I realize this thread was probably directed at me, as you posted it after railing me in the tourney earlier today.
First, I'll address your Heads Up question: Mix it up a LOT. Raise with weak hands, raise with strong hand, limp with weak hands, limp with monsters... That way it will be very difficult for your opponent to get a read on you. At least that's what I do.
Secondly, when someonne says 3x the BB, they mean 150 TOTAL if the blinds are 25/50.
Now on to the main question: In normal tourney play, I again vary my raises randomly (NOT based on the strength of my hand, but more so based on my position, if anything), but my "typical" raise is usually 3x the BB plus a bit. People often ask me why I do this, and I have a few reasons for it:
1. I like to raise a bit more than 3x the BB on average.
2. While this may not make the "math" much more difficult for my opponents, it certainly doesn't make it EASIER. At worst, it's a wash, but I think this may create a slight edge for me in the long run.
3. It's become a habit. I won't call it a superstition, but it's definitely a habit.
Examples of bet amounts I use regularly (and these are OPENING only - no one in the pot in front of me, or else I have to jack it up higher):
25/50: 165
50/100: 325
75/150: 465 (sometimes 475 or 485)
100/200: 625
200/400: 1225
300/600: 1875
When it gets interesting are at the higher levels and after the ante kicks in. LAte on tourneys, smaller raises (in relation to the BB) accomplish the same thing as larger raises do early on, so I don't worry about it so much then, but here is an example anyway:
6000/12,000: 36,750
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