[Carmine]

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4 callers and I'm on the button with A3s. I raise to make the pot big for when I have a draw

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I'm bad at the math, but if I understand you correctly. You're saying, with four players in, you will make your flush by the river once 1 out of 4 times to making raising PF correct. I won't be able to respond as I need to leave for work. And yes I am being a little sarcastic here although I really do forget how often we flop even a flush draw and we really can't be feeling very secure with A3 when we hit TP against flor limpers.

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The theory is you make the pot big so people will chase things like overcards and gutshots when you have a draw or made flush.

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I know what your "Theory" is. What I am saying is you don't hit a draw often enough to make up for all the bets you put in PF. Again, someone will have to chime in with the correct math, but I will give an example.

Let's say with two suited cards PF you are a 12:1 dog to make your flush by the river. That means you need to have 12 SB in the pot by the river to be breakeven. Now by raising PF you need to have 24SB in the pot by the river to be breakeven. Thats alot of bets to hope for.

Now, for example, say we have two big suited cards that can win with TPTK in addition to the flush, or even a hand like QJs which gives many more draw possibilities. Then raising would be correct. We also take into account our position and will raising buy us the button, get us a free card for our draw etc. These are good reasons to raise.

A/rag suited is a hand I want many opponents and buying in as cheaply as possible or it is a muck IMO.