Texas Hold'em Hand Play-By-Play Example - Adjusting to the Maniac Player
Playing against a loose, aggressive, maniac-style player can be very difficult if you do not adjust your game.
The aggressive, maniac bettor will bet big at pots, whether he has a great hand or nothing at all. This kind
of strategy works well against a passive table, where the maniac bettor ends up stealing many, many pots. I have
to be very careful playing against this type of player, because my normal strategy will have me fold my winning
hands to this player. Knowing your opponent, his style of play, and adjusting your game to that player will
help you win against this maniac style.
When playing against this type of player heads-up, I tend to ignore the top card on board, assuming this maniac player
is not holding top pair. Of course, this is very dangerous to do in any other situation, but against the maniac,
this is a pretty decent strategy.
In the below hand, I am dealt JTo in early position and limp in. Our maniac is seated on the button, where he will
basically play any two cards.
The flop comes 3 K J, two spades. I bet small with my pair of Jacks to see if anyone has the King. The maniac
calls, which is not surprising, and everyone else folds.
The turn brings a 7 of clubs. I check and so does the maniac. So, the maniac does not have a King, and probably
not a Jack, and probably not a 7 (he would have bet here if he made 7's). Maybe Ace high, or chasing the spade flush.
The river brings a 7 of diamonds. The flush was not made. The maniac's hand, in my estimation, did not improve.
I put in a value bet of $1, and the maniac, like clockwork, raises it up to $8.
Now, against a normal player, I would have laid this hand down immediately, assuming he had a pair of Kings (weak kicker)
or trip 7's. But against the maniac, I immediately called. I assumed I had the best hand when I put in my value bet, and
his wild decisions were not going to change my mind. I called his raise, check it out:
***** Hand History for Game XXXX *****
0/0 TexasHTGameTable (NL) - Sat Feb 14 21:19:19 EST 2004
Table Card Room Table 3670 (Real Money) -- Seat 5 is the button
Total number of players : 10
Seat 1: Player1 ( $34.85)
Seat 2: Player2 ( $33.90)
Seat 3: Player3 ( $25)
Seat 4: Player4 ( $18.15)
Seat 5: Player5 ( $43)
Seat 6: Player6 ( $18.10)
Seat 7: Player7 ( $28.45)
Seat 8: FlopTurnRiver ( $20.95)
Seat 9: Player9 ( $19.75)
Seat 10: Player10 ( $27.90)
Player6 posts small blind (0.25)
Player7 posts big blind (0.50)
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to FlopTurnRiver [ Ts, Jc ]
FlopTurnRiver calls (0.50)
Player9 calls (0.50)
Player10 folds.
Player1 folds.
Player2 folds.
Player4 folds.
Player5 calls (0.50)
Player6 calls (0.25)
Player7 checks.
** Dealing Flop ** : [ 3s, Kd, Js ]
Player6 checks.
Player7 checks.
FlopTurnRiver bets (1.50)
Player9 folds.
Player5 calls (1.50)
Player6 folds.
Player7 folds.
** Dealing Turn ** : [ 7c ]
FlopTurnRiver checks.
Player5 checks.
** Dealing River ** : [ 7d ]
FlopTurnRiver bets (1)
Player5 raises (7.90) to 7.90
FlopTurnRiver calls (6.90)
** Summary **
Main Pot: $20.25 | Rake: $1.05
Board: [ 3s Kd Js 7c 7d ]
Player1 balance $34.85, didn't bet (folded)
Player2 balance $33.90, didn't bet (folded)
Player3 balance $25, sits out
Player4 balance $18.15, didn't bet (folded)
Player5 balance $33.10, lost $9.90 [ 3h Qh ] [ two pairs, sevens and threes -- Kd,7c,7d,3h,3s ]
Player6 balance $17.60, lost $0.50 (folded)
Player7 balance $27.95, lost $0.50 (folded)
FlopTurnRiver balance $31.30, bet $9.90, collected $20.25, net +$10.35 [ Ts Jc ] [ two pairs, jacks and sevens -- Kd,Jc,Js,7c,7d ]
Player9 balance $19.25, lost $0.50 (folded)
Player10 balance $27.90, didn't bet (folded)
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