The pre flop raise strategy

I'm working on an article on how to play against a preflop raiser. Two things make the post flop play different compared to an unraised pot: a) you have reason to believe that the raiser has either an AK type of hand or a pocket pair, but you don't know which, and b) because of the check-to-the-raiser tendency the pre flop raiser is effectively first to act on the flop, unless you decide to bet into him.

In my opinion there are situations where you should bet into the raiser, situations where you can do it either way, and situations where it would not be a good idea to bet. But as I don't really have the theory on this, I'll post a few hands for you, and I'd like your opinions on how and why you'd prefer to play the hands the way you do. Also I'd like you to consider different scenarios of what good and bad things that could happen when you play the hand like you chose to do.

For all hands to be considered the flop is 10h7c4c, and you are asked whether you would:
a) bet into the raiser,
b) check with the intention to raise,
c) check with the intention to call, or
d) check with the intention to fold for a bet

Situation 1:

Only you holding 7h6c versus a mid position raiser. What do you do?

Situation 2:

Same as above but this time a late position player has called the raise, making it 3-way on the flop.

Situation 3:

You hold the 6c5c against an early position raiser and two late position callers

Situation 4

You hold the 7h7d in the big blind against an early position raiser

Situation 5

You hold the 7h7d in the big blind against an early position raiser and two late position callers

I don't think you'll get a definite answer for any of them since for most, the optimal play depends heavily on chip stack sizes, and your reads on your opponents and their tendencies, aswell as what your own table image is.

For example, for Situation 4, if I was seen as a very aggressive player who likes to steal pots with rag flops (such as the example flop, T76) then I'd lead out with a bet that would look like a steal, hoping to get raised by say 99, an overpair, or even someone taking a stand with AK. Then I could come over the top to try to get the most out of my set.

Conversely, if I was seen as a very tight player, I might just check-call then check-raise the turn (or slowplay in other words).

So like I said, your answers depend on many factors not provided in the example.

Nice post, OP.

We need to know whether you're talking limit or NL though, as the 'correct' answers will vary somewhat between the two.

Reads (or absence thereof) and whether we're talking tourney or ring, short-stacked or deep-stacked etc are all also important. You cannot optimally evaluate a hand by just looking at the cards - there are many other factors at work.

Edit: This post of mine may help you.