I have been doing same kind of thing lately. Join a table start playing real aggresive. Stealing pots, betting alot etc..Then if I get a situation like yours here. I'll just do something totally ridiculous and go all in. For some reason alot of people think it is a bluff and they are going to get to bust you right there and call.
Last night I had pocket Ks. Flop the 3rd K, on a board with no good draws on it. Checked opponent checked, turn made a rainbow board with no draw. I checked again opponent checked. River was a nothing card. I went all in for like 150$. Opponent called. I won. He mucked his cards so I have no idea what he had. He may have had something, but with him not betting I dont think it was much. He had to think I was just bluffing a draw.
It seems that if you make a modest bet they think they are beat and you are just trying to get more $ out of them, but if you go all in they think its a bluff. I do this alot, and it works alot more than you would think it does. In the hand you had with the str8 pretty well hidden I would have went all in.