I apologize for the lack of reads here. I didn't play this hand; I was railing the game and saw it take place, and later talked to the Hero about what reads the Hero had on the villain. But I still thought it was an interesting situation.

Hero's statement about the reads on the villain were that the villain's pre-flop 3-betting range is unknown, and that the villain was capable of both being aggressive post-flop (such as taking free cards and free showdowns with weak made hands like a small pair) and passive (such as checking behind the turn sometimes). That's not really the way I would express a read, but it is what was expressed to me.

The game is Hustler 25. Hero is UTG+2 in a full ring game. Villain is UTG+3

Hero has KJo. Folds to Hero who raises, villain 3-bets, folds to Hero who calls.

Flop TT9 rainbow. Hero x/calls.

Turn J

Hero checks, villain bets, Hero ??????

What does Villain do with AK and AQ on the turn?

Also fold pre.

Raise pre, call turn.

Fold pre
C/c turn

Without ridiculous metagame, this is a check call.

Is game is 9 handed, so this is BTN+4? If so, raise preflop or fold. It depends on stuff we don't know, and marginal spot is marginal. Reasonable people have said both.

How could you do anything other than check the turn and call if there is a bet? It doesn't seem like you're getting better hands to fold or worse to call.
I'm confused by the read, and it only seems to say that the villain doesn't need AA or better to bet the turn.

I posted this hand to confirm the advice I gave. Hero actually x/r'd the turn and bet-folded an 8 river, and I wasn't a fan of that. I thought the turn was a x/c and the river, as played, was also a check.

And the gobbledygook that I typed was exactly what I was told when I asked Hero for a read.

FWIW, I liked the pre-flop raise.

I was thinking maybe check raise the flop but I'd rather do that with a backdoor flushdraw. I wonder how the order of preference for semibluffing this flop would look. My guess is QJs(bdfd), QJs(no bdfd), KQs(bdfd), KJs(bdfd), KQo, KJo.

I like the hand as played and I'd check call the turn and check raise a rivered straight and check call a rivered pair. Fold river unimproved.

You realize we turned top pair w/ 2nd kicker?

Well I do now.

how could the river be anything but c/f against anyone sane?

Turn c/r is exploitative against people who are autobetting AK AQ 88-.

River check as played is ldo but I could get behind a cry call if villain is going to autobet AK because you check you lose mindless aggression.

raise pre
c/r flop if Villain isn't sdb

as played:
c/c turn
c/c river
easy game

Just realized I forgot about AJ, which actually tips this. Check call.

Turn x/r is bad. River cbet is bad. Tell your friend to put villains on ranges and think beyond his own hand strength.

What part of the hand was interesting?