Three hands with a Maniac: Any Thoughts?
So I sit down at a $1/$2 table with a huge number of players per flop and a huge average pot (over $98 at one point). It's pretty apparent why almost immediately. A loose/aggressive/passive losing player according to my notes had a stack of around $800. The following hands ensued. I'd like to learn how to play these players. I apologize for not getting the screenshot for the first one.
As a side note, in between hands 1 and 2. I bet out about 2/3 with a weak top pair into a 3 way flop that included Azn and he folded.
First Hand
FullTiltPoker Game #949782658: Table Whitney Ranch - $1/$2 - No Limit Hold'em - 2:44:26 ET - 2006/08/30
Seat 1: triple9 ($106.40)
Seat 2: TheAznKidd ($564.10)
Seat 7: Virge ($189)
triple9 posts the small blind of $1
TheAznKidd posts the big blind of $2
The button is in seat #9
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Virge [Ad Kc]
Virge raises to $6
Balforios calls $6
triple9 calls $5
TheAznKidd raises to $30.95
Virge has 15 seconds left to act
Virge raises to $189, and is all in
Balforios folds
triple9 folds
TheAznKidd has 15 seconds left to act
TheAznKidd calls $158.05
Virge shows [Ad Kc]
TheAznKidd shows [9h 9s]
*** FLOP *** [7d 5h 3c]
*** TURN *** [7d 5h 3c] [Qc]
*** RIVER *** [7d 5h 3c Qc] [Js]
Virge shows Ace King high
TheAznKidd shows a pair of Nines
TheAznKidd wins the pot ($387) with a pair of Nines
Virge is sitting out
Second Hand
FullTiltPoker Game #949818022: Table Whitney Ranch - $1/$2 - No Limit Hold'em - 3:01:05 ET - 2006/08/30
Seat 2: TheAznKidd ($1,085.70)
Seat 7: Virge ($218.35)
Virge posts the small blind of $1
chicagcubs posts the big blind of $2
The button is in seat #6
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Virge [6c 7c]
Balforios folds
Sassie: hes playing three tables and riding a rush we all should have the guts to
triple9 folds
Balforios stands up
TheAznKidd: im a losing player
Virge: he has $200 of my money, that seems pretty good
TheAznKidd has 15 seconds left to act
TheAznKidd raises to $9.95
Virge calls $8.95
Sassie: i rode a rush for 12K in three days but the games were cake
chicagcubs folds
*** FLOP *** [Qd 7d 6h]
Sassie: 5-10 nl though
Virge bets $12
USCJusto: i rode a cooler for three days and lost $600
TheAznKidd calls $12
*** TURN *** [Qd 7d 6h] [2d]
Virge bets $25
TheAznKidd calls $25
*** RIVER *** [Qd 7d 6h 2d] [Th]
Virge checks
TheAznKidd: virge
TheAznKidd: take it
Sassie: thats not much
TheAznKidd checks
*** SHOW DOWN ***
Virge shows [6c 7c] (two pair, Sevens and Sixes)
TheAznKidd mucks
Virge wins the pot ($92.90) with two pair, Sevens and Sixes
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $95.90 Rake $3
FullTiltPoker Game #949833189: Table Whitney Ranch - $1/$2 - No Limit Hold'em - 3:08:45 ET - 2006/08/30
Seat 2: TheAznKidd ($1,020.75)
Seat 7: Virge ($246.30)
redeposit posts the small blind of $1
Virge posts the big blind of $2
The button is in seat #5
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Virge [Ad As]
TheAznKidd: im mad at that snitch
TheAznKidd: that left
RandG folds
triple9 calls $2
Sassie: ? didnt see i dont think
TheAznKidd raises to $10.85
Virge raises to $30
triple9 folds
TheAznKidd calls $19.15
*** FLOP *** [4h 6h Th]
Virge bets $50
TheAznKidd calls $50
*** TURN *** [4h 6h Th] [6c]
Virge checks
TheAznKidd bets $940.75, and is all in
RandG: call
RandG: lol
Virge has 15 seconds left to act
Virge calls $166.30, and is all in
TheAznKidd shows [9h 9c]
Virge shows [Ad As]
Uncalled bet of $774.45 returned to TheAznKidd
*** RIVER *** [4h 6h Th 6c] [Kc]
TheAznKidd shows two pair, Nines and Sixes
Virge shows two pair, Aces and Sixes
Virge wins the pot ($492.60) with two pair, Aces and Sixes
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $495.60 | Rake $3
posted by Steven at 2:49 AM
7 Comments:
I probly would have played all 3 hands exactly the same. My recent weakness has been running my Big Pairs & Big Draws into 2 pair on the flop, & not improving after we're All-in. Any advice on how I can get away from those?
