[riverboatking]

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I think your analysis is pretty solid, however what would make you think that if he is the best player in the game, that he would decide to make a big bluff at you becuase you make a clear reverse tell of taking your chips off your cards?

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the thing is it was a pretty unconscious action. he took his chips off his cards and i honestly thought he was about to showdown, i was not trying to give a reverse tell, and i didn't think he was making a bluff.

i didn't think he had a set, and at first i thought he had a hand like QJ or KJ, and was value betting becuase he would have thought that with two pair i would have taken a more aggressive line.

however at the last second it occured to me that he might have J9, and so i just called.

it turned out he had 5-2 for a smaller flopped two pair.

obviously in retrospect reraising the flop or turn would have won me a bigger pot, however by the time the river came i don't think he's paying me off if i move in.

but i honestly don't know.

i guess the reason for my post, is that i was kind of at a lost for the best line here, and kind of got sucked into a check call line, which i'm not sure was the best way to play.

alot of how i played this hand was due to the fact that i felt like i could outplay pretty much everyone else at the table, and i just didn't want to play a big pot vs. the one guy who was much better then me.

i know this is a crappy way to think, and i'm just wondering what i should have done, or what you guys do in similar spots with deep stacks vs. very tough opponents.

i feel like if i would have reraised the flop i would have either had to play for my stack or fold.

with his bottom two, i think if i reraise the flop he either smooth calls me and then puts me in on the turn, or puts me in on the flop right there, and then i'm in a really tough spot because i have to decide if he has the set.

i just didn't want to play a big pot vs him, and was trying to keep the pot as small as i could, despite my positional disadvantage.