Ever played with a crazy sane player?

[yimyammer]

I played some 5/10 limit hold'em last night with a player who raised, reraised or capped virtually every hand and was an overall winner for the night. I then watched him as he jumped to 20/40 where he did the same thing there.

This reminded me of several other occasions where I played with similar players (one being Mike Matusow years ago at a 4/8 limit game at Sams Town where the room was full of people trying to hit the 50k bad beat jackpot).

All these players had similar traits:

1. They all won big
2. They got the whole table gambling
3. They constantly controlled the action, even freezing players with better hands becuase everyone was so confused.
4. All the pots got huge
5. They knew where they were at but you never knew where they were at
6. They managed to lose a smallish amount when they lost.
7. They won huge pots when they won that seemed to compensate them for the money they put in the pots they lost.
8. Virtually no-one would fold against him if they even had something as small as bottom pair.

I dont seem to have the personallity to play like this, but it got me thinking.

Was I up against a lucky and crazy player or was I against a crazy sane player who is actually successful implementing this strategy?

Anyone else have stories where they have been against guys like this?

Notice I am distinguishing these players from the guys who are just plain nutz and eventually go broke.

[Justin A]

This tends to happen to me when I'm very drunk and playing low limits. It's a losing way to play, but it's not that hard to go on a big rush and win quite a bit for a while, the variance of playing like this is extremely high.

Also, if you happen to be playing in a game where nobody folds preflop, then you can gain quite an edge because you're not giving anything up preflop and you outplay them postflop.

[HavanaBanana]

I am that player.

If the setting is right.

Not easy online unless you are on a smaller site where players do not multitable, see they have to pay attention to go 'gambling' with you.

It is fun, and you get so many players way out of their comfort zone that they make lots of mistakes.

Many of you 17 vp%ip 'poker' players out there will not understand that this is possible, like you can not understand that 30% is winable too.

Live a little!

ToT

[yimyammer]

I'm like that short handed and crush games with passive players, but everytime I try crazy [censored] like this at a full table, all I seem to do is piss my money away.

It seems like dancing on a high wire to me and takes a real talent to pull off, so mega-kudos to you.

Are you just raising recklessly or do you have an excellant ability to read your opponants? Whats the trick to being successful at this style (besides a larger bankroll and a tolerance for fluctuations)?

[lil feller]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm like that short handed and crush games with passive players, but everytime I try crazy [censored] like this at a full table, all I seem to do is piss my money away.

It seems like dancing on a high wire to me and takes a real talent to pull off, so mega-kudos to you.

Are you just raising recklessly or do you have an excellant ability to read your opponants? Whats the trick to being successful at this style (besides a larger bankroll and a tolerance for fluctuations)?

[/ QUOTE ]

Making this style works depends greatly on your situational awareness, and on your ability to use your position, be you in or out of it. You need to be able to manipulate every pot you continue to be involved in, get value when you have the goods and draw cheaply when you have few outs. Its a very difficult balance. You also have to run good, this style doesn't work if you aren't showing down some winning hands. They don't have to be big, or premium starters, but they have to win.

lf