Pushing 99--should I ease up?

[StellarWind]

Paradise Poker 2/4 Hold'em (8 handed) converter
About 30% preflop/typical. Don't know much about either opponent as we haven't been playing for long. I did notice that after a check through on a 5-way flop, UTG checkraised the turn from next-to-last position after two opponents folded. He won without a showdown.

Preflop: Hero is BB with 9[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 9[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img].
UTG calls, UTG+1 folds, MP1 folds, MP2 folds, CO folds, Button folds, SB completes, <font color="CC3333">Hero raises</font>, UTG calls, SB calls.

Flop: (6 SB) 3[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], J[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], T[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="blue">(3 players) </font>
SB checks, <font color="CC3333">Hero bets</font>, UTG calls, SB folds.

Turn: (4 BB) 5[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] <font color="blue">(2 players) </font>
<font color="CC3333">Hero bets</font>, UTG calls.

River: (6 BB) 5[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] <font color="blue">(2 players) </font>
<font color="CC3333">Hero bets</font> ...

[balkii]

I hate these hands. You bet the flop because well you have to bet. Then you bet the turn because, well maybe he's the kind who always takes on off the flop, and you cant risk a free card. The you're there on the river. With that pretty looking pocket pair. And two overcards against an opponent who is just calling the whole way.

I doubt he calls the river with a busted straight draw. He could very well have a lower pocket pair. One of the main areas I focus on in note-taking is heads-up river play. Of course yuo havent been playing against him for too long.

I like to take notes on - Does he check behind on the river with hands that he should bet? Will he automatically bluff the river if you bet bet check? Does he bet incredibly weak hands (that have showdown value) after you check, even when they will only get called by better hands (like would he bet somehting like 44 here?)

So you have to decide between
- betting and hoping he has a pocket pair (I dont think you can fold a better hand here, so it would only be a bet for value)
- checking and folding
- checking and calling

The pot is not terribly big and against an unknown I think all three of these are reasonable options and probably close to the same EV. However, I think you can learn a lot more about your opponent if you check here. And I have a habit of paying off too much so I'd probably check and call if he bets. Maybe he would bluff at the fives or something...

I could be way wrong.

[LAGmaniac]

This is one of thse hands that I check/call the river and here is my reasoning.

If you bet here you may be raised, and yes party 2/4 players bluff/raise on the river. It's happened to me several times in the last week actually.

If you check better hands will sometimes check behind and worse hands may bluff at the river because you checked but will not call if you bet. IMO this outweighs the "Worse hands will sometimes call" argument.

[StellarWind]

UTG folded.