Hero vs Opp (craaaaazy VPIP & PFR stats)

[GoldenIP]

So I was sitting at a $200 6-max PLO table over the weekend. The said villain has a VPIP (this session as I'd never seen him before) of >85% and PFR > 80%. Ridonkulous, I know. However, he was hitting and after about two hours, had amassed a stack of almost $1,200. As you'd all imagine, I was dying to get involved and catch just a little piece.

When the flop did come he did not let down on that aggression. I've never seen someone win so many uncontested pots at a $200 "PLO" game that was more than $125ish. The pot ave. for the table was almost $90, a full $30 more than any other PLO table open at that time. Might I add it was more than 50% of the $400 game pots at this given time!

Typically, I like to raise a fair share myself PF and take the aggressive stance as I find most can't stand too much heat at the $200 without the first-third nuts. But, this guy shut me down to a wimpering nit.

I was going crazy; trying to set mine or massive wrap mine. Nada! Had I actually connected, I'm sure the texture of the game would have been very different. But, I didn't and that will happen more often than not.

How do you guys approach these maniacs who you know are mashing the pot button PF, on the F, T and a large percentage of the time, the R.

Trying to redivert the table aggression in your direction, I feel, in this case, is spewing because, if you don't hit, he is insta-potting and putting you under a tonne pressure because he also calls SO LIGHT. He was compleeeetely happy to get it in with middle pair + backdoor or something peculiar like that. He was hitting too so. It wasn't stupid all ins though because most of the time, the people playing back PF were on AAxx and he knew that. If he catches a small piece, his equity is pretty big against crappy AAxx.

Everyone was moaning, calling him a fish. I, of course was quiet and being patient. He was by no means a fish. I think he understood the game better than most at that level. But, given the circumstances, how do you guys approach nut cases like this?

I'm wondering if you simply have to be prepared to lose money to win a lot, in the sense that, you say to yourself, "right, this guy requires me being completely content with losing 3 buy-ins if it means I can just grab one or two big pots off him".

I think it's an interesting position to be in...what do you guys think? He's obviously every 2+2ers wet dream table opp. but if he's really bullying...what's your play?

[Full-Metall]

If you wait for a monster against this guy you will lose. You have to push your small edges wherever possible. He seem like a fish, but he isn't. He's pushing these weak hands because most often it will go uncontested. Don't be afraid to lose your stack, you have to push the hands you typically wouldn't.

[TheRempel]

The main mistake people make against these kinds of players is playing big pots in position against the maniac, but OOP against the rest of the field. Obviously it is ideal to be on his right, but you can adjust your preflop and postflop play to accomadate for his aggression.

If the entire table is folding too much you should be playing far more hands and playing more aggressively on the flop. Any hand that is likely to be ahead on the flop or has 12+ outs vs 2-pair should be felted if you can isolate the maniac. Once you build a stack his aggression on the turn and river become much more important.

If people are stacking off too lightly and you are on his left then you'll have to wait for slightly better flops, but you will be able to just smoothcall his flop bet and wait for the ineviitable all in from two pair and [censored] straight and flush draws.

If you are not willing to embrace the variance you will not be able to beat this kind of player unless he is an idiot.

[Elrazor]

the main reason these types of players are so successfull is they take average players out of their confort zone, and this leads to them making mistakes

personally with a guy like this i would wait till i could get a seat to his imediate right, buy in for $100 and sandbag him - im guessing there was 3-4 way action on every flop as everyone was 'going after him' which is exactly what he wants - ok its not the most sophisticated play, but if you can jam the pot with AAxx against this type of player with plenty of dead money aside then its a massive +EV, and you keep your decisions simple against this opponent, which i like as post flop you are just going to be guessing

these players are usually very skillful with a big bankroll, and i am happy to accept they are better than i am, and adjust my game accordingly

[iggymcfly]

The "this guy's never folding, I better not play a pot with him until I have something huge" attitude is exactly the one that allows him to extract money from the field. If you keep waiting, he's going to keep robbing you blind.

The correct adjustment to make is to start coming over the top of him lighter since he will just have to let go or get his chips in bad so much of the time. If he's really playing as maniacally as you describe, you should start felting with any two pair as well as hands like middle pair + NFD and top pair + OESD.

As Rempel stated, you have to be aware of the field and make sure you don't walk into someone else's top set that's waiting to C/R, but at the same time, don't be afraid to get it in bad occasionally as long as you're +EV against reasonable hand range estimates.

[rebuyboy]

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He seem like a fish, but he isn't.

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O RLY?
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The said villain has a VPIP (this session as I'd never seen him before) of >85% and PFR > 80%.

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[pete fabrizio]

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He seem like a fish, but he isn't.

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O RLY?
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The said villain has a VPIP (this session as I'd never seen him before) of >85% and PFR > 80%.

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I've played against a bunch of these types before, and they can go on pretty sick heaters, but it's always an illusion -- they're never winning players longrun. Even if their opponents don't adapt enough to fully exploit their incredibly suboptimal play, they just aren't going to be able to win with 5 guys playing "best hand" against them.

[Full-Metall]

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He seem like a fish, but he isn't.

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O RLY?
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The said villain has a VPIP (this session as I'd never seen him before) of >85% and PFR > 80%.

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Where I play, the biggest winners seems to be the ones that show insane aggression.