Once again, I have no idea what the deal with converting Paradise Poker hands is, so if anyone knows how to get those working, that'd be great. For now I'll have to type it out manually.

I haven't been at the table too long, but so far it's been slightly loose and slightly passive - my kind of table to play at.

UTG player limps, folded to me in the CO with 99 and I raise 5x BB, expecting to isolate UTG with his suited connectors or small pair or whatever. It works, just the two of us see the flop.

Flop:
UTG leads with a 1/4 pot bet. I don't know if he's semi-bluffing a flush draw, has a smaller pair and wants to know where he is, or betting out for value. I raise 3x his bet. He thinks for a little while then calls.

Turn:
Check check

River:
He leads with a half-pot bet. I call down since he could be betting busted flush draw or a lower pair than mine.

I'm not sure if I played this right on the flop, but since I played it as I did, I think I have to call that river bet. What were my alternatives?

I could have just called the flop bet and hoped for a cheap showdown. I think folding 99 here would be out of the question.

How do you typically handle these situations?

In this case I really think he had an ace and bet small on the flop to suck you in. To be sure, if you choose to raise on the flop, don't 3x his bet...make it enough so he can fold. Bet the pot. If he calls, don't put another dime in the pot unless you hit your nine. If he raises, fold.

It's pretty much a given since I made this post that he had an ace. But without being results-oriented...

You're right about the flop bet.. if I were going to raise the flop, I should bet closer to full pot to deny odds for a flush draw. I didn't raise enough to scare out a flush draw. I'm thinking I should have called the flop and folded unimproved if he bets turn. If he doesn't have the ace and sees me call that flop, he might think I'm slowplaying my trips and check the turn. Any significant bet by him and I'm done with the hand.

I also just realized a major mistake on my part. He didn't bet 1/4 pot, he bet nearly full pot. I've been playing a mix of $50NL and $100NL and I know what pots are like with a raise and call in both. I mixed up the two here and thought he bet much less on the flop. Stupid occasional error I make from multi-tabling.

I wouldn't have put him on an Ace. He is not likely to slow play against a flush draw. Actually, he didn't slow play initially when he bet the pot, so why would he have slow played later. I don't think your original raise was correct but, in my opinion, he would have re-raised with an Ace and when he didn't I would have made a major bet into him when an undercard hit, especially when you planned on calling later anyway. If he has the Ace, you're dead either way.

Your move to isolate with medium pairs is sound.