I would have failed.
In the end there was no Post-poly interrogation whatsoever.  He said nothing looked problematic, but I'd have to wait until somebody higher up reviewed the charts.  I don't know what to make of that.  I'll wait to hear from them.
Thanks to this site.  Even if it ends up that I 'failed,' going in there 'in the know' was worth the price of admission.
Jack

UJ,

I see your story and wish my situation had been the same.  I went in blind, came out castrated.  Not a fun day.

Like I have said many times on this site, I personally am not a fan of countermeasures.  So I applaud you in not using them. 

Your story, in my opinion, is the best case scenario.  You went in with knowledge of "the game."  You won on your own merits.  You won because the employed verbal tatics didn't effect your answers or reactions.  You beat the game.

But, in the big picture, a "game" like this shouldn't decide who protects the streets of our nation.

Chris

Fair enough on the countermaesures.  But I hope you didn't have to use them.  If you did, though, it would be more proof as to how pathetic a screening tool the polygraph is.

Good luck with the career.

Chris