Calling down a Loose Aggressive

[olavfo]

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I disagree with the whole "fish sometimes have AK also" saying, at least the concept that it would affect your play. If you think about the "sometimes" part of it, its about equal to as often as when you have AK.


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This is not about whether he has AK or not. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

You may be missing the most important point here, which is that going to war against a maniac can be risky with a hand as weak as top pair.

With this hand this there is nothing wrong with letting the maniac control the betting. Since he is near impossible to read, you need to be careful with your marginal hands and let him give you his money little by little. Those times you're behind this strategy will save you some bets.

Wait for a better hand before you start a raising war. You'll still get his money.

I totally agree with your strategy and that's what I actually do in most cases.

However it's still not a matter of worrying about AK, it's a matter of worrying about all sorts of goofy other hands that he might have (that make two pair or better).

That is why I capped it on the flop where I felt I was ahead, but then on the turn I choose to take the safe approach (after he raised), there's no way to know if the turn card helped him or not.

And for the same reason I certainly wouldnt of been the aggressor on the river where yet another card can help this guy. (which it did not that it matters)