Party 2/4: Attempt a "straddle" from EP with A3o? [low content]

[chesspain]

I just sat down at a Party 2/4 table after leaving another table. As the hand in progress is finishing, the phone rings, and as I answer it, the Party interface begins dinging, and I misclick and post in UTG+1. As I get this person off of the phone (a crying patient of my wife, but that's another story)...

I am dealt A3o...UTG folds...do I:

1) Check, and see where this miserable hand takes me? or
2) Raise!

[edthayer]

Raise! You want to get this heads-up if possible.

[MisterKing]

straddling is always correct... LIVE 4!!!

[wuwei]

You've started cultivating a nice image by posting UTG, straddling seems like the next step!

[Malcom Reynolds]

I'd check this. You have so little equity that you'd rather get in as cheaply as possible. Raising to cut down the field works for hands that have an equity edge in short-handed pots (making the raise also for value). You also have the problem that while the game texture will define if worse hands are calling your raise when you have AJo and KQo, A3o most hands that call your raise will have you beat.

Paying only one more bet for the raise for the possible strategic benefit of cutting down the field are offset by your really bad reverse implied odds for a hand like A3o.

EDIT: Removed a ridiculous implied odds statement that made no sense.

[Entity]

Raise and make sure you have to show your hand down at the end. If everyone folds, show.