Poker Strategy - playing against a "sometimes maniac"
Hi All,
I'm a relatively new member here - thought I'd introduce myself with a strategy question! I played a friends/home game on saturday. I usually do quite well, but not this time. Total of 8 players, your basic no-limit tournament game. I do best with the passive/agressive style of play.. There was one player there (a friend since highschool), who is in a lot of hands, and bluffs a lot. A few semi-bluffs, but a lot of flat-out bluffs. An example, early on:
I had AK suited, he had Q7 off. I bet 2xBB, he calls. Flop comes down - it's A, K, 7, rainbow. I bet 4xBB again, he calls. Turn is a brick (2 or something) - no flush draw, only the potential straight (as far as I could see it), so I bet again..I forget the amount, but I think I bet the pot. He called. River is the 7. I bet big again, he raises all-in - making me fold. He always shows his cards, and bang - there was the 7.
All night this happened - with him hitting the "miracle" cards. What can you do in this scenario? Is there anything? Go all-in sooner? Bet bigger, earlier? If I do that - he folds and I don't "maximize my winnings". Is it better to do this than minimize losses? I'm a math-type at heart (not hard-core though), and believe that each hand is independent of the previous - so I can't imagine that he would keep hitting like that...but it seems he does.
I ended up losing in the following scenario: I was short stacked, flopped a straight (rainbow). He called with something ridiculous - Q-2 suited...and hits the backdoor flush! Huh?
He's in a lot of hands, and loses a few as well (doesn't always hit his crazy draw), but more times than not he seems to win this way. It did catch up - he finished 2nd in both games we played (not first at least..
)!
I know...I know....that's poker..!
I'm a relatively new member here - thought I'd introduce myself with a strategy question! I played a friends/home game on saturday. I usually do quite well, but not this time. Total of 8 players, your basic no-limit tournament game. I do best with the passive/agressive style of play.. There was one player there (a friend since highschool), who is in a lot of hands, and bluffs a lot. A few semi-bluffs, but a lot of flat-out bluffs. An example, early on:
I had AK suited, he had Q7 off. I bet 2xBB, he calls. Flop comes down - it's A, K, 7, rainbow. I bet 4xBB again, he calls. Turn is a brick (2 or something) - no flush draw, only the potential straight (as far as I could see it), so I bet again..I forget the amount, but I think I bet the pot. He called. River is the 7. I bet big again, he raises all-in - making me fold. He always shows his cards, and bang - there was the 7.
All night this happened - with him hitting the "miracle" cards. What can you do in this scenario? Is there anything? Go all-in sooner? Bet bigger, earlier? If I do that - he folds and I don't "maximize my winnings". Is it better to do this than minimize losses? I'm a math-type at heart (not hard-core though), and believe that each hand is independent of the previous - so I can't imagine that he would keep hitting like that...but it seems he does.
I ended up losing in the following scenario: I was short stacked, flopped a straight (rainbow). He called with something ridiculous - Q-2 suited...and hits the backdoor flush! Huh?
He's in a lot of hands, and loses a few as well (doesn't always hit his crazy draw), but more times than not he seems to win this way. It did catch up - he finished 2nd in both games we played (not first at least..
)!I know...I know....that's poker..!
Comments
bet more PFÂ :d:
bet lotsa more on the flop and knowing the maniac will probably call you :d:
you should move all in :d:
If you have a choice sit on his left. This way when he enters a pot with a raise and you have a hand make him pay for his draws. Note to self, he may have a real hand so watch what you play!
If you have a real hand, don't be afraid to push all in if he comes over the top.
If you flop 2 pair, make him pay for any draw. Thats poker :fish:
The best advice I can give is be patient!
So bet bigger than I did? Would you say that my bets were too small? I felt that my bets at each point were good enough to "make him pay".. but maybe they weren't.
I really, REALLY wanted to sit on his left, but we drew cards for seating position, and I ended up on his right. Usually I beat him A LOT, but this night it seemed like he got lucky time and again.
I did push all-in in one case - i had the straight on the rainbow flop, and he called with nothing only to hit the backdoor flush!
His general strategy is to play like a maniac - knowing he'll lose some pots, steal a good amount of blinds/antes; with the eventual goal of setting up a "major win" when he does hit the cards. I agree - when on his left it's much easier to play against, but when he starts hitting the cards on his "It-should-be-a-loser" hands......
i would've bet atleast 4xBB
2xBB is way too small imo
i would've bet atleast 4xBB
2xBB is way too small imo
We started with about 4k chips, and the BB was at 200. This was fairly early in the game. Would betting more pre-flop only make him fold (which he might have), resulting in a theft of only the blinds? My feeling was - I don't know his hand, but mine is quite good, so bet enough to make him think about staying. Then bet bigger as well go!
I guess that if a big bet pre-flop would have pushed him out I would have won 1.5xBB (small+big), but nothing more....I'm trying strategies at "maximizing my winnings through betting strategies" - as many seem to suggest online & in books.
IMHO - maniacs are easy to beat if the cards are neutral - but if the cards are in his favour - it can make it much tougher...
4xBB would alright too depending if you know your players
but in some games ...some players are alot looser in the first few hands especially the maniacs
cuz they're trying to build their stacks*
*this is not always thise case
Yes, Bet bigger preflop. You have AK, vs 77 it is really the best situation you can hope for with AK. If your going to get in there better know what your in there with
and 2X BB didnt se you up to know, you got lucky with the flop you did.
-if it came j8K you could very realistically be beat with AK and it is going to cost you alot to find out how good your K is against two pair (J8 or k8 which bad players will play for 2xBB with position)
If you went 4xBB or 100 which is more realistic at these levels, yah you might just win the blinds, but your probably going to get called with 77. But AK on the flop is going to scream aces or kinds not just AK. So then your set up to move all in and he has to fold - if he is a maniac he probably wouldnt slow play Aces or Kings you would know right up front with his reraise of 100 and you can get ready to let your hand go if you get resistance on the flop.
if you win just the blinds, then you have gained an edge, its not always about winning everything with one hand.
Having him on your left is great! You can hide alot of your hands under his and check/call raise him Alot when your strong. You set the mood, you can control his betting.
I'd rather have this guy respecting my bets as legit, cause I will slow him down. And when he trys to become a maniac you pop him down, yes he will get lucky but thats cards and the tone you set will last weeks. Cause you will bust his draws more then he catches them. He'll remeber them both, but against you you want him to remember the harsh beatings more.
:fish: will be :fish:
Try to get rid of any limpers by raising preflop: just double the blind ( so raise to 400 ).
Top pair on the flop with no straight / flush in sight is monster, the only hand beating that would be a set, most probably with the 7 since you have AK.
You can underplay the hand by betting 400 or play aggresively betting 800.
When the 2 of craps comes down, if you underplayed now is the time to throw in 1,000 in chips ( a quarter-ish of your total stack ).
If you played aggresively bet 1,600.
If you notice that someone is playing like a maniac and you have great hands, you need to force that player to question himself as to whether he is willing to see the river card or turn card.
I'd recommend playing for free, real life in the Red Hot Poker Tour:
http://www.redhotpokertour.com/