[M.B.E.]

[ QUOTE ]
1) Why bother raising from EP with something like AQ and not make some type of a continuation bet, particularly when the flop is as favorable as it comes without actually making a pair?

[/ QUOTE ]
The 9-5-3 flop isn't really so favourable to AQ here, because on these stack sizes, whatever the opponent called with preflop is still going to look good enough to peel a card, usually, against a continuation bet.

I think checking the flop, with the intention of calling, is fine.

But when opponent checks behind on the flop, we should bet the turn.