So it's folded to me in the small blind...

[imported_The Vibesman]

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I probably was being too results oriented knowing what villian held and trying to get rid of him. Still, wouldn't you want to play this the same as hitting your set on the flop and jam the pot? Or do you think you only chase people out that are drawing dead and get called by people chasing draws that could catch up with you?

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Well, yeah. My point is that I think check-raising the flop kills your action. I'm not worried here about getting caught up with. I bet out because a lot of players, aggro players, won't put me on trips when I bet right out, they will think I have a hand I want to protect, or a stone cold bluff. I think the checkraise says, "I have trips or better!"

Sometimes you'll want to mix it up, of course.

[Agthorr]

Absent a read, when it's folded to you in the SB, raise, even with junk. If BB reraises back, fold. If he calls, bet out on the flop, but plan to check-fold the turn if he calls (unless you make a pair or something else useful).

This raise may not work, but it buys you information. If BB folds frequently, then you should raise often. Fold occasionally with your worse hands (like 86) so he doesn't catch on. If BB seems distracted (such as if you know he's multi-tabling) and folds very frequently, raise every single time.

If BB defends his blind well, then raise only with hands that have a decent shot at winning. These are hands that are a favorite against a random hand, plus borderline hands (since you have some fold equity and it'll keep BB paying you off with your good hands). Good hands are pocket pairs, two high cards, or Ax. Bet out on every street, hope BB folds, and tend to fold if BB raises back at you. Make notes about what BB calls down with and adjust your play accordingly.

If you make a hand (say, a pair of aces), and think you can induce BB to bluff instead of folding, go for it. Take notes on whether this works or not.

If BB defends his blinds very aggressively and frequently reraises preflop or raises on other streets, move to a different seat/table.

[MrWookie47]

Against a loose and passive SB, open-completing can be a solid play with the intention of betting any flop. Your bluff equity against loose players is often larger if you open complete and bet than if you raise preflop and bet. If he's aggressive, you're better off folding, however, because it would pain you to have to put in 1.5 SB to see a flop with this hand. If he's tight, then you're better off raising to just steal his blind now.

I'm generally only open-playing hands from the SB that I would feel comfortable raising. This doesn't mean that I'm raising every time I'm playing. You can get creative in these spots. But I still think 86o is a fold.