It was the live session, buy-in €100+€10, re-buy on first 3 levels, one add-on before level#4, 50 players, 6th places paid.

We are on level#5, blinds 100/200, antes 25, 8 players on the table.

HJ with medium stack ~35BB opens 2.5BB.
Hero is on the button, stack is ~50BB, 3-bets 7.5BB with black KQ
SB abd BB fold.
HJ thinks a little bit, looks again at his cards and calls.
Flop(17.5BB) : 3d8dTc
HJ checks.
What line should hero apply here? Bet large OTF to charge fd? Check-back hoping to catch one of 6 outs?

It feels like every possible action is meh:
- check is not good because I allow free card for fd
- bet large is not good because I become pot-committed after that and I don't have anything. HE is already pot committed and if he has something like ATs, then he might check-push and it's bad!
- bet small does not make sense because he won't fold any hands that stronger than ours but he folds his weaker hands.

There is 4th option..push..but it seems too doubtful...

That flop hits his range a lot better than yours. Check back the flop and delay cbet a non-diamond/T/9/7 turn about 60% of pot if he checks again.

Yah...3ballin KQo...like it...
I'd probably play a mix here w pref towards flatting without a read that HJ is opening wide. Def dont want to 3bet plyrs that can 4bet lite and fold away ur equity w a pretty good hand. Flipside is you also dont want to flat then get squeezed by one of the blinds and have to fold.

So decision (3bet/flat) depends on reads on HJ+SB.

As played prob 3bet a little smaller then cbet small* (30-35%) or check...checking is prob the high freq line with an spr of 1.6 with no reads+the small cbet can also induce live and get shoved over a lot.

*small cbet works against w/t plyrs who play a fit-or-fold strat post. This plyr type also tends to give ur 3bet range way too much credit.

Thanks everyone for sending responses, they are very helpful!

The rest of the hand :

I check-back.
Turn : 7c
My black KQ is still miserable, but V's hand might have been improved as there are hands like 99, T9s, A9s in his range.
He checks, I check back again.

The river completes the flush, V bets ±1/2 pot and I fold.

I am not an expert on 3-betting pre-flop. But what I am trying to train myself to do on the flop vs 1 or 2 players, is to c-bet.

In this hand we have no idea if villain is on a flush draw. In fact it is improbable. But what is likely is that after seeing us check on two streets is that he knows that he can win the hand by betting. With K high we have to fold.

If we had AK/AQ I would consider checking flop and turn but only if I was calling on the river. With K high I think we have to bet the flop. There are any number of Ax or worse hands villain can have that will fold.

3-betting pre-flop shows strength. It should be disproportionally PP's. At least in villain's mind. So any flop could be a good flop for us.

Prob bet 1/3 otf, and jamming on broadway turns.