How to play against a maniac
Frequently, and especially when playing online, you will find a
"maniac" at the table. Maniacs are characterized as such because
they will play almost every hand, and raise or re-raise with any two
cards. This type of player can be on tilt, drunk, or simply having a
good time by creating a lot of action. However, the reasoning behind
this type of play is less important than making sure you maximize
your winnings against this player.
It may sound easy to play against a maniac, but they pose a
serious threat to your game. This is because they are extremely
aggressive and will really put you to the test, adding many swings
to your bankroll. Often times, the maniac can virtually put the
entire table on tilt, thus creating a very profitable situation for
the player who remains calm and applies the correct strategies. So,
how should you play against this loose, aggressive, and crazy
player? Please, read on...
Applying Strategy
First and foremost, we advise that, if possible, you seat
yourself to the left of the maniac. By doing so, you will be acting
behind and can frequently re-raise whenever you are going to play a
hand. This has numerous advantages: you are more likely to isolate
your opponent and will hopefully get the pot heads-up when you have
superior position. In addition, on average, your hand will be much
better than your opponent's hand. If the other players allow you to
do this without interfering, then power to you! Indeed, they will be
placed in difficult situations due to your repeated re-raises, and
will have a very tough time playing hands like A-x, pairs, or big
connectors (JT and bigger) against a raise and a re-raise.
The aforementioned hands are the kinds of hands you will re-raise
the maniac with. The reason is because they are good hands to play
heads-up and are much better than an average hand, which is the type
of hand the maniac will be holding the majority of the time.
Particularly strong hands include the A-x and pocket pairs, as they
will often win heads-up pots unimproved on the river. Drawing hands,
such as 87s, decrease in value when there is a maniac at the table
because these hands require good implied odds. And, given the fact
that the maniac will generally raise pre-flop, which will make it
expensive to see the flop and also limit the field to a few players,
the implied odds are usually not the best. However, occasionally it
happens that the whole table loosens up, and players begin to call
raises with more hands in the hopes of winning a big pot against the
maniac. If so and you are sitting in late position, then the implied
odds will be great and the small suited connectors become playable.
Consequently, your essential strategy should be to sit on the
maniacs left and selectively re-raise with A-x, any pair, and big
connectors (JT and bigger). You will have to play a lot of these
hands unimproved to the river, and cannot fold on the flop every
time you do not improve. You can play in this way so long as your
opponents do not start re-raising or calling behind you. If that
happens, you have to tighten up significantly both pre-flop and on
the flop, and the more the game moves in that direction, the more
you will have to revert to your standard ring-game strategy. Of
course, if a solid player raises and the maniac re-raises, you must
be extremely selective of what hands you choose to play. As well,
you have to be extremely selective when you are sitting to the right
of the maniac. You should still raise with more hands if the maniac
is the kind of player who re-raises a raise almost every time, thus
letting the maniac isolate you instead of vice versa. |
