Raising for flush draws in NL???

[jslag]

If you are in a multi-way pot with a nut flush draw and you have a middle/low pair on board, is it ever correct to raise even though you're drawing? I know that you would definitely do this in certain limit games, but in NL I'm not sure how to play this.

Obviously, you could get re-raised by TPTK, but if you have a read on your opponents as having a weak top pair or a drawing hand, wouldn't it be correct to make a moderate raise?

I'm thinking something like this... 3 players limp and you limp with Ah 8h on the button. The flop is Jh 8s 6h. The pot is $4.75. UTG checks, MP1 bets $3.00, MP2 calls, and it's up to you.

My thinking is that with 14 outs here, couldn't you justify making a raise up to $6 here? This is a no-brainer in limit, but what about NL..

The reason I'd like the raise here is that you take control of the pot even if you are beat with a holding like JT, KJ, QJ (you would have to think about discounting your 3 outs to the Aces since someone could have limped with AJ). If a rag card comes on the turn, it will probably be checked to you and you would have the option of a free card.

I also think that if someone limped with T9 here and a Q or a 7 hits the turn, that player may go for a check-raise, making a free card even more valuable. Of course, a completed straight may come out firing here with a pot sized bet... in which case I'd have to consider folding.

If the consensus is to NOT raise here, then I would be interested in hearing arguments against it as well as any situations where you might raise in NL for a flush draw, or even an open-ended straight draw with other outs.

[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] jslag [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]