Two Plus Two Older Archives  

Go Back   Two Plus Two Older Archives > Limit Texas Hold'em > Small Stakes Hold'em

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 10-30-2004, 11:49 PM
jtr jtr is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: UK
Posts: 310
Default Soft-pedalling KK against maniac?

Hello, all.

Played this 2/4 hand earlier tonight. I had only been watching villain (CO) for a few orbits but he gave every sign of being a maniac. He would bet and raise with all sorts of holdings and then fold if his opponent showed strength on the big bet streets.

Here's the hand; the thinking behind my odd play is described below.
Party Poker 2/4 Hold'em (9 handed) converter

Preflop: Hero is UTG+1 with K[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], K[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img].
<font color="666666">1 fold</font>, <font color="CC3333">Hero raises</font>, <font color="666666">3 folds</font>, CO calls, <font color="666666">3 folds</font>.

Flop: (5.50 SB) 3[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 5[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 2[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="blue">(2 players)</font>
<font color="CC3333">Hero bets</font>, <font color="CC3333">CO raises</font>, Hero calls.

Turn: (4.75 BB) 9[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] <font color="blue">(2 players)</font>
Hero checks, <font color="CC3333">CO bets</font>, Hero calls.

River: (6.75 BB) 6[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] <font color="blue">(2 players)</font>
Hero checks, <font color="CC3333">CO bets</font>, Hero calls.

Final Pot: 8.75 BB
<font color="green">Main Pot: 8.75 BB, between Hero and CO.</font>

So, did I mention he was a maniac? When I got KK against him, I was ready to play my hand hard, but the coordinated low card flop disturbed me (weak tight paranoia?). I reasoned that there was a small chance he was actually ahead, or alternatively that his hand was junk and that he would drop if I raised him. So I checked and called all the way, with a plan of check-raising him on the river, except that a scary 4-card straight came by that point. Anyway, for the record I would never play KK like this against a typical opponent. But was it reasonable in this case? Some of you will presumably argue that I should have 3-bet the flop and led the turn, except I'm not sure how I would have felt about a flop cap and a turn raise from this loon.

In addition it seemed clear from his play on previous hands that if his flop raise was just a foolish maniac move, a re-raise from me would see him putting no more money into the pot. I'm really in two minds here, and I suspect that my weak-looking line may win me 1.5BB more when my hand is good.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 10-30-2004, 11:56 PM
helpmeout helpmeout is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 991
Default Re: Soft-pedalling KK against maniac?

Weak as hell, I'd raise a pair of 2s heads up against a preflop raiser.

Either 3 bet the flop or checkraise the turn.

If he shows strength after that then call him down.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 10-31-2004, 06:03 AM
Stellastarr Stellastarr is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 57
Default Re: Soft-pedalling KK against maniac?

You have to raise or check raise somewhere here at least once, if he plays back at you, then you can go into call down mode
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 10-31-2004, 06:14 AM
GrekeHaus GrekeHaus is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Zoidberg, for THREE!
Posts: 314
Default Re: Soft-pedalling KK against maniac?

If you think there's a chance he's ahead, then he called a raise with something like 64 or 53. If he's gonna call with that, then he's just as likely or more likely to have 98 or AJ. You need to raise him at some point. Probably the flop, but if not that, then definitely the turn. Against a maniac, these are highly profitable value bets.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 10-31-2004, 07:25 AM
Nick C Nick C is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 1,582
Default Re: Soft-pedalling KK against maniac?

Since your opponent was the type of maniac that would release his hand when hopelessly behind in the face of resistance, your plan makes sense. It'd be nice to get an additional raise in, but he has to have enough to call either your turn or river check-raise. If you get it in on the turn, he'll call if he still has a chance, but he may then fold to your river bet if he doesn't improve. If you get it in on the river, he'll fold then. Either way, you win the same (so long as you do win). (And he'll also probably call on the river with something marginal, in either case.)

And, in either case, if he has more than enough to keep playing, you may get 3-bet.

One good strategy (when holding a strong hand) against opponents who love to bluff-raise but will then fold when hopelessly behind if 3-bet is to lead every street (and then call the raise).

If this maniac would only bet when he felt in control and then would sometimes quickly release, then I'd check-raise the river, like you planned to (because at least then you can see all the cards before deciding for certain to make the check-raise, and at least then you don't have to worry about him folding to you on the turn), and I'd hope he had enough to call but not enough to beat me.

But, given the board on the river, I can see why you didn't carry through with your plan.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 12:32 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.