I used to hate min-raising. I still rarely do it but I think it can be used to deceive and trap opponents. The reason I hated the min raise was because when someone did it to me I didn't know what to make of it. I thought that worse players would use the play when they thought they had the best hand. I mean nobody would ever bluff min-raise right? Well I was playing with Scott about 3 or 4 weeks ago in a live game where he was showing me his cards. Multiple times he would min raise on his draws or stone cold bluffs and always he would get respect for his raise and usually take the hand down. I don't know if he knew the power of his play or if he was just doing what he thought was right but it was working against his opponents.
I want to get into the psychology (?) of the min-raise. It is a raise, which is a sign of strength, but its also the minimum amount possible which is a sign of weakness (or feigned weakness). The play sends a wide variety of messages but I think the one that most players pick up on is "call me I'm strong but I won't make it too expensive". Now you would think that at higher level games this play wouldn't work, but that couldn't be farther from the truth. If you don't believe me sit down at a table and start min-raising your strong hands and see what happens. Each table reacts differently, but once you get a feel for how they are taking this play you can use it to open up your game. I found the best place to use the min raise was on draws. I had been min raising my draws for about an hour at a 1/2 table online until one of the players started catching on. I hit a flush after min raising and got paid off but I knew the next time I did this play I was going to get played back into. Well luckily I hit a set in a raised pot with a flush draw out there about 2 rounds later. Villian bet the flop with his top pair and I quickly minraised him. He almost immediately moved all in trying to force me off the draw. Long story short I won a big pot that was set up by min raising. Try it out or at least have this play in your arsenal I'm sure there will be an opportunity to trap a good opponent who won't know what hit him.
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The beauty of the min raise is that it means different things to and coming from different opponents. Sometimes a donk will min raise with top pair no kicker hoping to get more value from his hand, whereas a good player might use it to get a free card when he is in position on a draw. I think in order to use the min raise effectively against your opponents, you must understand their level of play and thinking. If the opponent is stupid, he won't understand what you are trying to do by making the smallest raise possible - he'll probably just view it as a normal raise. Good players are more thrown off by this play. They are more susceptable to outthinking themselves, trying to understand what/why your raising.
For me, min raising is the best alternative to calling. If you're in position against an opponent who leads into you, by putting in a min raise, you will usually be able to determine where you're at in the hand, and furthermore, proceed with making correct decisions. I also think that min raising preflop in position is a strong play. For example, say your playing in a $1/$2 NL cash game and you have KQ on the button. Some donk makes it $7 to go from middle position. By making it $12-$14 to go from the button, you have taken the lead away from this guy and are in control of the hand. Most often than not, he has something like 7-7 and will check-fold to myriad flops after you reraise him preflop. Alternatively, by just calling preflop, you will find yourself in many more difficult situations on the flop when 7-7 continuation bets.
As far as bluff min raising goes, I believe this a play that works well against opponents who will lay down hands, especially on the river.
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