[RiverDood]

Aaron's got all the key strategic concepts.

Now here's a simple example. Assume the suits are rainbow and no one has a flush draw. Everyone has limped/called to see the flop, and the betting will be in this order.

Stooge No. 1 (BB): K5
Villain (UTG): 9A
You (CO): 78
Stooge No. 2 (Button): JQ

FLOP: 689

Stooge No. 1 checks. Villain, acting next, has top pair and bets the flop. You've got middle pair and an OESD. So if you can make this heads up against Villain, you've got 12 outs to improve. (Any of three 5s; any of three 7s; any of two eights; any of four 10s.) That's well worth playing on with. But to get there, you've GOT TO RAISE.

Suppose instead that you just call Villain's flop bet. The other two players now have favorable odds to call, too. And now where are you??

Your three 7s are no good anymore, because they make a straight for Stooge No. 2. Your four Ts are no good, because they make a better straight for Stooge No. 1.

There's more bad news. If a J, Q or K hits on the turn, you're now behind two players. No more call/check behind that lets you see the river for one more bet. Now it's almost certain there will be two bets on the turn -- making it harder for you to stay till the river.

All told, limping costs you lost seven of your outs directly, as well as the ability to check/call the turn and see the river cheaply.

Yes, you're still behind either way. But with the flop raise, you've more than doubled your outs and made it possible to see the river very affordably. Play this situation often enough, and you'll make money at it consistently.

If you don't raise, your outs are cut in half and you stand a very good chance of being bullied out of the hand on the turn. You're stuck in a losing hand.

Obviously, not every second-best hand can be polished up quite this much with a raise. But it's amazing how often at least some of these concepts apply.