HAND OF THE DAY: 09.05.08

$22 MTT; already in the money; $200/400/50 level; big stack to my left. It folds to me two off the button. I raise to $1111 with Ad-Qs. The big stack calls and everyone else folds.

POT: $3272
FLOP: As-Jd-2d
ACTION: * / B ($2400) / C
ANALYSIS: I paired my ace but my instincts tell me to check to see what develops. He puts out a 3/4-pot-sized bet as if he's got an ace. The scary thing is that if he does have an ace, there's a real good chance that his kicker is a jack. He very likely would have raised me preflop with A-K as I was raising from late position and he has me easily covered. There would have been no reason for him to play Big Slick cautiously in that spot. I can't fold to what could be a steal attempt, but neither am I anxious to check-raise. I've got the ace of diamonds so I call, looking for a diamond to slow down the action and give me some outs against A-J.

POT: $8072
TURN: As-Jd-2d / 8c
ACTION: * / B ($31k all-in) / x
ANALYSIS: I check, content to give up some value if I'm ahead in order to keep from busting if I'm behind. If he checks behind me, then I can either make a value bet on the river or check-call depending on the card. If he makes a small bet, then I will be faced with a decision. He chooses option c by shoving his monster stack. If I fold, I've still got $6.4k. If I call, I'm almost certainly beat since he is not shoving here with a flush draw. I make the fold and he assures me that A-Q was no good. I can't imagine it was anything other than A-J. See, occasionally, I can fold a hand. I went on to run Q-Q into K-K to finish 133/1584 to nearly double my $22 investment.