I'm inexperienced in these situations, NL50 vs maniac

[DeuceSeven]

Isn't villain to OPs right? OP is utg and villain is bb? I don't mind raising with J9s oop occasionally, but I don't want to commit to much money preflop against a maniac I can't play a small pot in ep. Once you get repopped lay it down. I generally raise with AJ+, KJ+, PP in ep and occasionally mix in suited connectors.

I had yet to see him reraise before the flop, and he's pretty crazy so I figured my IO were pretty good here.


Then lay it down preflop.

[______y0]

So if you just wait for a big hand with a guy like this maniac do you not think he will catch on and not play his junk?

I find they know what your doing and will not pay you off unless they hit a hand or a draw.

[Imrahil]

This sort of looks like he may have 99, TT or a missed AQ or AK.

[Splossy]

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So if you just wait for a big hand with a guy like this maniac do you not think he will catch on and not play his junk?

I find they know what your doing and will not pay you off unless they hit a hand or a draw.

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They can't know what you are doing. They can only react to your betting patterns. If they react to your raises or calls by folding then clearly that opens up the possibility of bluffing him using your tight image.

[ablick]

I don’t understand these recommendations about switching tables. Never switch tables if you manage to find a player who is willing to give all of his money to you. I’m looking for these maniacs when I’m playing. Of course passive players are easy to play against, but these maniacs are more profitable. Playing against maniacs probably increases your variance, but why should that matter if you have adequate bankroll.


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2. I dont like raising Pf with J9s with a maniac behind me.It is the kind of hand you might want to limp in with in late position after several limpers but not now.


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I suppose this is true. I guess I'm just very used to opening J9 at these tables that it seemed the right play at the time.

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This is probably the worst excuse I ever heard, when someone is playing bad hand from UTG. Try to get used to fold this hand from EP and MP unless you are playing at the most passive table ever. This is a perfect example why you shouldn’t play these hands especially when there’s a maniac in your table. You hit the flop well and yet you don’t know what to do.

[crookdimwit]

Fold pre-flop. Why do you want to put yourself in a hand, out of position, with mediocre cards, against a maniac, who you know is going to bet? Unless the flop comes J9x or JJ9 or JJx, you're asking for trouble.,..

As played, fold to the all-in bet.

I see this a lot at my home game, when people get into hands with super-loose players. Rather than tighten up, wait for position, and use the LAG players' over-aggressiveness against them, they get loosen up, get impatient and make some move with mediocre hands. It can be frustrating to fold a decent hand vs. a maniac when you suspect he's on a bluff... But I guarantee it feels worse to lose a big pot to him when you took a mediocre hand to battle against him out of frustration or impatience.

I find that the worst way to deal with a maniac is to start loosening up your standards to match his. He LIKES that style and feels at home playing loose, gambling poker, while most of us don't. Don't play on his turf, play on yours. Tighten up, wait for good cards and good position, and break him off when he tries to get cute with top pair or some longshot draw... Or wait until you flop a monster and let him do the betting for you -- let him go for the bully move, since he's sure you're weak, and then call his overbet...

[Sir Winalot]

Grunch,

Fold to preflop raise. Instafold on the flop.

[Sir Winalot]

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1.Switch tables

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With a maniac at your table?! I mean, what the hell? This is exactly the guy who you WANT to be playing with. If you can switch seat to his right, then please do so, but DO NOT LEAVE THE TABLE, these guys are an absolute goldmine. Just start taking your average hands to the felt against him and you'll earn tons of money from him. Just say hello to variance and get ready for a bumpy ride though.

[DeuceSeven]

Am I missing something here? You want villain to YOUR right, and tight players to your left. If he's to your right he only has position on you when he's the button and you're the sb.

I'm pretty aggressive and see alot of flops. Theres nothing worse then calling a raise with 67s just to get reraised with maniacs ATo, then missing a flop you'd hit hard. If I have a maniac directly on my left, I leave the table.

[gimmetheloot]

if you are uncomfortable getting it in on a J high flop with J9s against this guy, you shouldnt be in the hand after his pf RR.