$10 NLHE 6-max: Bet sizing? - top pair hands

Hey, so pretty basic question here, but I'm finding myself in these situations quite a lot. Playing cash games, FR and 6max, live $200NL, and online usually $10NL or $25NL.

It's when I either have TPTK or TPGK - for example sake let's say on Q high flops, not super coordinated, and you're holding KQ or AQ in these situations headsup, 100BB effective stacks, opponent is solid/competent, and you're either the preflop raiser or you've called the raiser, mostly in position.

So this hand below is typical - appreciate any input on bet sizing? I'm often happy with 2 streets of value rather than 3. Or when I'm OOP, I'll plan to check-call the river. Here I'm in position… will villain call bigger on river? Thanks for any input folks…


Hand Information
full tilt poker , 0.1 BB (6 handed).
Hand History converter courtesy of pokerhandreplays.com

Table Information
Seat: 1 Player 1 ($7.01) Small Blind
Seat: 2 Player 2 ($19.97) Big Blind
Seat: 3 Player 3 ($10)
Seat: 4 Player 4 ($28.89)
Seat: 5 Player 5 ($9.3)
Seat: 6 Hero ($12.98) Dealer
Dealt to Hero
* *

Preflop (Pot:0.15)
Player 3****RAISE $0.3
Player 4****FOLD
Player 5****FOLD
Hero****CALL $0.3
Player 1****FOLD
Player 2****FOLD

Flop(Pot: $0.75)
* * *

Player 3****BET $0.52
Hero****CALL $0.52

Turn(Pot: $1.79)
* * * *

Player 3****BET $1.2
Hero****RAISE $3
Player 3****CALL $1.8

River(Pot: $7.79)
* * * * *

Player 3****CHECK
Hero****BET $3
Player 3****CALL $3
Showdown:
Hero SHOWS
* *
Player 3 MUCKS
* *
Hero**wins the pot: $13.79

Looking at my flat call preflop, that created an SPR on the flop of 13. That's bad for TP hands right?

If I'd raised to $1 pre and villain calls, then we've created an SPR of approx 4 on the flop, which is ideal for TPTK type of hands right? (You can see i'm fairly new to SPR thinking). When i say ideal, i mean for committing / getting all in.

What confuses me is sometimes we only want to flat with AQ, KQ right? To avoid tough decisions if 4-bet, not bloat the pot preflop, extract more relative value on later streets, etc. Right? So is aiming for optimal SPR sometimes a risk vs reward decision preflop?

3b with AQ IP is read depending on your opponents 3b flat OOP. I think it's more than OK to flat pre vs an unknown with the expectation that he'll 4b you polarized and fold a lot of dominated merged hands.

Rest of the hand is played well. When he gives up on river, I expect TPTK to be good most of the time and you value bet well. You could consider popping turn but I don't think it's worth it - we're only getting more value out of club draws and we're ****ing ourselves over if he has a monster.

Small bet on river is perfect. Not every hand must be thought of solely in SPR

Thanks Henreiman, I get what you're saying re implications when we 3bet against an unknown. Well yeah it feels like I achieved good value from this hand as opposed to maximum value, you know, hence my comment about whether to think in SPR terms preflop here or not.