At my current table, there's somebody two seats to my right who I would consider a maniac - 87% VP$P and 45% Pre-flop raise %. Post-flop aggression isn't too bad (1.78). When I've been able to see the hands he's been raising with, a lot of it is stuff that I'd fold pre-flop.

So, what's happening is that a lot of hands that I would normally play, I find myself having to decide whether or not to cold-call his raise. I even dumped AQs once when he 3-bet before it got to me - sometimes he actually does have good hands, and I couldn't take the chance.

Should I treat his raises like any other raises - only play with the very best hands, or should I adjust my game somehow? I don't want to become gunshy because of the beating I've taken this weekend, but at the same time I don't want to be making more dumb plays - like cold-calling raises just because he's a maniac.

Try to isolate maniacs with hands that have good showdown value. AQs is great there! If you don't hit your A or Q, just check-call him to the river. Look at my calling down with A-high thread for an example where I called down with A-high against a maniac.

Now if you cannot isolate the maniac, say the table is loose enough to cold-call 3-bets preflop, then you probably want to stick with only the absolute best hands: QQ-AA and AKs.

Case in point...


Party Poker 0.15/0.30 Hold'em (9 handed)

Preflop: Hero is MP3 with , .
UTG calls, 1 fold, MP1 =#A500AF(Maniac)/ raises, MP2 calls, Hero calls, 1 fold, Button calls, SB calls, BB calls, UTG calls.

He's raising with Q3o. JJ is probably the lowest hand I'd consider cold-calling with.

Flop: (14 SB) , , (7 players)
SB checks, BB checks, UTG checks, Maniac checks, MP2 bets, Hero folds, Button folds, SB folds, BB folds, UTG folds, Maniac raises, MP2 3-bets, Maniac caps, MP2 calls.

Now he check-raises and caps with second pair. My JJ is now potentially 3rd-best pair, so I'm outta here. From what I've seen, he's very fond of the check/raise.

Turn: (11 BB) (2 players)
Maniac bets, MP2 raises, Maniac 3-bets, MP2 calls.

And he gets paid off by spiking the 2-pair.

River: (17 BB) (2 players)
Maniac checks, MP2 bets, Maniac calls.

Final Pot: 19 BB

Results in white below:
Maniac has Qc 3d (two pair, queens and threes).
MP2 has Ad Th (one pair, aces).
Outcome: Maniac wins 19 BB.

When you play against maniacs you must realize there will be EXTREME variance. Sometimes you'll be down 20BBs. Othertimes you'll be up 40BBs.

Cold-calling with JJ is generally a terrible play. Here, since you're against a maniac and you cannot isolate the field down to 3-way or heads-up, it's OKAY to see a flop first instead of 3-betting like usual. When you hit your set against the maniac, you will be paid off nicely.

edit: I don't know why I advocated advice I'd never do... I think raising is quite clearly the better play here.

I might be wrong here, but I think you should 3-bet the JJ even if you don't think it'll get you heads up. Maniacs tend to make the whole table play a little looser... you want to make hands like K10, A9s, 89s etc fold. They're unlikely to against a raise from a maniac, but they generally do to a 3-bet from a saner player. Hands like AK, AQ etc. are still likely to call, and you'll have to battle them anyway... but I think you substantially improve your pot equity by 3-betting and forcing the big card, small kicker and/or suited connector type hands out.

If they do choose to call anyway, they're (a) making mistakes and donating money to the best (or best 2) hands and (b) getting tied to the pot. If you do hit the set, they're probably going to chase even with overcards and should pay you off.

Obviously, you're still losing in the situation you described... but I think the 3-bet gives you a better chance to win, and barring that, at least a chance to win more.

Thoughts anyone?

You know what... I don't know what the hell I was thinking. Against only one maniac, 3-bet that JJ. ESPECIALLY since the pots will be contested so multi-way. When you hit your set or hit a straight, you will be paid off MAJORLY!

Nevermind my advice about just calling with JJ. The better play is to raise, I was just being a pussy for some reason.

Ok, different maniac, but again two seats to my right.

Party Poker 0.15/0.30 Hold'em (10 handed)

Preflop: Hero is Button with , .
5 folds, MP3 =#A500AF(Maniac #2)/ raises, 1 fold, Hero 3-bets, SB calls, 1 fold, MP3 =#A500AF(Maniac #2)/ caps, Hero calls, SB calls.

KQs seemed like a good "isolation" hand, and I'm on the button to boot, so I raised here.

Flop: (13 SB) , , (3 players)
SB checks, Maniac #2 checks, Hero bets, SB calls, Maniac #2 calls.

Flop an OESD with a backdoor flush draw - see no reason to give them a free card here.

Turn: (8 BB) (3 players)
SB checks, Maniac #2 checks, Hero checks.

I don't see this helping anyone. Should I have bet here anyway?

River: (8 BB) (3 players)
SB checks, Maniac #2 checks, Hero bets, SB folds, Maniac #2 calls.

I've seen Maniac fold many hands on the river when he didn't make his hand. I was trying to induce him to do it here, and even if he calls, I've seen him raise pre-flop with worse than K-high...

Final Pot: 10 BB

Results in white below:
Maniac #2 has 8h Ad (one pair, threes).
Hero has Qh Kh (one pair, threes).
Outcome: Maniac #2 wins 10 BB.