Part: Part Six - Betting After the Flop

Pot control

Flop
Heads-upPot 1,300 (6.5 BB)K♠J♣5♦BTNA♣J♥● 25,000 (125 BB)YOUmiddle pair, decent kickerMP● 25,000 (125 BB)OpenerchecksD

You called a middle-position open on the button with A♣J♥. Flop K♠ J♣ 5♦ - you have middle pair (jacks) with an ace kicker. He checks.

Middle pair on a king-high board, in position, he checks. Best?

WhyMiddle pair is a showdown hand, not a betting one: the better kings will not fold and worse hands will not call, so betting mostly bloats a pot you would rather keep small. Check back to take a free card with your ace kicker, control the size, and let his air keep bluffing on later streets.
What happensYou check behind. Pot stays 1,300 (6.5 BB).
Turn
Heads-upPot 1,300 (6.5 BB)K♠J♣5♦8♥BTNA♣J♥● 25,000 (125 BB)YOUmiddle pairMP● 25,000 (125 BB)Openerbets 900 (4.5 BB)D

Turn 8♥ - a blank. Now he bets.

After you checked back, he leads the turn. With middle pair, best?

WhyKeeping the flop cheap is exactly what lets you take a card off here without risking much - middle pair with an ace kicker is ahead of his bluffs and worse pairs. Call the one bet; just do not mistake this for a hand you stack off with, since a raise only folds out worse and gets action from better.
What happensYou call, the river checks through, and your jacks are good for a small, controlled pot - precisely the size you wanted to be playing with one pair.
You checked back middle pair to keep the pot manageable, which made calling one turn bet an easy, cheap bluff-catch. Pot control turns awkward one-pair spots into simple decisions.

Keep the pot small with medium made hands: checking back one-pair holdings lets you realize showdown value and bluff-catch cheaply instead of bloating a pot you do not want big.