Best position to handle a wild and aggressive player?

[Norb]

It is a well known fact, that position at the table is everything. Especially at a short handed table and more especially and important, if there are some special kinds of players joining the game.
In case of LHE it is advised, that the best position to a wild, overly aggressive and unpredictable maniac is the optimal absolute position, which is the seat immediate to his left. But what about a short handed NLHE table? I've read contradictory advices about such a situation. Some tell me, the best position is the optimal absolute position (1.st seat to his left) but some others say, the best position is the optimal relative position to this player (1.st seat to his right) because in NL it's important to see first how the other players in the hand react to his bets and raises before being able to act finally and possibly close the action if wanted.

I'm now interested in your opinions about those two pieces of advice. Which position related to a maniac is the optimal one in 6max NLHE? The seat to his left or the seat to his right?

Thanks for your help!

Best regards, Norbert

PS: please excuse my bad english because it's not my native language.

[Austiger]

Norb- It's the seat to his left and anyone who says the seat to his right is just plain wrong.

[johnnypokeher]

Optimal seating is to the left of this player Norb, you want the wild active players to act before and not behind u

[RAHZero]

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Norb- It's the seat to his left and anyone who says the seat to his right is just plain wrong.

[/ QUOTE ]

Wrong. There's a great section on this in PNL Volume I. Will quote it when I get a chance.

[jc1418]

you all need to click on the master sticky, scroll down to whitelime's articles, and then proceed to sit on the left of a maniac

[Norb]

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Optimal seating is to the left of this player Norb, you want the wild active players to act before and not behind u

[/ QUOTE ]

Hmm, in case of Limit Hold'em this sounds very reasonable to me. But isn't it dangerous in NLHE because every other player in the hand will act behind me? For example, the aggressive player bets an I call, everybody else who is still in the hand can now make a big raise and sandwich me between himself and the maniac. I think, this is a dangerous and very uncomfortable position to play against such an opponent.

What about relative position (sitting to his right)? If I can see all actions of everybody else who is in the hand before I have to act, I can safely and easy decide whether I fold, raise or close the action with calling. This sounds much more reasonable and logical to me.

Any counterarguments?

[cs3]

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[ QUOTE ]
Optimal seating is to the left of this player Norb, you want the wild active players to act before and not behind u

[/ QUOTE ]

Hmm, in case of Limit Hold'em this sounds very reasonable to me. But isn't it dangerous in NLHE because every other player in the hand will act behind me?

[/ QUOTE ]
no you should be isolating the maniac so you get to play lots of heads up pots vs him wehre otehr players are not a concern.
sit to his left every single time you get the chance

[mickeyzee]

With short to medium stacks immediate right can work well because of the whole "relative position" and the easy ability to get all-in pf/flop. Immediate left can be dangerous because of sandwiching. With deep stacks a couple seats to the left is best because it will allow you to do the sandwiching especially if theres a thinking player between you and the maniac and you know that he knows to isolate.

[dragonystic]

pffft, i still want position on lunatics. doesnt have to be his immediate left though. 1 seat over works just as well.

[Symbolic]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Optimal seating is to the left of this player Norb, you want the wild active players to act before and not behind u

[/ QUOTE ]

Hmm, in case of Limit Hold'em this sounds very reasonable to me. But isn't it dangerous in NLHE because every other player in the hand will act behind me? For example, the aggressive player bets an I call, everybody else who is still in the hand can now make a big raise and sandwich me between himself and the maniac. I think, this is a dangerous and very uncomfortable position to play against such an opponent.

What about relative position (sitting to his right)? If I can see all actions of everybody else who is in the hand before I have to act, I can safely and easy decide whether I fold, raise or close the action with calling. This sounds much more reasonable and logical to me.

Any counterarguments?

[/ QUOTE ]

If he is sat to your left, the maniac will often 3bet your preflop raises so you will often be forced to fold or play a marginal hand OOP in a large pot. He will also sometimes flat call your pf raises then with position on the flop he will often float you/ raise your cbets with air and thus make it difficult to play against him without a good hand.