Playing against an UTG straddle

[JoeyT]

Yesterday I was in a 5/10 game sitting just behind a complete maniac for a while. Everytime he became UTG, he would post a $10 straddle. How do you play against these players? I felt like I should 3-bet to try to isolate with even decent hands, but in this loose of a game I probably would have gotten a few cold callers in there. It was annoying thinking about what to do with hands like KJ in this situation... where they're almost definitely better than the blind straddlers hand, but not good enough to stand up to anyone that calls the 3 cold.

Thanks

[JohnM]

/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif Raise anyway! /forums/images/icons/laugh.gif You have to love a straddle when you are in early position, even in a loose game. You should raise wilth any hand with which you would have limped UTG. While it may be true that you will be behind anyone that will call 3 cold, you will win more than those times that you loose. The 3 bet is guaranteed to thim most any field.
gl - john

[Pot-A]

I would have to disagree with John. If the game is loose you don't buy yourself anything by raising a relatively weak hand like KJo. Everybody knows it's an isolation raise, so they'll call you if they have something decent.

I play extra tight in this situation. You're still UTG +1, so you don't have any information about the other players yet. If you raise with KJo and it gets capped, you're probably dead meat, but you'll call anyway. Four bets (clutches forehead "how did I get in this situation?").

The value of this and any other maniac in a loose game is the fact that your premium hands pay more than normal, not your mediocre hands. So wait for a group one hand and then three-bet him.

I know it's tempting to call or raise with normal limping hands, and it's boring to sit and throw everything away. On the other hand, you are in a very bad position unless everyone else folds.

Of course, if it's a weak passive game go ahead and pump it up.