Playing a Super-LAG

[majakovskij]

[EscapePlan9]

First hand: Perfect.

Second hand: That turn card screws you over bad. If he had AK/AQ, KK, or QQ (all likely 4-bet holdings) he's now in the lead by FAR. It's clear to me MP1 doesn't have an ace. UTG you said was a maniac, but I'm not sure if that's pre-flop as well as post-flop.

If he's a maniac pre-flop as well as post-flop, then you have to raise that turn. It's likely one or both of them are still drawing. If he 3-bets you'll have to call down and hope he was overplaying something like TT, KJ, or a straight/flush draw. In a pot this large, you cannot give up such a strong holding to a pre-flop and post-flop maniac. On the other hand, if he's only a maniac post-flop, you can dump on the turn easy. There's no 4-betting hands you beat.

[TightWad]

I agree that hand 1 is absolutely fine.

Hand 2, I really don't like slowplaying the flop. AA on an A-J-J flop might be a standard slowplay, but JJ on an A-A-J flop? With 2 other guys in capped preflop? This seems like a pretty scary underfull to me, and while we both agree that you're well ahead here almost all of the time, how happy will you be to see something like an ace, king, queen or ten on the turn? Personally, I think you have to fire in the bets while you know you're in the lead, because it might be tough to play your hand aggressively later on in the hand.

When you slowplay, it should be because you want your opponents to catch up a bit so they'll give you action. How exactly are they gonna catch up without overtaking your hand here? The only thing I can think of is that they might spike a lower boat with something like TT or 99. If they have an ace, they're gonna give you plenty of action, so give them a chance to by raising that flop. If they have something like KK or QQ, I really don't think they're gonna drop anyway, nor will they give you a ton of action if you wait till later in the hand (unless they nail a 2-outer, that is), so get the bets in now.

-TW

[EscapePlan9]

Yeah... I don't know what's wrong with me today. Raise that flop. Slow-playing should almost never be done in huge pots, especially when the board is coordinated and it's likely people have caught a piece of the flop. Seeing an A, K, or Q on the turn could be devastating. Get your money in while you're ahead. They're likely drawing thin... but if they hit their miracle outs, you're drawing dead to beat them. When slow-playing you want people to make 2nd best hands to yours - not hands that beat yours.

[majakovskij]

Hand 1: UTG+1 folded, MP1 called and showed [Jd]. Great call. I expected to see a three or a five in his hand, so when the chips went my way, I was pleasantly surprised.

Hand 2: I agree that I should've raised the flop. It's clear to me now. You know, at first it looked as if the hand would play itself - I flop a full house against two idiots, great - but all of a sudden I hate my hand. Anyway, I called and he showed [6c] - a pure bluff.

It looks easy now, doesn't it? But I assure you that I was pretty clueless when the hands took place. I didn't expect to win, let me tell you. I find it really hard to play against the extreme player types: the maniac and the calling station. I mean, I expected to lose two hands and ended up winning both. It's that hard to put them on hands for me. That's why I needed your advice. So thanks, fellas.