Need Strategy to Beat Hyper-Aggressive Player

I'm an average amateur player and have been playing in the Amateur Poker League in my area for about a month now. I recently finished reading Dan Harrington's first volume on strategic play. Here's my problem. In the book Dan advocates a defense method against hyper-aggressive players which he calls "The Hammer"--that is, you make a big re-raise when you have a decent to good hand before the flop. Unfortunately for me (and other frustrated players at our local tourneys) there is a certain hyper-aggressive player (I also think he has OCD, because he has to touch everything at the table and arrange the chips in neat stacks before he can let the hand continue, but that's another issue) whose strategy is to go all-in almost every hand. Obviously, most players can't afford to call an all-in bet in the first round of a tournament except with AA, KK or maybe QQ. And even when someone does get frustrated and call with a slightly lesser hand (AK is a good example) he'll often draw out on them with a hand like J6. The problem is really this: no one can afford to call him except with a REALLY BIG hand and a REALLY BIG hand only comes about 1 in every 100 hands. But if no one calls, then he steals the blinds every... single... hand. I can't reraise him, because he's all-in. Do I just have to wait for that AA or should I be calling him down with 87 suited and other potential drawing hands like that?

[sfer]

Do some simulations and get in there and gamble.

id say wait until the moron busts out, then play some poker. im sure he busts out early about 90% of the time; unless the people at the table are so pussified that they only call with bullets.

Against this type of maniac, yo have to take risks IF you want to build a chip stack. If he is moving in every hand, I would call with pocket 9's or higher, AK, and AQ. You have to take risks to build chips in a tournament, you cannot be afraid of him drawing out on you. Getting your mone in as a favorite is the best you can do.

[EStreet20]

I didn't read HOH because I rarely, if ever play tourneys. Howeever in cash games as well as tounreys this is called having a read on your opponent. I;m not trying to sound sarcastic but you have to think about the situation you're in and what his range of hands he'll push with. If that's me and he pushes I look at my position, if it's folded to me and I'm closing the betting I'll call with many pocket pairs (99 or higher, sometimes lower) AK-AJ, possibly AT or A9 too and probably A7 suited or above. I know this is ridiculous tourney strategy but it's basically the same as the way you describe the hammer. He's trying to bull the game and not expecting a call. Your call, if you have the best hand a good majority of the time, if the same as a bigt reraise.

Good luck,
Matt

obviously depends on the stack size(s) vs blinds but at some point you have to take a stand and call (ideally when you have him covered)

position matters too - be more apt to raise aggressively with good, but not necessarily huge, hands if you act before the aggro preflop; your play will be more straightforward if you act after him

i think the bottom line is you have to (selectively) play more hands against him than simply AA, KK, AK, QQ and take some chances....

You get dealt a pocket pair between every 16 and 17 hands, and against a maniac you have the whole table working against one player.

I generally sit this one out and only call with extremely large hands to his crazy all-ins. I consider myself a solid player and I don't want to reduce my equity edge to a AK vs J9 64/36 type of situation. You're ahead, but 36% chance to win a hand is large enough to make you see red when they hit their cards and you don't. I'd rather profit off people's mistakes where they have 0-20% chance to win the hand.

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You get dealt a pocket pair between every 16 and 17 hands, and against a maniac you have the whole table working against one player.

I generally sit this one out and only call with extremely large hands to his crazy all-ins. I consider myself a solid player and I don't want to reduce my equity edge to a AK vs J9 64/36 type of situation. You're ahead, but 36% chance to win a hand is large enough to make you see red when they hit their cards and you don't. I'd rather profit off people's mistakes where they have 0-20% chance to win the hand.

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This means that if you saw your opponents cards and he went all in with A2, you wouldnt call with KK? Getting your money in as a favorite is what makes you a good player.....

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You get dealt a pocket pair between every 16 and 17 hands, and against a maniac you have the whole table working against one player.

I generally sit this one out and only call with extremely large hands to his crazy all-ins. I consider myself a solid player and I don't want to reduce my equity edge to a AK vs J9 64/36 type of situation. You're ahead, but 36% chance to win a hand is large enough to make you see red when they hit their cards and you don't. I'd rather profit off people's mistakes where they have 0-20% chance to win the hand.

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This means that if you saw your opponents cards and he went all in with A2, you wouldnt call with KK? Getting your money in as a favorite is what makes you a good player.....

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There's so many factors out there, that it's easy to say "LawL mAsTeR Lj, ur a neWb-e fer Playin' so tite 'ginst a maniak."

To answer your question, yes I would call. KK is a huge hand. I'd put that maniac in his place (75/25), or shrug it off if he outdraws me.

There's really three situations you look for when you're all in pre flop:

1. Higher pp than your opponent (80/20)
2. Same high card, higher kicker (AK vs AQ) (75/25)
3. pp over your opponent's kicker, or pp over both your opponent's cards (75/25 and 85/15 respectively)

Anything else gives your opponent a significant chance of winning. 32-48% is nothing to scoff at, and yes you *may* be at an advantage but your goal is to not only get your money in with the higher chance to win, but to get it in a spot with the highest chance to win. There's no urgency in NL cash games. If you don't lik the smell of a situation, wait for a better spot. This could mean folding a fantastic hand... I'd rather be in the driver's seat.

[SmackinYaUp]

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You get dealt a pocket pair between every 16 and 17 hands, and against a maniac you have the whole table working against one player.

I generally sit this one out and only call with extremely large hands to his crazy all-ins. I consider myself a solid player and I don't want to reduce my equity edge to a AK vs J9 64/36 type of situation. You're ahead, but 36% chance to win a hand is large enough to make you see red when they hit their cards and you don't. I'd rather profit off people's mistakes where they have 0-20% chance to win the hand.

[/ QUOTE ]

This means that if you saw your opponents cards and he went all in with A2, you wouldnt call with KK? Getting your money in as a favorite is what makes you a good player.....

[/ QUOTE ]

There's so many factors out there, that it's easy to say "LawL mAsTeR Lj, ur a neWb-e fer Playin' so tite 'ginst a maniak."

To answer your question, yes I would call. KK is a huge hand. I'd put that maniac in his place (75/25), or shrug it off if he outdraws me.

There's really three situations you look for when you're all in pre flop:

1. Higher pp than your opponent (80/20)
2. Same high card, higher kicker (AK vs AQ) (75/25)
3. pp over your opponent's kicker, or pp over both your opponent's cards (75/25 and 85/15 respectively)

Anything else gives your opponent a significant chance of winning. 32-48% is nothing to scoff at, and yes you *may* be at an advantage but your goal is to not only get your money in with the higher chance to win, but to get it in a spot with the highest chance to win. There's no urgency in NL cash games. If you don't lik the smell of a situation, wait for a better spot. This could mean folding a fantastic hand... I'd rather be in the driver's seat.

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Actually, NL cash games are better places to make barely +EV plays than tourneys. I agree with everything else you said though.