$5 NLHE 6-max: QQ against shove. Easy fold/ Easy call? Help!

Hey, in this spot that I've just played it took me very long to find a decision. I'm not sure if that play was good. What would you do in this spot?

Villain UTG (100bb)
Hero UTG+1 (~250bb) dealt:

Preflop:
Villain open raises to 3bb
Hero makes a 3bet to ~9bb
Villain calls
rest folds

Flop (20bb):
Villain checks
Hero bets ~8.5BB
Villain calls

Note: I already face a decision here. Do I continue betting or should I check behind? I decided to bet, because I thought I can get value from many medium pair hands like 66+-JJ, and even flush draws. Im only really behind against AK and maybe K10s and sets, since I block KQ.

Turn (~37BB) comes:

Villain checks again
Hero bets ~15BB
Villain raises all in for ~80BB
Hero........?.?..... folds.

Note: So maybe I do a mistake here by betting. But I think the 5 is actually good for me because it reduces his chances of having a set and improves my hand (a little bit).
I expect the same hands I named earlier to go on and call + giving me value.
If he calls it gets really interesting on the river, but he decides to jam.
The question for me and I still havent figured it out yet, with what type of hands would he do this with. I really put question marks behind AK, it's such a dryish board why would you ever raise AK on the turn!? And as I said the chances of him having a set are kind of broken down to 22 or am I mistaken? Further I can't find a lot of combs containing a 5. Maybe A5s ? But would A5 continue after this preflop and flop action? Very hard to say.
I think he might jam with a flush draw and maybe JJ 10/10 kind of hands that dont want to face a decision oop on the river - but I'm not sure.
I really struggled and let it go, but I'm not really happy especially because I didn't get to see his hand and I love to make notes.
What would you guys do?!? Was my betting line wrong? Should I've called?

The problem with betting flop and turn is you block QQ and hands like TT JJ QQ wont really call two streets flop and turn anyway. Flush draws should be a very small part of villains range from utg so im looking more at checking the turn. Then bluff catch some rivers Kx makes up a pretty good chunk of villains range so it's not a great spot for QQ i dont think.

Whenever a made hand is not strong enough to get 3 streets of value, I often prefer to check the flop. It give me hands, that can catch a bluff on the turn and river, and it create deception, so that I can get value later, if he check to me again. The flop bet is not terrible, but when you also bet turn, I think, you paint yourself into a corner a little bit.

As played I would also fold. Yeah he could be doing this with a draw from time to time, but there are not that many reasonable draws, he can have in a 3-bet pot, and its totally plausible, that he can simply have a K. Big hero calls for an entire stack is typically not the way to beat 5NL, so good disciplined laydown on the end

I agree with above, as played...this is a fold. Again, I think barreling twice hurt. I think I'm probably betting flop and checking turn. I disagree with above posters, I think you want to make a small bet on the flop as you did...30% or so. You block KQ, there is other Kx in his range of course...but even KJ or K 10 probably isn't going to take a very aggressive line against what is often AK. Also, I think JJ-66 often call one small bet. All the hands I described above are unlikely to improve and have solid showdown value...so I think they'll all be happy to play a small pot and not try to bluff at you if they don't improve. I think all the pairs are more likely that KJ or K10.

Despite me saying you should fold as played, I think there's a high probability that this guy is on a flush draw. However, with the diamond turn...I could easily see Kx of diamonds being the hand. I think you can find a better spot at these stakes.

kkonicke said:

I disagree with above posters, I think you want to make a small bet on the flop as you did...30% or so. You block KQ, there is other Kx in his range of course...but even KJ or K 10 probably isn't going to take a very aggressive line against what is often AK. Also, I think JJ-66 often call one small bet.

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A small flop bet is absolutely fine, but then we need to check the turn, or the bets should be even smaller than these. There is value to be had here from 66-JJ, but it is also limited, how much these hands are going to pay, since Hero is supposed to have AA, AK, KK a lot as the preflop 3-better.

For the record I also think, Villain can very easily have AK. UTG vs. UTG+1 I can certainly see many 5NL players not 4-bet AK preflop but just call and take a flop. Maybe he dont want to get 5-bet and be in a tough spot, maybe he is not really sure, what to do, etc. This is kind of important, because we dont block AK, and its very reasonable, that AK might play like this postflop.

In my opinion it is a good fold. The villain opens out of position and after your increase x3, start playing check.
If I had a combination of top pair + backdoor flush, I would probably look for more value from the flop, given its equity and not behave so passive.
That makes me think that villain could carry some middle pocket, which he can use in the future as a bluff catcher, if the color line is not completed. Obviously I don't rule out any Kx combination, since most likely I play this way, in this type of flops.
But I think your bet on the flop is correct, since you are protecting your hand and do not want to place a large size on that board texture.
On the turn the 5 is doubled and the villain's check is not a good sign for us. Already at this point, its range could have several AK combos; Kx that are above us.
I think that at this point I would check behind. Basically I cannot represent better hands and the color line is still open. I do not think I can get much value on this turn and what happened is that the villain's re-raise was too depolarized. I do not find it profitable to make a call in that place, since I am many times dominated by better doubles + equity by the color of hearts, it makes me make a clear fold.
Greetings.

On the turn that was easy call. But that was very aggressive line with QQ vs UTG. Also you should remember that bluff on 3bet pots are very expensive. Also I think it better to catch the bluff with QQ on the K flop but the problem is AK often hand (AA/KK should make 4bet on the preflop)

The best part of position, is that you can check this turns and you get to see your opponents actions on the river before you. When you re-open the betting by betting a medium strength hand on the turn, you leave yourself open to getting bluffed off your value hand.

John A said:

The best part of position, is that you can check this turns and you get to see your opponents actions on the river before you. When you re-open the betting by betting a medium strength hand on the turn, you leave yourself open to getting bluffed off your value hand.

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Don't you think checking behind is also very weak?

I found myself on both ends of such a play.
When I have a hand strong enough for showdown, not strong enough for betting again IP on the turn - I decide to check. Quite often my opponent bets very big on the river OOP (pot size or a shove depending on the stack size) and I need to fold pretty much.

I am also using this strat when sometimes playing OOP. If I know my opponent, I would so often call the flop with pure air, hoping to see a check behind on the turn, in which case I would just bet river OOP which yells strength.

For future spots, should we more often check the flop back, and maybe check or call turn in case opponent leads OOP?

I think that once he jams the turn, you have to fold. It sucks to do, but it really looks like you're behind at this point.

Some people mentioned the check behind on the flop. I think you can call a lot of bets on the turn after checking the flop.

As played, I agree it is hard to put him on a hand. There aren't too many bluffs that make sense here, especially after you showed some strength betting two streets. Getting crazy with AK, or maybe he was sand bagging with Aces would be my bet.

Check flop as played fold turn, at 5NL the overjam is the nuts too often

The donk bet on the flop was not good with an over. Once you do that however, you should just check back the turn and see a river.