multiway hand ranges vs maniac raiser

[KitCloudkicker]

OK so everyone knows the basic poker strategy to sit on a maniac's left and 3 bet him preflop with wide range of hands.

What if you dont have such position, but you're sitting at a game with lots of fish, thus making the game juicy enough to stay? Imagine that you're like 4-5 seats from the maniac. lets say he raises in EP. and like 3 fish cold call the raise...what are you calling with in LP? what about the small blind or big blind?

[LV_Nathan]

Personally I feel comfortable in this spot (or against a straddle) because I have a lot of experience in this kind of game. I have a pretty wide range:

All pocket pairs, first of all, reraising for value with TT+. Sets love action and you are bound to get all the action you can stand.

You should also salivate with any 2 suited broadways. Reraise AQ and of course, AK. The weaker ones, like JTs, QTs and KTs are a bit iffy. If you get another "action" player in there making it 3 bets frequently, then you should pass on those. Obviously you should tighten up tremendously if one of the fish pops it first...Danger Will Robinson!

Other suited stuff, like T9, J9 and 89 are marginal at best. If you feel confident post flop and don't mind the swings, you can splash around.

Offsuit hands, I only like AK and AQ. As for AJ and KQ, my comments are the same as those for the marginal suited stuff.

[LV_Nathan]

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what about the small blind or big blind?

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The players in the pot relative to you and the maniac dictate your range in the blinds. If he's first in, you like a lot of hands. You can bet out vulnerable pairs and let him protect it for you, or you can checkraise the field on the big bet rounds with made hands.

If there are players between you, you shy away from the weak suited connectors. You want to draw cheap and might get stuck between the maniac and a sandbagger. Top-pair hands, like KJ, are better here because you can checkraise and face the field with two cold.

Overall, I wouldn't play anything from the small blind that I wouldn't play from the button. As for the big blind, I'm sorrry to say that my best answer is..."it depends."

[fishyak]

I've stated my position on this issue a number of times lately. DON'T lower your PF standards when facing a maniac. It isn't your job to get into a testasterone fest and try to bring the guy down. If isolation plays aren't working because others are hanging in or your don't have position, stay with the basics. If your cards aren't good enough to call cold or 3 bet, fold. Be patient. Don't step far outside SSHE basic guidelines.

If you do catch a hand, be quick to the 3 bet trigger on any truly EV+ hand.

ATo or better, all pairs, suited connectors and one gappers down to 46. Stay off weaker flush draws with bigger gaps. With lots of opponents consider not playing QTo or QJo. Even A9o, ATo can be weak when you look at your other players. Obviously, I am dialing up the hands that play better multi-way and dialing down the hands that don't play well multi-way. Literally, any pair plays because you have enough action to try to hit your set. But remember, no set no bet for 99 or less.

The main mistake I see people making against maniacs is simply playing too many hands. Even with good patience, you will lose a lot to chasers, but as long as you win your fair share, you should finish up for the day.

[LV_Nathan]

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ATo or better, all pairs, suited connectors and one gappers down to 46.

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Wow. I actually said "I have a pretty wide range." Apparantly not. I'll rephrase. I have a pretty wide range compared to what I would normally cold-call or 3-bet with.

[bernie]

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OK so everyone knows the basic poker strategy to sit on a maniac's left and 3 bet him preflop with wide range of hands.

What if you dont have such position, but you're sitting at a game with lots of fish, thus making the game juicy enough to stay? Imagine that you're like 4-5 seats from the maniac. lets say he raises in EP. and like 3 fish cold call the raise...what are you calling with in LP? what about the small blind or big blind?

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Since there's a misconception that you'll be able to sit on a maniacs left and isolate him at will, which you won't be able to especially in a loose limit game, I prefer to sit on his right.

b

[KitCloudkicker]

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[ QUOTE ]
OK so everyone knows the basic poker strategy to sit on a maniac's left and 3 bet him preflop with wide range of hands.

What if you dont have such position, but you're sitting at a game with lots of fish, thus making the game juicy enough to stay? Imagine that you're like 4-5 seats from the maniac. lets say he raises in EP. and like 3 fish cold call the raise...what are you calling with in LP? what about the small blind or big blind?

[/ QUOTE ]

Since there's a misconception that you'll be able to sit on a maniacs left and isolate him at will, which you won't be able to especially in a loose limit game, I prefer to sit on his right.

b

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in this position what are your preflop standards? very tight and always looking to limp reraise?

[bernie]

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OK so everyone knows the basic poker strategy to sit on a maniac's left and 3 bet him preflop with wide range of hands.

What if you dont have such position, but you're sitting at a game with lots of fish, thus making the game juicy enough to stay? Imagine that you're like 4-5 seats from the maniac. lets say he raises in EP. and like 3 fish cold call the raise...what are you calling with in LP? what about the small blind or big blind?

[/ QUOTE ]

Since there's a misconception that you'll be able to sit on a maniacs left and isolate him at will, which you won't be able to especially in a loose limit game, I prefer to sit on his right.

b

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in this position what are your preflop standards? very tight and always looking to limp reraise?

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Here's my ranges(and most longtime posters on here) no matter where I am on this type of table:

All Pairs.

All suited Aces.

AKo.

Suited broadways.


I might limpreraise but mostly I'll try to trap on the flop by checking hands into the maniac and getting max value. OR you can bet into his sure raise and he might clear the field for you. You're basically playing from the flop on with hands that are both above average and play well multiway.

You also get to be aware if anyone is trying iso-moves and thus having relative position on them. Relative position to the maniac essentially puts you on the button postflop for most hands.

b

[James.]

if we are talking about hands i'll coldcall with, i agree with the pp's up to 88(maybe 99), suited aces up to A9s, and suited broadways up to QJs. offsuit hands lose value but can still show a profit: KJo+, AJo+, etc. most other hands i'm playing, i'm 3betting.