A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

[Iron Tigran]

I've been reading HEP (have read WLLH and most ow WSSH) and the part about sometimes not raising with the best hand in order to get folks behind you to call struck me. My instinct has always been to raise my strong hands. I decided to employ this tactic in the following hand. Thoughts?

UB .5/1; 8 players in on the hand

Hero posts big blind.

Pre-flop:
UTG calls. 3 folds. CO calls. Button calls. SB raises. Hero calls. 9 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] T [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (I call as I think, as in most games, the limpers will just call and not re-raise) All limpers call.

Flop (board: Jc 8h 3s): Great flop for me, of course.
SB bets. Hero calls. All others call.

Turn (board: Jc 8h 3s Qs): Woohoo. The nuts!
SB bets. Hero calls. -- OK, so here is the dilemma. If I raise, I might push everyone out. Even the SB might fold to my represented hand. Conversely, If they would call a raise, I am losing bets. But would they call a raise? I didn't think so. And of course I am giving a free (cheap, technically) card toward the spade draw. But if this gets others to call, it can be worth it.
UTG folds. CO goes all-in for $.95. Button calls.

River (board: Jc 8h 3s Qs 2c):
SB checks. Hero bets. Button folds. SB folds.

All-in player had K9o. I think the fact that he was all-in hurt me. The other two players were assured of seeing my cards "for free" which may have helped them fold.

Did I cost myself any bets? Did I gain any?

--IT