Dealing with maniac and semi-maniac preflop

atnels · #1 01-31-2005, 02:38 PM

Party Poker 0.5/1 Hold'em (9 handed) converter

Preflop: Hero is CO with Q[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], J[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img].
1 fold, UTG+1 calls, MP1 calls, MP2 calls, MP3 calls, Hero calls, Button raises, 1 fold, BB 3-bets, UTG+1 calls, MP1 folds, MP2 calls, MP3 calls, Hero calls, Button calls.

Been at the table for ~50 hands. Button is super agressive preflop. If he's got suited cards we're playing for two bets. Postflop he does throw away hands but if there's any shot of hitting a hand he will raise and reraise. BB seems to be an intellegent player, but has taken a few bad beats from Button.

With all the limpers, I limped with QJs hoping that Button would raise and build the pot. He obliged, but then when the BB reraised I wasn't sure of the correct play. The three cold-calls in front of me made me decide to call also, fully expecting a cap behind me. This was despite the alarms going off about cold-calling....

First question: was calling two bets cold foolish?

Second question: I had seen the BB reraise with marginal holdings (low pairs, any ace) in (presumably) an attempt to isolate the Button. When caught in situations like this (out of position between raisers), is it wise to simply stay out of the way with hands you would normally limp with to avoid throwing bets away when your MP A9s limp comes back to you raised and reraised?

QTip · #2 01-31-2005, 02:51 PM

Man...I really like this post. I've ran into a couple of maniacs like this and tried to formulate strategies. I've been sitting to the immediate right of the maniac and played a lot like the BB in your post. Even ATos I 3 bet. Then it was just the maniac and I for about 95% of these times. It must have drove the rest of the table nuts...but what can you do outside of finding another game. My plan didn't work too well. I was about break even because of beats from the maniac. I've never been to the right of the maniac. However, in your story I think I would have called.

Ever since then, I've just been finding new games instead of trying to adjust to the maniac. It's definitely something I need to figure out. It seems like if you just waited for hands that could handle a raise PF, you would be folding about 95% of your hands. It just doesn't seem like it would be profitable.

DMBFan23 · #3 01-31-2005, 02:57 PM

hi atnels,

I probably would have raised preflop myself here, but given that you did not I think you have to call the two more back to you. if the limpers call it's an auto call, but even if some do not you have good relative position on a verifiable nut, and a pretty good hand to boot. you just can't get attached to a single Q or J.

zuluking · #4 01-31-2005, 02:58 PM

You must raise this hand pre-flop in this situation.