Hands to go all in with a maniac

[jlkrusty]

I sat down at a 6-person $3/$6 party poker no limit table. A guy (I'll call him maniac) was sitting two position to my left. I had never seen him play, but on the very first hand (before I even got dealt in), he went all in. He had about $490, and he got one caller. He showed T [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]3 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], while his opponent had A [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]Q [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (or something). Maniac got lucky, and won with a pair of threes. Now he's got $980. I've got $600. I now get dealt in for J [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]J [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]. I am in the BB, and maniac is in 2nd position. He raises $396.27. Whether I call or raise, I am still pot committed. Thus, my only choice is to fold or raise. The same is true for the other three hands as well--that is, each time, he made a big enough bet to commit all my chips. The question is which hands should I go all in with.

Answer the first hand (J [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]J [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]) assuming you had seen only the one hand. For the others, assume you have the following additional information: between 10-30% of maniac's hands, he would make a big bet that would be pot committing to anyone at the table. The other 70-90% of the time, he played more average. That is, he'd fold a lot, limp in sometimes, and play average as well. Post flop, he'd sometimes get very aggressive and go all in--often with at least top pair, but often with nothing more than a draw. Also, in each decision, assume that only you and him remain in the pot.

The following four hands are preflop decisions I had. Each time, assume you would be risking $600+. Your only decision is whether to go all in with him or to fold (since his bet would be so big that it would pot commit you anyhow). Don't use pokerstove or something similar when you answer. If you want to post a reply with pokerstove analysis, you may. But, in answering these questions, just go with your gut feeling. Also, if you do reply, let me know how it would affect your decision if there was still one player remaining (between you and maniac--a TAG that had yet to make any decision).

[DJ Sensei]

JJ is an obvious push against a maniac.

A8s, meh. Even against a random hand it isnt THAT good.

55 is an easy fold, we're hoping to at best be a coinflip. F that.

AJo is close, but I think its a push. We're dominating most aces, and lots of other hands too. And most pairs we're in good shape against.


I don't think having another player left to act changes things much. If we push over the top, he needs a huge hand to call (even after maniac's big raise).

[JKratzer]

[ QUOTE ]
JJ is an obvious push against a maniac.

A8s, meh. Even against a random hand it isnt THAT good.

55 is an easy fold, we're hoping to at best be a coinflip. F that.

AJo is close, but I think its a push. We're dominating most aces, and lots of other hands too. And most pairs we're in good shape against.


I don't think having another player left to act changes things much. If we push over the top, he needs a huge hand to call (even after maniac's big raise).

[/ QUOTE ]

4/4.

[jlkrusty]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
JJ is an obvious push against a maniac.

A8s, meh. Even against a random hand it isnt THAT good.

55 is an easy fold, we're hoping to at best be a coinflip. F that.

AJo is close, but I think its a push. We're dominating most aces, and lots of other hands too. And most pairs we're in good shape against.


I don't think having another player left to act changes things much. If we push over the top, he needs a huge hand to call (even after maniac's big raise).

[/ QUOTE ]

4/4.

[/ QUOTE ]

JK, where is your cutoff line? That is, will you go all in with 22? A5o? QJs? Even worse?

[flawless_victory]

[ QUOTE ]
55 is an easy fold, we're hoping to at best be a coinflip. F that.


[/ QUOTE ]he moved in the hand before w/ T3.

[philipsaurus]

i happily got it all in with kjo against razzle last night for stacks.

i won. he had like 9to or something.

[jlkrusty]

[ QUOTE ]
i happily got it all in with kjo against razzle last night for stacks.

i won. he had like 9to or something.

[/ QUOTE ]

How loose is razzle? I haven't played with him, but if he is like my maniac, then KJo doesn't seem strong enough. If we are convinced maniac will NOT make these aggressive moves with AA, KK, etc, then KJo is probably okay. Otherwise, I think it's just too dangerous, and probably -EV. The only Kx hand I will go all in with this maniac is KQs. Is that too stringent?

If you do go in with KJo, what other hands are you willing to go all in with?

[jlkrusty]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
55 is an easy fold, we're hoping to at best be a coinflip. F that.


[/ QUOTE ]he moved in the hand before w/ T3.

[/ QUOTE ]

Despite what TV commentators say, a pocket pair vs. two overcards is not a coinflip. It's usually about 55/45. I'll take those odds all day long. That is, if I could be all in every single hand and have 55 vs. AKo, I'll gladly take it.

That said, some percentage of the time, he is going to have us dominated with over pocket pairs himself. I think the chance of him having over pairs is enough to make going to war with 55 a bad idea.

[jlkrusty]

[ QUOTE ]
JJ is an obvious push against a maniac.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well, when I got JJ, I had seen only one hand. But, let's take it a step further. Say you just sat down. A player you had never seen before goes all in. You have JJ. Against this unknown, do you make the call?

[ QUOTE ]
A8s, meh. Even against a random hand it isnt THAT good.

[/ QUOTE ]

I guess 60/40 isnt THAT good. I mean, even if the play is 51/49, why not take it?

[thedustbustr]

[ QUOTE ]
Say you just sat down. A player you had never seen before goes all in. You have JJ. Against this unknown, do you make the call?

[/ QUOTE ]

as in he open pushed? yes, he's obviously a retard, I call.

if he 4bet allin or something, duh, fold.