Quote Originally Posted by bigslikk
Why raise I ask?
In a loose game, to set-up a favorable pot size for your hand and hence an unfavorable pot size for your opponents' hands.

In Small Stakes Limit you raise for immediate value.
In Small Stakes No Limit you raise to set-up value.

Small suited trash want position and lots of money behind.
Small pairs want lots of money behind.
Medium pairs want even more money behind or very little if they figure to be good.
Big pairs want little money behind.
AK wants little money behind.
AQ/AJ/KQ/etc want a couple bets behind or so.

You win the pre-flop battle by tending to get your way with the pot more often than your opponents.