Value bet River? Or check for deception

[Brett]

This hand comes from a 1/2 spread game with a max bet of $100 dollars. However, you can raise in increments of $100.
Pre-flop: Action starts with villain in +1 raising to $10. 5x preflop raise was pretty standard at this table. Folds to myself in SB and I have KcKs. I 3-bet to $35. Villain calls. I have $350 in my stack and villain covers me. $72 in the middle
Flop: JH 9S 8H
At the time, I felt as if this flop was sort of neutral. The villain is going to have more hands that connect with this board in his range that are calling 3 bets. However, I have the range advantage and I decided to bet $40 to get value from Jx as well as different 10x, heart draws, and combo draws. Villain calls. $152 in the middle.
Turn: 9H
This pairs the board as well as bringing in the heart draw. However, the villain didn’t raise the flop so I’m starting to eliminate full house combos as flopped sets would raised the flop with the straight and flush heavy board. On this card, I decided to take a bet fold line and bet $60 dollars. I’m not huge into bet fold lines but I felt as if this was a situation for one. I didn’t love the situation as he could have a few 9x combos such as 910 as well as quite a few heart draws. However, I decided to bet with kings here to still target value hands that I’m beating such as Jx with a heart and other hand such as A10 with a heart that may have picked up equity. The villain calls. $272 in the middle.
River: 4S
This is where I would like some feedback on how I played this hand. This is a brick river and it doesn’t affect the hand at all. At this point, I think I’m ahead of whatever the villain has. he didn’t raise flop or turn so I felt like I could eliminate full houses and large flushes. There could be some small flushes and straights in his range that may not raise either. At the time, I felt like the best option was to check call in this spot. I felt that I couldn’t get any more value from Jx hands as they would most likely fold to a river bet. With the game being spread limit, it does affect it a little bit as pot odds are substantially better in larger hands like this one. Anyways, I felt like any value hands I’m beating wouldn’t call a bet and neither would missed draws. I felt like missed draws could bluff in this spot but also hands such as straights and flushes would also bet. In the end, I decided to check to the villain who bet the max of $100, and I almost snapped called due to reasons explained earlier. The villain had Ace high and I scooped the pot. However, i would like feedback on if a value bet would’ve been the better play as he could’ve check back hands such as AJ etc.

[DeeKay]

Pretty interesting hand and the run out is as ugly as it gets… especially the turn.
First, I think given the combo draws, I would want to size up a little more on your flop bet. Maybe 55-60. There is good likeliness that you will get a call and this allows you to charge a bit more. I think 40 is giving your opponent way too much value.
9h is horrific because it brings everything home. To me, this is the tough bet. Wouldn’t be terrible if you pot controlled and checked… but otherwise your down bet is fine. With no re-raise, I he has to be drawing to a pretty good or has the nut flush. I guess he has to be drawing to the straight… which seems weak. Pocket A-J or pocket Queens maybe. Its a a bit weird has hard to put him on a hand here.

So for the river… its really difficult to put your opponent on a hand. I think you have it right that check calling is probably a preferable play… particularly with the spread limit. Because he can’t put out a pot size bet… check calling is the ideal pot control situation. I kind of like this play regardless, or even a small blocker bet… but with this low spread… basically by checking you are creating a blocker bet that can’t get re-opened. I love the check call.

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