I prefer folding pre because you said this was the first time he got funny with you, but maybe he has done it past sessions, i.e. played back at you? Then in this case I don't mind the flat, and I also like considering 4! folds.

As played, I too would have called the turn.

But let's be real, and not try and be results oriented. WTF would we have done if he had

(a) an OP
(b) the turn was a face card
(c) he checked the turn like he should have done and then repped 4/13 of the deck when 30% of the time a face card hits?


WTF????? SO we skated through this, and in this situation good call, but is flatting PRE going to be losing in the long run with 88? KQ isn't that light, it's not like KJ, QJ, AT. KQ isn't a bad 3! IP from good players, this guy isn't that great and a turn check into a face card would be death, as he could rep it and we would probably have to fold short of a physical tell.

Pre flop is complicated. In some situstions, 4bet or fold is better. In other situations, call OOP to play post flop with a middling hand like 88 is best.

A strong poker pro could probably write a small book on just this very pre flop topic.

Care to elaborate? Or should we just wait for the book?

I doubt that anyone who is actually very good will want to write a strategy book about this topic nowadays. Or at least I hope not because it would have a major impact on my win rate of people figured out how to play marginal hands OOP versus 3bet.