Villain is an infamous maniac playing 80% of his hands, raising 40-50% and 3betting 5%. Postflop, he's pretty aggressive, cbetting 80% of the time, unable to fold to most draws. However spewy he may sound, he has somehow a decent postflop play, knowing when he's ahead, where he has most fold equity, where to value bet and where to polarize his range. He is also able to accurately narrow down my range against him in certain scenarios. My image was pretty tight pf, and previously he doubled me up when he flopped a gutshot straight draw against my KK.

Hand 1: 1/2 with ~$500 effective stacks

Villain on UTG+1 raised to $20, a nit called on the hijack. I was dealt KK on the button and popped it up to $97. Villain flat, nit folded.

Flop ($217): A T 6
(Tell: Villain checked his cards when the flop came.)

Villain checked and hero checked behind.

Turn ($217): 9

Villian bets $75. Hero called.

River ($367): J

Villian fires $125. Hero?

I figured he narrowed down my range to KK/QQ.. and precisely because i knew he thought he could make me fold kings in this spot, it made him even more likely to vb(b) the river regardless he has an ace/rag/smaller pair. He would be more likely to polarize by psbing the river if he made 2 pairs or broadway. Either way, against his tendencies, he is very very capable of betting the river knowing he was beat. Hence I put him exactly on an ace or any other hand that loses to KK.



Hand 2: effective stacks ~$750

There was a straddle to $4. Villain raised UTG+1 to $30. Weak tight players from EP, and button called, including myself from the hijack with 99 and the UTG (straddle).

Flop ($157): J 8 7

Checked around.

Turn ($157): J

Checked to hero and hero fires $80. Folded to villain and he flats.

River ($317): Q

Villain instant bets $150. Hero?

When he called my turn bet OOP.. I figured he had two overs. His flop betting range includes J9+/2pairs/overpairs/set/A7/A8, which i ruled out since he checked. His turn c/c range includes two overs/any fd. He couldnt have made a straight since he c/ced the turn, and even more unlikely that he would slowplay a boat since he thinks i can't lay down pp here (KK recency). I did consider raising all-in on the river if he was vbetting AQ/KQ - the only two hands that has me beat.

Have you seen him float with 2 overs here? Or call small bets with a small pair?

I think adding TT to his range is possible, although, I bet he leads the turn with TT.

Yup, if he had TT he would have definitely led the turn. So I kinda ruled that out. Plus if he had TT, I would have higher FE shoving all-in on the river against AQ/KQ.

Anyway regarding the first hand, was I playing a too passively on the flop? I figured he was very inclined to c/r me with worse there hoping I would fold my big pairs, and I didn't want to put myself in that situation.

I hate hand one. I lead at the flop for $100/$120. You can't freeze against a maniac just b/c an ace hits--you are _still_ way ahead of his range. As played, snapcall.

Hand two is trickier, I think. I think eliminating his hands on the flop depends on whether you think he would go for a c/r with a J or a str8 or a combo draw. The players like him that I know _would_ do that, so I would leave those in his range. I dunno ... he could be betting AK there, and he could have a lot of busted draws. I think that I call, but I think it's really close, and a fold is OK.

Well I can't really say I have seen him done that with 2 overs. I think it is because I feel he adjusts pretty quickly. He probably wouldn't do that against the other tight passive players on the table because he wouldn't get the implied odds if he improved on the river. He knew I am more inclined to call him down with hands like these than just folding to him when scare cards hit. In fact, he abuses the "scare card falling" strategy ever so often that most players are afraid to call him without the nuts. I have seen him done that with complete air, and also the nuts. But mostly air, because it's so well-ochestrated that his line was very much believable to be strong in the eyes of the tight passives.

What above shoving all-in for ~$350-$400 on top of the $150?

hand 1- you have to bet the flop.
hand 2- i would actually call here vs a loose villain

What worse hands will call and what better hands will fold?