The hand below is from a live 1-2 game in Hollywood Columbus Casino.

Seat 3: Seat 3 ($600)
Seat 7: Hero ($800)
Seat 8: Seat 8 ($80)
Seat 9: Seat 9 ($350)
Seat 1 posts the small blind of $1
Seat 2 posts the big blind of $2
The button is in seat #9
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Hero [8h 9h]
Seat 3 raises to $10
Seat 4 folds
Seat 5 calls $10
Seat 6 folds
Hero calls $10
Seat 8 folds
Seat 9 raises to $25
Seat 1 folds
Seat 2 folds
Seat 3 calls $15
Seat 5 calls $15
Hero calls $15
*** FLOP *** [ERROR INVALID STRING: Jd 10s 7h]
Seat 3 checks
Seat 5 checks
Hero checks
Seat 9 bets $55
Seat 3 calls $55
Seat 5 calls $55
Hero raises to $180
Seat 9 folds
Seat 3 folds
Seat 5 folds
Hero shows [8h 9h]
Hero wins the pot ($448)

Should I lead flop or check-raise? Seat 9 told me he folded KK's while Seat 5 told me he folded AQ. Seat 9 is a nitty player while Seat 5 and Seat 3 were aggressive Asian's.

Standard check raise spot

You have to raise here

Any 9 8 q k A is going to hurt action and potentially cooler you depending on what people have.

That being said your raise is a little large for your holding and the draws present.

I would go 130. We actually want calls. Then 300 on the turn.

What is the stack of seat 5?

Pot is 100, I just call flop AP, since board is rainbow.

Pot is 4 ways. Not raising is a mistake - save your traps for another time and move on with the pot

Agreed. Sizing is a bit on the large size, but I'm with it.

I hate x/r here, i’d either lead big or x/c and donk a bunch of turns, esp when this many people are to the flop a xr is mega nutted here (set/straight). Im not a huge fan of donking at all but this board makes sense

I don’t like the c/r at all. Just bet a callable wager, then lead turn larger. Easy game. C/R really is too strong a play.

x/r is perfect here with the 3-bettor next to act after you. Your sizing was a bit on the large size, but with 3 opponents in the pot for $55 I would have expected at least some additional action for that price. You could go a little smaller here, even though at this point they've likely all figured out what you're up to and made the correct fold.

The 3-bettor isn't going to bluff this board so he's either going to call our donk lead or he's going to fold. And if we check, he's giving up 90% of the time with his air anyway.