I've always seen probe bets (whether from somebody else or from myself) as trying to achieve different results based on current hand. I usually respond diferent ways depending on what I think is the purpose behind the bet.

A) Total bluff: These suck as a bluff but since I've been playing more and more SnG's I've seen it frequently. The person (usually LP) thinks that because it was checked to him, nobody made a hand and it should be his by default. He doesn't want to invest too much money trying to win the hand so he makes a min bet hoping that'll work...It usually doesn't. These I'll usually raise if I have a hand but was in EP and wasn't sure of the strength of the hand. I'll also raise strong drawing hands in this situation. I will fold a hand if I missed it completely and I am not sure there is at least a 50% chance he's bluffing (been caught doing it several times before). Hands like TPWK, second pair, Nut FD with overcards are all raising hands in this situation...

B) Semi-Bluff: If the bet comes from EP I tend to put them on a TPWK type hand. I've also seen (and done similar just not with a min bet) some people with a drawing hand. My read on the psychology behind these types of bets is the person knows he's going to call a bet made by somebody else (if it's low enough) so he decides to bet out lower then what he's willing to call hopeing that nobody raises him (the bet shows strength so people with a better but similar hand may be less willing to raise him) and throw in a little fold equity. When I do this, It's usually with a strong FD against players I've seen lay hands down. I personally like between 33% and 50% of the pot with these bets. I believe (and feel free to correct me) that this gives me a good balance between fold equity and implied odds by hiding the strength of your hand). I tend to see min bets from EP like this especially if they are giving great odds to any callers 4:1 or better).

C) Slowplayed Monster: These are rough to recognize. It seems that I see these come from just about any position. I've seen people who use the min bets listed above do this to hide the true strength of their hands. I believe that these people are trying to look like they are bluffing so that somebody will rereaise them. Another good reason for doing this is to build a big pot that somebody will have a hard time getting away from on the turn or river. I like to do this from LP where it looks more like a bluff and then check the turn (if it's checked around to me) hoping somebody will make a big bluff at the river and I can stack them...sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

My response to these min bets is to use their position and read from previous hands to put them on a range of hands (I tend to use the thought process outlined above) and if I believe I have them beat then I'll raise them up. With min bets, I tend to be a raise or fold type person.

In the situation described above I would have folded the J9s even to a SA open raise from MP. Even if he doesn't have much of a hand, you have two other players calling stating that they do have a hand...If I did call (say my stack size warrents it or it's first couple levels and so even though it's a 3bb raise, it's still cheap) I would probably still let it go on the flop. My reasons you ask?

A) You probably don't have much in the way of odds. Your current pot odds don't justify a call. The odds of hitting a backdoor flush or a inside str8 draw are so slim that you'd be hard pressed to justify the cost based on this. Implied odds aren't that great if you do hit. If he had a hand that would pay off your str8 or flush, he wouldn't have min bet...

B) He may have been bluffing, but if he holds a A, K or any PP (how many hands from MP warrent a raise that don't include those cards) then he doesn't need to improve to beat you. If he doesn't improve, again, he's not going to pay you off if you do.

C) By laying it down on the flop to a min bet (based on the above two reasons) you also get a table image as somebody who may or may not make loose calls from the BB but will lay those hands down to a bet on the flop. This can work for you when you hit the BB special and somebody wants to bluff into you...

D) If the original PF raiser does have a hand he's going to come over the top of SB's min bet and you'll be put in a much tougher situation based on what happens after he raises. Say he raises to 1/3 pot and CO and SB call. You still have some great odds (not for the hand you have, but instead say you have TPMK) and now the pot is huge and it's more difficult to get away from. Combine that with the fact that CO and SB (by not going away) are saying that they still have a hand (if you're playing the J9 described above) then even while you may be getting some decent odds, you are probably still way behind in the hand.

In conclusion, I guess each situation is different but with this many people in the hand, after the PF raise I'd say you were beat and between what's action has taken place and what (based on reads) is going to take place, this hand could get really expensive if you try to chase...

I like trons' advice.

Personally, if I see someone firing small probe bets at every pot, I'm going to start at least min raising them most of the time until I get reraised.

Think of poker like basketball . . . . if I can get the ball down low to Shaq and score on you just about every time, why would I do anything other than that until you show that you can stop it?

Those probe bets are getting the ball to Shaq . . . step in there and swat that ball away with a couple of raises.

And don't let me catch you just calling with weak draws, or I'll have Beavis beat you. LOL