Last hand of the series. 8/9 handed

Hero is YAG with solid image. Actively raising and taking hands down with aggression. Hero has around $600.

Villain is a middle-aged Indian guy who is going absolutely wild with aggression. Probably should be considered a maniac rather than a hyperlag. He has around $400-500 in his stack, and has a sizable chunk of his stack to hero. Hero hasn't said much to villain, but he's been noticeably less chatty after value-owning himself and bluffing into hero.

Blinds post, and Villain in UTG makes it $15. Folds, and hero looks at AKo. Hero makes it $45. Folds back to Villain who calls.

Flop ($94) comes KJTr. Villain checks. Hero checks behind.

Turn ($184) is a low card, completing the rainbow. Villain leads $45. Hero calls.

River is another low card. Villain bets $125. Hero ???



Looking back, after making the read that villain is a maniac, I think the argument for making the 3! to $55-60 can be warranted. I detected he was tilting and had the perception I was getting after him.

My rationale for checking back flop is that this board texture benefits the caller's range more than it does mine. Villain can have JT, QJ, KQ, and some sets in this formation. I think its a bit MUBsy to check this flop. In retrospect, I think betting 1/3-1/2 pot is okay here. Plenty of worst hands can continue, and his pair + SD have to continue. At the time, I think trapping is a great way for him to barrel into me with his airballs and draws. He frequently attacks checks with determined aggression from prior hands and I think he will not slow down. If he does, I can start betting.

When villain leads, I'm happy to let him barrel into me. However, in hindsight, because of the wetness of the board, I think it makes more sense to raise here. There are plenty of equity changing runouts (board pairs, As, and 9s). I beat bluffs and have a solid, but vulnerable value hand.

On the river, facing a 2/3rd bet, I'm happy to call down. The board hasn't changed in texture and all draws miss. I'm only losing to flopped two pairs and occasionally pocket tens here, and I block some of the two pair combos. (KT, KJ). KQ can still be going for value here given a fairly passive line I took.

In general, in position and facing maniac opponents, should we be checking back our stronger hands to strengthen our checking range and have hands to call down when facing aggression on subsequent streets?

I think your thought processes are good. Yes size up vs maniacs with the goods. I like the flop checkback, because getting c/r on a wet board that smashes his range, or could be air, is really icky. Yes raise turn for value, especially for that sizing from Villain. Plenty of times the checkback flop/raise turn line will cause maniacs to spaz and spew off, which is fine. Like a mentor of mine once said (pardon the politically incorrect term): “with maniacs, sometimes you just gotta jiggle their r*t*rd switch.”

I think you’ve made the correct observations, but drawn the wrong conclusion. Maniacs love to bet and raise, often with very weak holdings. When we have very strong holdings, like AK preflop, or premiums, we want to raise them quite firmly, up to and including all of it preflop.

When we have marginal holdings, or vulnerable showdown value against a drawy texture, we should play to get to showdown cheaply, with him in the lead, for less than stacks. This is much easier to do in position than out of, which is why that’s so important, as ever.

Of course if we’re talking about like an 80+ VPIP maniac, then just bet flop and get it in vs a check raise.

There’s different levels of crazy or tilting, depends on your reads.

Your pot size on turn is still 94. His bet is half pot and for many reasons we should be just calling turn. There’s a reasonable chance we’re beat, we are opening the door for a bad spot if he bet/3b, and to keep his total airballs in to bluff river.

His river sizing isn’t small so just call.

I like how you played it.