Adjusting to a maniac.

[Entity]

I've played with maniacs plenty in full ring games, and have developed lots of ways to deal with them. Right now, I've got one in a 6-max game, and it's a whole new experience. He's bet and raised most hands (all but two) all the way to the river. He's making the rest of the table play in a very tilty way, which is causing me to have to re-evaluate my play as well. It's crazy: One pair hands are winning pots of 30-40BB.

Any comments on how to deal with this sort of player? I'm off to his right.

Party Poker 1/2 Hold'em (6 max, 5 handed)

Preflop: Hero is Button with Q/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, A/images/graemlins/heart.gif. UTG posts a blind of $1.
MP calls, <font color="CC3333">Hero raises</font>, SB calls, BB folds, <font color="CC3333">UTG (poster) 3-bets</font>, MP calls, Hero calls, <font color="CC3333">SB caps</font>, UTG calls, MP calls, Hero calls.

Flop: (16.50 SB) J/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 4/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 2/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="blue">(4 players)</font>
<font color="CC3333">UTG bets</font>, MP folds, <font color="CC3333">Hero raises</font>, <font color="CC3333">SB 3-bets</font>, <font color="CC3333">UTG caps</font>, Hero calls, SB calls.

Turn: (14.25 BB) 4/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="blue">(3 players)</font>
<font color="CC3333">UTG bets</font>, Hero calls, <font color="CC3333">SB raises</font>, UTG calls, Hero calls.

River: (20.25 BB) J/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="blue">(3 players)</font>
UTG checks, Hero checks, <font color="CC3333">SB bets</font>, UTG calls, Hero calls.

Final Pot: 23.25 BB

[Apocalypse]

i think its okayy...mmkay?

[runa]

I don't see how you could have played this particular hand any differently. In general they will distort the odds, so you should do everything in your power to get them heads up and take down a big pot with a decent holding. If there is a third person in the pot it makes it much harder for you to continue with any marginal holdings since its now a protected pot and you might get stuck in the middle of a raising war.

[MisterKing]

River is a tough decision. Probably a lot of split pots at this point, I'd think. If the non-maniac in the hand is even remotely credible, I would strongly consider folding instead of overcalling on the river.

I'll second the advice of getting the maniac HU. I play pretty close to maniac-style in 5max, at least PF and flop, and as a consequence I'm able to win a ton of pots without the best hand. The times I lose are usually when someone realizes what I'm doing and starts re-raising me on the flop.