[Aaron W.]

[ QUOTE ]
"why continue to bloat the pot?"

Because you have the best hand most of the time. Therefore, when you win the pot you collect an extra 1.5 BB. In addition, your line makes it more likely you will be bluff raised on the turn.

[/ QUOTE ]

I may have the best hand at the time, but it doesn't mean I'll have the best hand by the showdown. I figure my hand will hold up at showdown maybe 50-60% of the time (villains probably have 10-14 combined outs against me). This represents a very modest equity edge. But this isn't an equity edge like a flush draw's equity edge. I'm in a situation of reverse implied odds. I'd love to be all in, turn the cards up, and hope for the best. But that's not what's going on. I've got to fight off two more rounds of betting, and there is a somewhat reasonable chance I'm going to be bet out of this pot and forfeit that tiny gain PLUS the SB I invested to try to gain it.

Furthermore, the likelihood of me being bluff raised on the turn at a passive table 1/2 is not going to change much if I 3-bet the flop.