Was playing a session late last night. When a maniac sat down at the table. I wanted to leave but there was no better spot to get value from big hands. I will list 2 hands below that involved the maniac in which I flopped top pair.


Maniac: Asian guy in his 40's. Major Gambler.He played on average 8 hands and orbit, and raised nearly every hand. in addition he would 3 bet two to three hands an orbit. By the end of the night, he gave a away 3 buy ins. He would raise large PF and make a pot-size c-bet on nearly every flop. shenanigans abound. He would often slow row, blind raise preflop, make massive c-bets in the dark etc. Erratic betting patterns.


Hero: White male mid 20's Tight Aggressive conservative style. So far, hero is getting the feeling that the maniac is trying to run him over.

Hand #1

2/3

Maniac UTG ($300): opens for $15
Hero BT ($300): calls with KJo
BB ($400): calls (BB is a sold reg, but a bit tilty and tipsy this session).

Flop ($47) K 8 6 with a flush draw

BB: Checks
Maniac: Bets $80
Hero: Folds ?

I was a bit suspicious here this was the first time the maniac made such a large overbet continuation bet.


Hand #2

Hero ($400) MP1: Opens with KsQh for $12
Maniac ($300) CO: 3 bets to $25
V2 ($300) BT: Calls (He is a unknown, though is spewy)

Hero: Calls to complete the action.

Flop ($80) Qd Jd 6h

Hero: checks
Manic: continues for $80
V2: calls $80

Hero: Jams for roughly $375 ?

I think I am ahead here, and am getting called by either the maniac or V2.

Hand 1: If you call pre in this spot, you are looking to hit top pair and then call it off. Call flop.

Hand 2: Depends how spewy V2 is, but I agree calling puts you in a lot of awkward spots.

Players like this can definitely change table dynamics. You have to deal not only with their hijinks - but also how the other players at the table will react. You often see players overly focus on the maniac and get blindsided by another player trapping etc....

Hand 1.
I think it depends when this hand occurred. If you had already drawn your conclusions about maniac's play (opening or 3 betting every hand and oversized cbets) - the you can't call pre and fold flop when you hit TP decent kicker. Per my comment off the top, though, you have to be careful about the other player in the hand. A solid reg might well slowplay a decent hand like AK here.... I think I would call here, hopefully watch the reg fold and then let the maniac continue barrelling. It's high variance - but you are well ahead of his range if he's really opening every hand with ATC.

Hand 2.
Again V2 complicates things... Without that player in the mix - I would again be inclined to play rope-a-dope with the maniac. The board is drawy - but his range is still terribly wide. And most maniacs aren't entirely stupid. If he's got nothing - he's not calling your raise - but he might well barrel again with air. Having said that - V2 calling may well indicate a viable draw. I wonder if he would have 4 bet AQ pre against the maniac? I could justify a cold call or a shove here. If I thought V2 was incapable of a slow-play - I'd shove.

Hand 1 no brainer shove
Hand 2 no brainer fold

If you're folding hand 1, you should get up an leave. Seriously.

The whole point in hand one is to connect with the flop and let oppo continue to bomb away. And by connect I don't mean flop a straight or trips. If u call the flop and u don't show any aggression he is just gonna keep barreling trying to steal the pot; perfect

As for hand 2 I feel there is a lot more combos that connect with the board that could get u in trouble once the board runs out, not to mention possibly going up against 2 hands if each player calls. V2 might be priced into calling if V1 calls ahead.

I would play more on the cautious side in hand 2 (fold) and just hold on tight and enjoy the ride for hand 1 (c/c flop + turn, shove river)

Hand 2 - 4bet shove pre

My local casino has stupid rules about preflop action. Essentially the 4 bet pre flop caps the action like a limit game.

I am not entirely sure how the implications from the cap rules effect ranges, call propensity etc. Therefore, I tend to avoid a 4 bet in a 2/3 without something nuttish. Furthermore, I am not sure about the maniacs 4-bet ranges either. He surely 3 bets/calls 3 bets super wide, but might be the type of villain that is only will to play for the 4-th bet with QQ+ and AK+.

Up until the point of the hands in question, he was involved in four 4-bet pots. Two of them he had AA's, one QQ, and the other he folded on the flop.