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Saw this hand in WSOP2010 coverage on ESPN:

Villain raises
Grinder calls with AQ from blinds
Heads-up to flop
flop Q89
Grinder check, Villain bets, Grinder calls
turn 8
Grinder bets

I very rarely see this line taken online but I think it's more common in live play. Why and when do you think it's used? Was Grinder thinking that Villain very often check this turn back but calls his donk bet with weaker hand?

didn't see the hand, nor do i have any clue of any relevant history which are the most important factors but players pot control turns much more frequently live vs online and from what i've heard in previous DP podcasts, players were rarely check raising the flop in the WSOP ME, so check raising for value may have repped too strong of a hand.

Good reasons for c/c flop, donk turn are:
-you have hit trips/two pair
-you have hit your draw, villain isn't likely to bet the turn and there are other draws possible (so you could also be bluffing)
-a bluff bet is +EV, but a bluff c/r isn't and you can't c/c (for example if you called the flop with a weak hand like gutshot + overcards)

In the hand you mentioned, AQ isn't strong enough to raise for value at any point. But it's strong enough to bet 3 streets for value (especially flop and turn). This is difficult to do OOP, but the 8 is a good card to value lead the turn with TPTK because your hand (which can't stand a raise) is protected against getting bluffed by the fact that you also have some 8s in your range which you would play the same way.

This is definitely well said Mooboo. I also think that Grinder's bet sizing was probably the same as the amount that he would call each street and he definitely could get called by worse which otherwise would not bet. As played the river is an easy bet fold. It would have been a much more interesting hand if the amateur had raised him small on the turn.

I guess this line can be used only against passive weak opponents who is not capable of bluff rising you, right?