Thanks for the comments.
Gooper: I'm not really playing these SH games to maximize my winrate; if I want to do that I'll multitable the stars PLO games. I just play here to improve my SH play and handreading skills a bit, and because I find SH PLO very enjoyable.
Ais: I think there is something to be said for both plays (i.e. betting the turn and checking behind). I'll experiment a bit with your line and see what happens in the future. One thing though: I think that in SH games it can be of meta-game value to show an opponent that you're not just taking a stab on the flop, but that you're willing to back up your hands with your stack. Otherwise their flop calls become meaningless, and you're often guessing whether they're just calling you because they don't give you credit for a hand or because they have a decent holding. This is even more important when you're OOP, but still I like to play these hands aggressively, especially early in the match. If the turn wouldn't show a straight possibility, then I think a pot bet is pretty automatic against most opponents.
Anyway, it turned out he had
[6s][7c][8h] and I was in pretty bad shape on the turn.