[bobbyi]

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I've often wondered if this wasn't a bit of a tell, would a player raise in red if he thought he was marginal, but in green or black if he was sure the chips were comming back?

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I've wondered this as well. It's not just about the chips coming back but also that someone might use less chips when they have a strong hand so that the raising action doesn't look so intimidating (stacking piles of chips) and scare out the bettor. Also, it's faster and doesn't give them a chance to realize they should fold. I haven't actually observed a correlation.

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someone was sure they had a tell on me by what I marked my cards with.

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Heh, I remember when that happened.

Anyway, I think I know who the opponent was based on your description. I think the way you played it is fine. If he has a better ace, he could check-raise the turn, but will not three-bet the river, so you save money. If you have him beat, you frequently get at least one extra bet by checking the turn and letting him bet the river, and often get two because he will look you up out of curiousity. I think your check rarely ends up costing you the pot.