I would probably get away from the AK after the pot-sized reraise from him in the first hand. The other two, I think you did fine with the read that he was a maniac.
He isn't really a maniac. He is a very good player. He has been around the 1/2 tables for a long time. If I remember correctly he plays a pretty Loose-Agg/ Agg style all the time and plays it well. Virge, he plays kinda like you at the .10/.25 tables ;)
I think you need to re-categorize this player. He is not a maniac. A maniac is a dumb player, in my opinion. They are the ones that raise w/ any Ace, anything suited, any pp, and they overplay their top pairs and weakish hands.
Beating someone like AznKidd takes patience. The good thing is, in this case, there are 7 other players at the table who are reacting in one way or another to how loose and agg. he is playing, which makes the game very good for you if you can control yourself and be patient.
The AK hand you shouldn't have gotten all in preflop against this guy. Unless you have seen him push consistently w/ weaker Aces than yours then I would say try to see a flop and if you hit top pair on him you may just have to go broke with it.
That last post was written by DirteAA =)
" He is a very good player."
"Virge, he plays kinda like you at the .10/.25 tables"
Don't these contradict each other? :)
But seriously, the second hand feel strange. With position, you would think he would have raised it with the nut flush draw since he called the flop. Mabe he was planning a move on the turn, but decded to just call when he picked up a flush draw.
Definitely not a maniac, though.
DirteAA and PMB, I've pretty much decided that he's not a complete maniac, just extremely aggressive and not afraid to gamble a bit preflop.
On the second hand I agree that it feels weird. I'm surprised he didn't make a move considering that if he had either a flush draw or OESD on the flop he might have gotten there, but then again, with his style if he had a big draw he would have reraised on the flop I would imagine, and it's also possible that I was betting with one of those two draws and made it on either the turn or river. If he had made a move on the turn or river I don't think I'm going anywhere because I would have expect him to make a move with a draw earlier.
As for the AK hand, I'm curious to see what PMB thinks about that hand. Both IF and Cat said that they would likely lay that down preflop. I don't see how you can if you don't want to get run over. If you're raising with quality hands against an extremely aggressive preflop and post flop player I think you need to send a message-especially in situations where you likely have the goods. He had shown the ability to raise and reraise preflop with marginal hands. If he's reraising with a marginal ace or KQs then he probably lays that down, and if he's reraising with a pair it's most likely a coin flip. I think if you back down with a hand like AK you've basically shut down your game to where you can only play preflop with Aces or Kings if he's still to act behind you (i.e. 1 out of every 110 hands?) or playing only when he has already acted.
For the AK hand, it is hard to say.
You're right that a good player will railroad you if you fold there, so I think you have to at least call.
I think that the size of your reraise may have been too big and your opponent felt that you had to have AK and were trying to take down the pot. Against a thinking player, a raise to $80-$100, really anything less than all-in, is scarier. Would you make a smaller raise or go for the all-in if you had AA here?
The size of his raise is very strange. It feels like it doesn't want to be called, which is typical of a player in the blinds with a vulnerable hand like JJ or AQ that rates to probably be the best. It's just a bit too large relative to the money already in the pot. It's a shame that you can't raise it up a decent amount and still have enough for a pot-sized bet on the flop or have enough left behind that you can consider folding if he puts in the fourth raise.
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