Sometimes the easy play is right

Hi!
Had an interesting hand the other day that stuck with me.

Mid-stage of a tournament, stacks still comfortable. I’m in the cutoff with A♦ K♦ and open as usual. Button calls, blinds fold.

Flop comes K♠ 9♣ 5♦. Feels like a good spot - top pair, strong kicker. I c-bet small, he calls.

Turn is the 7♣. I pause here for a second. It’s one of those cards that doesn’t change much, but you still start wondering what your opponent is really holding. I decide to keep things simple and bet again for value. He calls fairly quickly.

River is the 2♥. Pretty clean runout overall.

This is where I almost made it complicated. I was thinking about checking, worried I might only get called by better. But then I realised - that’s probably just me overthinking a straightforward spot.

I went for a value bet. He called with K-J.

Nothing crazy, but a good reminder that sometimes the best decision is the simple one. Not every hand needs to turn into a big puzzle.