newb question . . .why raise pre-flop?

[low content]

I'm at the point of having to reevaluate everyting I thought I ever knew about poker. (My first book was Hellmuth's, which I'm gathering from posters could be part of the problem.) In regard to pre-flop raising when first in, I'm realizing I'm not always sure why I'm doing it. There are a few reasons for it I think I understand, such as to steal the blinds, raise the pot when you think you have best hand and to "take control of the hand" with the hope of getting better hands to fold, pre or post flop. (I'm open to being told these aren't correct reasons, btw.)

Not all common pre-flop raising situations discussed in this forum, however, seem to be justified by one of these reasons, especially in loose games (where the "taking control" reason is, seemingly to me, much less pertinent) and especially in early position. For example, Axs, low to middle pairs or qj. If I raise with these hands having a good idea I'm going to get multiple callers, including at least one with position, what am I accomplishing? It seems that I'm spending unnecessary chips to see the flop from behind. I guess the quesion is, if I probalby don't have the best starting hand, and equal or better hands aren't going to fold to a raise and won't fold easily if they miss the flop, why raise?

Am I not seeing the value in the raise? Or is it that I should be adjusting my play in these games to either play fewer hands or limp when I think I can see the flop for one bet? Or something else?

Either way, I'd really like to read more about adapting play. On-line short handed tables are so wildly different . . . sometimes I feel that I'm playing charts like a robot instead of applying poker concepts to maximize value. Any suggested reading or threads?

Thanks all.

[Scotch78]

Your thinking looks spot-on. Those are all marginal hands that some of us raise from early and some fold. If you don't feel comfortable playing A7s-, 66-, QJ-, etc. UTG, don't.

Scott