Of the five reasons to raise, this one is the easiest to understand. Whenever you have the best hand and you want to make the other players pay the price for having second-best hands, all you have to do is raise. Let's look at an example:
You have A*94 and the board is K*9V5*l04 with the river card to come.
If there's a bet, you should raise. Why? Well, let's see:
You: re not trying to eliminate any players. In fact, you want everyone to call this bet and raise.
You're not trying to get a free card on the river. In fact, it costs just as much to raise on the turn as it does to bet on the river.
You're not trying to gain information. You don't really are what anyone else has; you're a big favorite over whatever it is. Anyone with a set needs the board to pair, and they have only ten outs. Anyone holding J*Q* needs the A4 or the 94 to make a straight flush, and you're the only one who knows those cards aren't in the deck because they're in your hand. Anyone holding two pair has only eight outs to make a full house.
You're certainly not bluffing. Bluffing would be betting without so much as a pair. You've got the nut flush at this point.
So why are you raising? You are raising to get other players to put more money into a pot you expect to win. That's betting for value.
You don't always have to have the nuts to be able to bet for value. If you think you have the best hand at the table, you can also raise for value, even if your hand isn't the best hand possible. The key is knowing when your hand is probably the best, even if it's not the best possible hand. Let's look at another example:
You're in the big blind with 6*5*. The player on your left raises, making it two bets to go. Two other players call. With 7 to 1 odds, you call too. The flop is 8*5*2*. You check, the preflop raiser bets, and the other two players fold. You call because you can beat A*K>, you're getting 9 to 1 pot odds, and you're against only one other player, who might check when the turn card comes. The turn card is the 6*.
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