[superleeds]

Poker Stars $10 + rebuys NLHE Tourney
About 350 left, started with 900+
Blinds are 200/400 + ante $50
I have about 10k, slightly below average
I'm on the button with 22

It's been folded to Late Middle Position who limps in, folded to me and I raise the minimum, sb folds, bb calls. LMP calls (after some thought).

My thinking here is that I want to build a pot should I hit my hand. Both the sb and bb are bigger stacks with the LMP on a slightly smaller stack than I. The sb has been a little loose agressive but knows what he's doing (at least that's my read), so I was reasonably sure he would come along if he had any reasonable hand. I was also hopeful that the bb (chip leader at the table, and had been strangley passive since becoming so - very bad cards since I guess) would come along also with what by then would be pretty good pot odds. I'm also thinking that I may get to see the turn card free).

Now here is my question. Given that the vast majority of the time I am going to be folding to any action if the flop misses me, am I wasting a bet here?

By just limping along also the pot is still of a reasonable size that should I hit and at least 1 of my opponents gets a good amount of the flop (my ideal scenario), I'm still in very good shape.

By raising the minimum am I giving the sb and bb the incentive to take the pot there and then if either wakes up with a big hand. Also the LMP hesitated before calling my raise, if he had re-raised (and I took his hesitation to mean he was thinking about it) I would have to fold.

On the flip side, if the blinds had both gotten complete rags there is a chance (slim given the table dynamics) that with them both folding and the LMP player missing all the way if he held 2 high cards (what I put him on) my 22 might get the money without any more help.

The flop was Q 2 rag and the bb checked, LMP raised all-in, I called, bb folds. My set beat his KQ and he berated me along the lines of "bet u don't make the money playing pocket 2's". I didn't [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

I was pleased with the way I played this at the time but when had a go at me it started me thinking. Not about whether pocket 2's are playable in the circumstances - another thread I think. And for what it's worth I think they are - but as asked above was my raise +EV or not in this situation?

Thanks for any comments.