Marginal hand raise (another theory question)

[NateDog]

4 players to the flop and you have middle pair and 3rd nut flush draw (You Q /images/graemlins/heart.gif7 /images/graemlins/heart.gif on a board of K /images/graemlins/club.gif2 /images/graemlins/heart.gif4 /images/graemlins/heart.gif). UTG bets and action is to you. If you have read SSHE, you know to raise. Please explain this concept further for those of us that are having problems with the value raise.

Thanks,

Nate

[Entity]

This isn't a MUST raise; other things really depend on it for the play to be correct. First of all, what is your position? I fail to see how you are holding Q/images/graemlins/heart.gif7/images/graemlins/heart.gif and UTG can bet into you on this board.

Second: will UTG bet hands like A3o, or J4s, here? If he only bets hands that include a King, your raise can only happen if you know one other player will call your raise.

Required reading for understanding playing flush draws. (http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=micro&Number=1286006&Forum =f21&Words=definitive&Searchpage=0&Limit=25&Main=1 174623&Search=true&where=bodysub&Name=&daterange=1 &newerval=12&newertype=w&olderval=&oldertype=&body prev=#Post1286006)

[toss]

With a middle pair, (I'm assuming theres a mistake in your example) and a flush draw, you'll improve to the nuts over 35% of the time. If theres four players to the flop that means your contributing only 25% to the pot. Since your pot contribution is below your chance of winning the pot, you have an edge; bet and raise to push your edge.

Even if the two people after you fold, you may already have the best hand and if you don't you have a nice number of outs to improve to the best hand.