Value vs. taking the small pot?

We've all done it. Flopped a monster and in trying to get some value for our hand, slow play it to let someone catch up. And then they catch up.... and then they bust you! LOL.

It has happened to me many times. Recently I was playing in a $120 buy-in No Limit Hold 'em tourney. I ran into a cold deck early on when there was pre-flop raise and I call with Ah, Qs and the flop comes A, K, 8. The turn is a brick and the river is Q. The pre-flop raiser checked to the river and bet $500. Guess what he had.... pocket 8's.

The hand that knocked me out though was the one that I was trying to get some value out of.... I'm in the big blind with K, 3, off-suit with no raises and there were 3 limpers. The flop comes K, K, A. I check and the turn is a 4. I check and J pushes all in. I almost folded thinking that my kicker was suspect, but then remembered that there was an afternoon movie that I wanted to see... LOL. Yep, he had pocket 4's. I love contributing to the finances of the less fortunate, even if they aren't less fortunate.

If I ever quit poker, they'll all have to get real jobs.