I feel one area of my game that needs major help is to call or raise. I don’t know which to pick.

Folding is easy to choose. If you are not getting pot odds to draw or if when you do hit your draw you still won’t win, then fold.

Deciding to call or raise is harder. My tendency is to call so as to not tip my hand that I can beat them. Is that sound play? Deception is an important part of winning money in a ring game so on the surface it seems sound but there may be times when I really should raise instead of call.

I’ll outline what I think are reasons to raise and then give some examples so you can correct me. For our purposes, we’ll assume the bet before me is at least half the pot so I don’t need to raise just to give bad odds to draw. Lets also assume that every hand I am talking about I have TP with various kickers.
1. Raise to isolate.
2. Raise to see where I stand.
3. Raise because I have the best hand and I am a greedy sombitch and want more money.
4. ?? something I missed?

Hand scenarios.
Hand 1:
I hold KT in LP with a T high flop. EP player bets and it folds to me with nobody behind me in the pot. I would normally call. Is there any reason to raise?
Is it different if the bettor is in MP?

Hand 2:
I hold AT in MP on a T high flop. EP player bets, I am next to act with 2 others behind me. Raise? Why? Here I might raise to drive out good hands that are not made (KQ, etc).

Hand 3:
I hold AT in MP on a T high flop. EP player bets, I am the only other one in the hand. Raise? I would likely call.

Hand 4:
I hold AK in LP on a AQx flop (PF raise was 4xbb). MP bettor raises the bet from EP. Raise or call?

Hand 5:
I hold AK in EP on a AKx flop (PF raise was 4xbb). I am next to act after EP bettor. There is one player left to act. Raise for value or call for deception?


If you can think of other scenarios that illustrate other purposes for raising v.s. calling please feel free to add them.