Michigan NL 1/2 Hero is at a strange casino he's never been to before. No players are known.
Hero has 290 shortly after buying in for 200. Hero has been raising over the table average, someone has commented. This is a loose passive game.
Hero is UTG with AQ
Hero makes it 12.
MP calls
Hijack calls
Button calls and SB calls. BB folds.
POT 62 Flop AJ10
Favorable?
SB checks. Hero bets 35.
MP folds, Hijack folds, Button folds, SB calls.
SB has $500. He's a 45 yo WG with bad teeth. He's a reg from what I can tell. He straddles button and likes to then raise the button. That's all Hero knows now.
POT 132 TURN 5
SB now leads for 35. This surprises Hero. Is he up against a flush? A straight? Hero cannot fold (he thinks). Calls the 35. Should Hero have shoved? Does anyone think so? Please advise. Hero thinks he has outs on any diamond or any King. Is Hero wrong to think this?
River POT 202 7
SB now leads for $70.
Hero has basically a bluff catcher. Is that correct? This bet is a size that desires a call. Should Hero fold? Thanks in advance.

I don't mind checking flop or betting small.
Turn is just a call.

River is about 1/3 pot I can't fold for that price.

I might be in the minority on this, but I prefer checking this board OTF. SPR of 4.5, 5-ways, on an extremely wet board, honestly its not a great spot, low SPR is good but the multiway is going to hurt us and our hand doesn't need too much protection, also it's good to have some decent hands that we can check call to balance us out a little, I think this is a good candidate. We are blocking some flushes and KQ which is good, and we have showdown value, but we don't want to get it in here and the lone K of diamonds can put us in a rough spot when we lead out here.

Does anyone else prefer check calling here? or possibly C/R/F?

I honestly never thought of checking the flop but you guys are right. I should have considered that. It didn't even enter my mind.

Bet flop is good. There are too many opponents to consider checking, both in terms of allowing 4 opponents to draw free and in terms of how likely it is someone can call. It's also hard to be in horrible shape unless they have a K high flush already.

Turn and river are straightforward calls. The river bet is sized to be called, it is true, but taking into account the turn, it could just be a blocking bet with a bad ace or something. You're getting laid nearly 4 to 1, now is not the time to make hero folds on the basis of pretty shaky information.

So many of your comments are awesome Chris, but this one I really thank you for because I felt like a chump making it. The size is what got me here.