NL 1/2
Hero is at 190 or so. He does not know villain. Villain is an 30yo Asian male. He has 400. Hero has played with him for an hour. This is their third hand they've played. Hero has AK UTG. Hero makes it 10 to open. It folds around to villain in the BB who calls. This is a good game that got pretty tight aside from villain.
POT 21
Flop A38
Villain checks. Hero bets 15. Villain reraises to 50. Normally, in my game, this is a set or 2 pair, but this fellow seems to make a habit of c/ring TP. Hero makes the call. Normally I do not here against the regs. I felt he had AQ and AJ and the guy didn't have a set.
POT 121
10
BB checks. Hero shoves for 130. Villain tanks. He looks very unhappy. He reluctantly calls and turns over AK
Here is my question: Is this something more players do nowadays C/R with TP or TPTK? I never do it. I try to play small pots. Is this a good play he's making? I'm not sure if any one else noticed his habits or not. Is this a high-variance style he has or is Hero too much of 2005 guy who lacks vision? No way I'd call without a club. Hero's image is always nitty but this guy knows I regard him with a lot of suspicion.

Check raising the flop with top pair can be a good way to slow down someone who c-bets too often and gets sticky, but it's usually not the ideal value line on a flop like this. It makes more sense as part of a balanced strategy that would include some bluffs, but at 1/2 no one is doing this for balance.

Overall he played the hand pretty poorly by not 3-betting this preflop. It's really hard to call out of the BB and end up with a strong TPTK, because that means calling with a hand you should probably 3bet. When you do flop top pair out of the BB, you will usually want to just check/call, because when you raise you often end up folding out all of villains weaker hands that you want to continue. It's a weird line, and in game I would have probably been just as confused.

Villain is a fish. If he was a good player then:
1) He'd be 3betting AKs pre
2) He wouldn't raise a flop where his opponent has a range advantage

There are situations where x/raising TPTK is a good play, but this isn't one of them.

An example of a situation where it's completely fine to x/r top pair:

200nl online, 6max, $200 effective:
4 folds
SB raises $6 with KQo
BB calls $6

Flop ($12) Q72r

SB checks
BB bets $6
SB raises to $20

Notice how the SB has a range advantage here, since he raised preflop?