Strategy Adjustment with TWO Maniacs at the Table

[Warik]

I played an extremly LAG game this morning at the local indian card room. Game is Hold'em Straight $2 ($2 is the min bet on all streets).

There were two players who on every single hand (when I say every single hand, I mean every single hand) capped the betting at $8 preflop, on the flop, on the turn, and on the river. One of them even did this with 2,7 and mucked face up on the river.

Completely completely maniacal game... and there were always 2-3 loose-passive players along for the ride.

Basically the game's an ATM when you have cards and an armed mugger when you don't, so I tried to tighten up as best as I could and only play when I had the best of it. Won two pots in the time I was there... once with TPTK (AK) and other with a set of sixes on the flop.

My concern is that I might have tightened up TOO much. I only played big cards (J-A), pocket pairs looking for sets, and AXs + KXs in LP looking to flop a four-flush. Did I tighten up too much? What would you do in this situation?

[pudley4]

[ QUOTE ]
What would you do in this situation?

[/ QUOTE ]

Find another game. Seriously, it's soooooo boring. You play a hand every couple of orbits. If the flop doesn't hit you right between the eyes, you fold. Rinse. Repeat.

Throw out the Axs and Kxs. Play only mid or high pairs (99 and above), and big suited cards (AKs, AQs, maybe AJs and KQs). Everything else hits the muck.

[Tosh]

I think you played too loose.

In this game play only AA-JJ, AK and AQs. Even consider mucking JJ and AQs.

[1800GAMBLER]

You should sit closest to the bar, it's going to be a long and boring night.

[Warik]

It was long and it was boring but I did turn a profit and will probably think twice about getting involved with two maniacs again. They had two racks full when I started. One busted out before I left and the other was on his way. The chips will go where they belong eventually but it could be a boring ride. I'll be sure to go with a friend or bring a book to read next time. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[Tosh]

On the plus side a partially trained monkey could probably make a long run profit in these games.

[Warik]

I don't have to think about it - I was the monkey. I knew 2 basic actions:

if ([my hand] > [cutoff point])
{
call();
}
else
{
fold_and_shuffle_chips();
}

check-raise? free card? pot odds? They meant nothing in this game. I was on auto-pilot. If I could endure the boredom and sit there 4 more hours I could have won enough to tee off at Doral next weekend. =)

[ColoradoHarv]

I would walk. The same thing happens here in Colorado. The state set a $5 max bet limit so half the games are $2-$5 spread limit, and the rest are $5-$5 fixed limit with two $5 blinds and 5 raise max ($30 total).

You need to find a place that has higher limit games for the maniacs to play at and leave your game to the "normal" players.

[PokerNoob]

This is interesting because I was recently at a table like this with two ultimate maniacs. They both played almost every hand, only bet or raised until perhaps the last street and then showed down mostly garbage although they would catch cards from time to time. They had built up some nice stacks, mainly because other players would fold the turn when it came to them raised.

I adjusted my play to play only big cards and play them for a raise preflop to at least try to isolate from any of the other players. The other players usually stayed out of the isolating player's way. If one didn't, you knew they had a huge hand too.

The big score that comes to mind was when I had AJo in MP and raise a couple of limpers, maniacs cap. Flop comes A86, I cap the maniacs. Turn is a K and the maniacs slow down and only call me. I guess I should have checkraised, but maybe they were getting the picture that they were behind. River is a J, but I didn't need it. All call my river bet. One poor limper was on a flush draw, one had a lesser ace, maniac one had pocket threes, maniac two had J9o. I take down a 25BB pot.

[Tosh]

FWIW I don't think you should be involved with AJo when you expect to paying 10-12 BBs to get through the hand.

[aces_full]

I agree with the boring part. I was playing yesterday at Paradise .05/.1 to give me something to do in between tournament hands. There was this one jackass who would raise pre-flop EVERY SINGLE HAND! I kid you not, if you called, he raised, if you raised, he re-raised, if you raised back, he capped it, regardless of his cards. He would do this on every street. If it was checked around to him he bet. If someone bet in front of him, he would raise. His stupid behavior had a strange effect on the table. A couple of other players started firing right back at him regardless of their cards. As a result, the betting was almost always capped on every street on every hand. Thank goodness this was micro limit. Most of the other players were calling stations, going along for the ride for 3 bets cold, only to abandon their hands on later streets. The maniac ran his $3 buy-in at the table up to nearly $25 in a short amount of time. I only got involved in one hand with him. I had AA in the SB. He called pre-flop, this time. I raised from SB, and of course, he re-raised. I capped. I bet the flop, he raised, and I got re-raised by another player.Capped on every street. I ended up losing when the maniac spiked a gutshot straight on the river.

I really hate playing against these types. Especially when I don't get premium hands. It's a long boring wait. Of course this idiot ended up pissing away all his money and leaving. On the very next hand I had AsJs and flopped AJJ. I slowplayed it and made out good on the river when somebody made a flush. Too bad Mr. Maniac wasn't in there to fatten up that pot.

[Michael Davis]

This described at least 40% of the live action low limit games in LA.

You should absolutely not leave these games, but you should expect relatively severe beatings a lot more often than in "normal" games.

These games are sickeningly boring to play in; I usually have to resort to headphones just to keep from bludgeoning myself to death. You need to play premium cards only, and ram & jam with them when you get them. AJo is definitely not a good enough hand to play in these games.

There is a section discussing this type of game in HEFAP.

-Michael

[Webster]

I have a very simple strategy with 2 maniacs - find a new table. I like to be the aggressive guy and not somebody else.

[LikesToLose]

I couldn't imagine ever getting up from this table. I'd probably burst my bladder to avoid missing a hand.

I don't even see the need to tighten up against them. That seems counter productive. If they will cap all the way with me with any hand, wouldn't I WANT to play to top 45% of starting hands if I can get heads up?

Opps, just remembered that it was 2 maniacs, so ignore the 45%, but I still don't think I would play tighter than normal.