[tipperdog]

Try as we might, it is impossible to ignore the fact that all of us KNEW the old dude had aces. Decisions inevitably look oh-so-clear when you can see other guy's cards.

Understanding that, there were many signs that pointed to a monster from the old man. Would I have noticed these in the heat of battle (when I didn't know the other guy's cards)? Unknown and unknowable. But, man, they seemed clear while sitting on my couch:

1. The mini-reraise. Usually a sign of a monster, especially when up against a world class player and have many players still to act behind. If you have a hand like TT, the last thing you want to do is play post flop and provide opportunities for the better player to outplay you. The miniraise says "I'm not afraid of playing every street, and I don't care if others join the pot."

2. The coffeehousing. The old man was way too comfortable, looking like he didn't have a care in the world. Again, he's on the ESPN TV table, playing for $7M, heads up against a great tourney player, and he's making jokes! Jeez old man, shut up already!

3. The shrug. When Phil checks to him, he (effectively) says, "OK, I guess I'll bet." Perhaps the most obvious weak-when-strong tell of the day.

4. The massive overbet. When he finally decides to bet, he bets way too much (2x pot). No wonder phil thought he had Queens full.

Laying down AK on a A44Q board is a great laydown. But if there was ever a situation that made it easy...this was it.