My soul is worth 7-8 BBs (mini trip report, ethics, strategy)

[phardwid]

Just returned from 50 combined hours over 4 days of 8/16 at Diamond Lil's and 10/20 Muck. Finished up about 50 BBs. Lil's was the usual 6-7 to a flop, regardless of position or pre-flop raises. Muck was a bit tighter, but still easy, with extremely liberal steal attempts.

Two amusing incidents involving exposed hole cards:

I am on the button with QsQd. 3 limpers, loose man in cutoff limps with 3s5s. I can see his hole cards about 10% of the time and this was one incident. I raise. All call. Flop is 2c,4d,6h. Checked to cutoff who bets. I fold, very carefully.

Two days later, a weird, poor-playing, effeminate regular (singing along to the Madonna playing on his Ipod) has been showing down garbage and 3 betting (twice) with Q-10o, etc. He was stuck about $500 but is now back to even. A few people seem aware of his maniacal behavior. He seems to dislike me, though we have yet to have any meaningful interaction. I am in the BB to his immediate right with QsJh. He raises UTG with Qc10d (I see his hand prior to his raise (this was the only time I saw his hole cards)). All fold to me, I call. I bet every street on a board of 5c5s9d 7h 8c. Before each street he tells me that he has nothing but is going to call anyway. Amazingly, he calls the river! I announce Q high and before I can table my cards, he rolls over his Qc10d. I win when my J kicker plays. He mutters for awhile about which one of us played that well. (Later, I wondered what I would have done if he had bluff raised, as me calling would have looked pretty suspect). I do not comment.

He then announces that, regardless of how much he loses, he is going to try to make this the most expensive game possible for me, by raising me on every action I take, regardless of his cards. This strategy does not bother me, as I am able to limp re-raise with JJ and drag a big pot, get heads up with KQo vs his 10d6c, and win a battle of the blinds when I raise his BB with A5o and he calls down every street with 33 on a board of A5J K 4.

I assume one can play this situation as one would play against a maniac to one's immediate left? Note that he will never fold against me, but may not necessarily raise if bet into or bet if I check.

Unfortunately I get no playable cards for the next 30 mins, which seems to please him greatly, as he keeps telling me that I am unable to adjust to his superior strategy. I apologize for the earlier hand, trying to settle him down, telling him that I was only bluffing and didn't think he'd call. This does not pacify him. An hour later, I tell him to remember to protect his hand as I am racking up to drive home... [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]