Playing 50c/$1 game, player about three seats behind me raises to $3, I have QhQs, re raise it up to $8, everyone else folds and the initial raiser smooth calls.

(I had $94.31 to begin hand, villain had $100).

Flop came:

2h Js Kh

The villain checks, I bet $8 into the $16.13 pot, villain raises to $16 and I call. Turn came Qc. Villian leads out for $32 into $47.03 pot, I shove all in for my remaining $70.31 and he calls with KK. River came a meaningless ace.

I had just sat down at the table so had no read on him or any of the other players. Was this a bad call on the flop and subsequent shove, or just a cold deck?

Thanks for any tips, after playing losing online poker for a while now I am really looking to study strategy and maths behind NLHE.

When he check raises on the flop, I think you have to fold there.
What are you beating?

You 3-bet pre flop with no read and he's called. If you figure his range to call with is TT+ and AK, you're losing to every hand except TT, and I doubt he's check raising TT there. You're behind against JJ/KK/AA/AK which makes up the uppermost portion of his range.

I think the shove is fine, but I'm typically getting away after the CR on the flop.

on the flop yes you should fold

So is the bet on the flop right? Or should I have checked? As if I check then I hit my set regardless and all the money's going in on the turn I think.

The flop bet is fine, you're trying to rep AA/KK/AK.
In fact, a check there after 3betting looks even more suspect as you SHOULD be c-betting in this situation. Your villain showed weakness and you bet a flop that you probably hit with a 3-bet hand.

But when you're repping a big hand and get check raised, you gotta fold.

easy fold otf imo

as soon as he raised u on the flop after u bet, u should have folded, it was obvious he had the K and and u were chasing a 2 outer, but then unfortunately u hit ur Q on the turn, and thought u were solid, and lost, have to fold even strong hands

not betting flop, waste of money, he folds everything you beat anyway