Someone PLEASE Explain This to Me

[sthief09]

The biggest leak in my game is my propensity to slowplay, check-raise, trap, and trick my opponents into thinking I'm weak when I'm strong and strong when I'm weak. I'm always one of the tightest and usually the most aggressive non-maniac at my table, and when I'm winning I feel this aura of invincibility where I can outplay anyone (this isn't true and I'm humbled when the more observant players proceed to trap me and butcher me).

Mathematically I can't prove to myself that slowplaying just about every set and almost always waiting for the turn to raise anything good (2 other players max) is unprofitable, even though I know it probably is.

I'm the type of person that needs proof so someone please explain this to me:

When I read all the "good" players' posts, they always do a lot of flop raising. This seems to cost them a half a bet, because they could have raised the turn instead. Why do people always raise, even if it'll only trap 1 person for 2 bets? I have a midterm in 5 hours which I haven't really studied for and I'm still posting here, so I need to stop now, but I'll post some hands tomorrow. But in the meantime, please give me some reasons why raising the flop instead of the turn is best.

Note: I'm only talking about small pots, where opponents aren't getting the price to call for 1 bet, let alone 2. I don't slowplay in big pots, unless a flop raise will still give my opponents the price to draw on bottom pair or a gut shot, in which case I'll wait until the turn, where my raise will completely destroy their odds.

I'm really hoping someone can snap me out of this phase I'm going through, because I KNOW it's a leak, I just can't stop doing it for some reason.