Marginal Hands with Position and a Maniac LAG from hell

NYCNative · #1 08-23-2005, 06:08 AM

I have position on this guy who has a VP$IP of 55 and a PFR% of 27. This far he has played a J3o from the 5 seat, raised with a 54o from the 3 seat and raised with A7o, K2o and Q5o from one behind the button.

Another interesting thing is that he doesn't checkraise. After a flop he will either check-fold or make a continuation bet. He will fold to a reraise here if he has nothing but he will call even rather large raises here even with very marhinal holdings (including a push with nothing but an open-ended straight draw on a three-flush flop - he was drawing dead it turned out).

When I have a marginal holding here, what is the best course of action? Folding to his raises all the time is ridiculous. I have been calling and hoping to hit a flop. If I did, I got quite aggressive, even if all I had was top pair, scary kicker. I haven't reraised him PF without a premium hand or at least AK. Essentially I tried to outflop him, but I get the feeling that even with position that this is -EV in the long run even when I did have better starting hands (since his raising hands were so questionable).

What is the best action against this type of player?

EDIT: This is at the $100 NL tables at UB if it matters

jjacky · #2 08-23-2005, 06:24 AM

how does he play on the turn and river if he made a continuation bet on the flop and had nothing / close to nothing?

NYCNative · #3 08-23-2005, 06:52 AM

He will fold to a reraise - even a minreraise - unless he has *something* and this *something* can be as little as a gutshot straight or bottom pair.

fuzzbox · #4 08-23-2005, 07:29 AM

Keep trying to catch a flop, and prefer limping in or just calling him with hands like JJ-AA, and let him bluff the flop, and then you hit him with a raise and hope he caught the "something" that causes him to call all his chips off.

NYCNative · #5 08-23-2005, 07:53 AM

Nice. So play the "prospecting" hands like suited connectors, small pairs and weak Aces AND monsters alike knowing that I can take his stack when either of them hits assuming I can outplay him on the flop when they hit (and get away when they don't). And the monsters don't NEED to hit to hold up and they're disguised.

How do I feel when I smoothcall his raise with Kings and an Ace flops though and how about the other players in the game?

warlockjd · #6 08-23-2005, 11:27 AM

Battle preflop. 4x his raise with 88 up and ATo up incl KQs, autobet flop if HU.

jjacky · #7 08-23-2005, 01:14 PM

will he bet again on later streets if you call?

MTBlue · #8 08-23-2005, 01:48 PM

Greenstein had some good advice in his book about playing against that type of player. He suggest reraising him frequently with things like a9o and K8o because they are favorites over his random hands. The other suggestion was to downgrade your value bets like betting second pair on board like top pair and top pair like two pair etc. I really try to take the play away from this type of opponents raising and reraising frequently with marginal- good hands.

beset7 · #9 08-23-2005, 02:41 PM

isolate by escalating preflop and then get all your money in on the flop as a favorite (i.e. play Poker).

Post hands.

runnerunner · #10 08-23-2005, 02:50 PM

[ QUOTE ]
How do I feel when I smoothcall his raise with Kings and an Ace flops though and how about the other players in the game?

[/ QUOTE ]

You feel like $%^&, the better way to combat the maniac is to reraise preflop with any pair greater than 5s and any broadway combo. Take his play away before the flop and he'll slow down or find a new table. Be careful about doing this when there are other players in the pot or you will get yourself into some bad spots.