You are short bankrolled and scared to lose it, and he's a maniac. So sit patiently and wait for KK-AA and shove. Or better yet minraise and let him put you all-in. Don't even play AQ-AK. Maniacs gonna maniac.

Very tight set-or-better miner isnt going to do that much better, IMO... also its somewhat situation dependent, but most times, stacking 50bbs deep with TPTK isnt that terrible (certainly not as terrible as setmining 50bbs deep)

Raise flop. Fold to further aggression.

Or get up and find another table.

av wait time for AA/KK is like 3 hours and around $30 in blinds... and youre not getting called that often when you shove unless maniac is a complete drooler....

This would not be my strategy. Let's assume that Villain is a decent LAG and not a gambling maniac (my strategy would be different if he were the latter).

LAGs make money by pushing around fit or fold players. They raise big, c-bet, and count on players to give up unless they make a real hand. Thus, he keeps pressuring them with bets -- pounding scare cards -- until they fold.

The last part is the key: the LAG knows that players are waiting to stick it to him when they make a hand. So what does he do? He gives up when he runs into resistance. He's in most pots with a marginal hand, and so a decent LAG has learned to back off when someone wants to play back at him.

How should this translate into a proper counter-strategy? 3 things:

1. Find a seat in position on him, if possible.

2. Raise with your weaker hands.

3. Call with your stronger hands.

These fixes exploit the LAGs primary leaks: he's loose, he bets light, and he attacks perceived weakness. You counter this by isolating him, re-raising him with your weaker hands that have decent equity against a wide range, and letting him attack you when you have a real hand.

For more counter-strategy advice, buy Ed Miller's book, "Playing the Player." Good luck.

i didn't mean that he should play tighter. sorry if it sounded that way. anyway not a strat forum, right? =)

OP doesn't seem capable... so, get an mp3 player and wait for premium hands.

leaving the variance and exploitation to the rest of us.

Actually, i had willck's post (wait for a premium and fold) in mind when i typed my response, and no idea why i ended up quoting yours.

Well, i suppose we could always turn it into another bankroll debate..

:innocent:

lol this... also good tips from everyone, thanks...i'll reload and take your guys tips to heart and try it out... this week is my big poker week to learn in live play...a week in vegas and no wife this trip.. thx re flamingo tip, i'll also try ph... seems like some decent players here mgm along w/us fish... scared money strategy is right... i think i'll wait for 2pr/trips minimum on non draw rich boards and stop overbetting tptk from now on...my fave hand is Ax suited on flop w/2 matching suits to get nut flush draw, then shove w flush, though that happens maybe 1x in 20hrs...thx all.

reshoving with three to a flush is going to get paid off exactly zero percent of the time... well... maybe on the little tables it might.

I must agree. People that play tight and wait for hands generally get no action when they bet, and cleaned when they get trapped. The days of ABC poker are dying, you must have more range in your game to be successful, IMO.

Excalibur is probably the nittiest room in Vegas right now, and the MGM isn't what it used to be. While 20 is a bit big, 12-14 is totally standard, and a damn fine way to get chasers off your pot and isolate.

I will be in town for a wedding staying right near the MGM, excalibur, luxor, tropicana...probably will only be able to play a little bit mid day.

I assume MGM is probably the best option of those four for some decent day games right?

Correct

my gf was the Nationals Final Rodeo is based out of the MGM too...I supposed there will be some degen drunk cowboys in the games this weekend.....

Your GF was the rodeo? Get yourself checked out.

should be "gf said" pretty lol typo

Too funny!

This. When I was there in July I couldn't resist, and quit the game and hit the dance floor. Epic night.

That's precisely the wrong strategy and I see it all the time. Aggro guy comes to a table and everybody tightens up. The aggro guy chips up easily. Then finally you see a nit check-raise and the aggro guy folds obviously.

Loosen up. If he's raising 50% of the time, re-raise him with anything in the top 30% of hands.

be willing to get it in with the best hand pre flop... that's the best way to shut these guys up.

Just arrived in vegas driving from Phoenix...gf booked some dinky room at the desert rose shell vacations property literally right behind Hooters and across the street from MGM. Going play some late night cards...tropicana MGM or hooters???

You know trop and hooters have no poker room right?

Lol nope guess my decision is easy

MGM is tighttrttttt no donkeys