[Buzz]

Scruff - You do have an above average starting hand for one-on-one play, but I don't think of your cards as being exceptional. Once you have the pair of aces, the pair of jacks doesn't add much value for heads-up play. For heads-up play, it would be much better if you had a low card to go along with your aces in place of one of the jacks.

I do like the aces plus the jacks for multi-opponent play. Having one of the aces suited is nice, and is also better for multi-opponent play.

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Everything went perfect. Cutoff and Big Blind are both maniacs, and the play to limp reraise one of them to get it heads up worked.

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The play worked, but seems to have been expensive. And now what?

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Should this have been my strategy?

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I don't think I want to end up one-on-one out of position with anyone, including a maniac - maybe especially against a maniac. You figure to not particularly like the flop three times out of four with your starting hand.

So here you are on one of the three times out of four when you do not particularly like your fit with the flop. Your pair of aces is probably a winner for high, but maybe not, you have no shot at all at low, you check, and you're looking at a pot sized bet. I think you should have seen this coming, three times out of four.

What could you have done to have avoided the dilemma you now face?

I think two things:
• 1. Don't raise $29 before the flop.
• 2. Bet the flop yourself.

Either one of these is better than the way you played it. But both of them is better still.

Just my opinion.

Buzz