Isolating the Maniac

Christian_Peters · #1 08-26-2007, 06:02 AM

I didn't have PT going, but my guess was that he was like 80/10 with a huge post-flop aggression. He loved to bluff c/r the river.

So, the rest of the table was very weak-tight and I had been isolating him relentlessly for about 2 rounds now. Any A, any pair, any 2 over T. I had isolated him the previous 2 hands, and there was a CC from the same guy in this hand in the previous hand - making me suspect he was catching on.

Is the Cap good to knock out CC?

I was planning on raising an Ace and calling a 3-bet?

PokerStars 2/4 Hold'em (8 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: 2+2 Forums)

Preflop: Hero is MP1 with A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 9[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img].
UTG calls, 1 fold, Hero raises, 1 fold, CO calls, 3 folds, UTG 3-bets, Hero caps, CO folds, UTG calls.

Flop: (11.50 SB) K[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], J[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], J[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (2 players)
UTG bets, Hero calls.

Turn: (6.75 BB) 4[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (2 players)
UTG bets, Hero calls.

River: (8.75 BB) K[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (2 players)
UTG bets, Hero calls.

Final Pot: 10.75 BB

sharpie · #2 08-26-2007, 06:10 AM

I've never seen someone coldcall 2 out of the blinds and fold to a cap, so I don't like your PF cap, although it worked out this time.

Christian_Peters · #3 08-26-2007, 06:22 AM

He was in the CO, but it is fairly unusual in a spot like this for someone to call 2 cold, and fold for 2 more.

sharpie · #4 08-26-2007, 07:52 AM

[ QUOTE ]
I've never seen someone coldcall 2 not in the blinds and fold to a cap, so I don't like your PF cap, although it worked out this time.

[/ QUOTE ]

Sorry, FMP.

Smurph64 · #5 08-26-2007, 09:59 AM

*grunch

This is the game of table flow and you have to adjust faster than your opponents.

Its back to sesame street and playing the opposite game.

If you notice some players are catching on and you are getting big community pots then you have to go tight passive and start trapping instead of isolating. That means you have to play different hands more often and fold early if you don't have a solid draw to high percentage win hands.

That doesn't mean you start playing 80% of your hands but it does mean you start calling early with KQs- 78s to encourage others to join the pot. Now you get community pots working for you and when you have a great flop you punish the whole table.

Once I get people playing the pots and getting the large community back I start 3 betting and capping on my turn around with my great drawing hands ( not recommended officially of course but if you play better postflop than most players this is a great way for them to make huge mistakes and give you odds to draw out on players more often.

So the cycle of life goes like this one maniac opponent vs weak tight table, to some isolating attempts by players, to what looks like two maniacs playing squeeze plays, to what looks like no fold em holdem back to you being the sole tight aggressive player vs. a loose passive table.

I have a dominant 3 theory which is been fully ridiculed on these boards a number of times but when I have a guy like this on the table I use my own guidelines of the dominant 3 and start trying to manipulate the table to become the dominant player.

Generally speaking, I find it successful.

The hand you showed is a typical situation and I would do hte same thing.

Isolating the results if he has a k or a j it looks bad of course but then people start thinking you are a calling station, they start joining the pots etc and off you go.

If I get 3 way pots however I fold this puppy on the flop.

Xylocain · #6 08-26-2007, 03:07 PM

:g:

Well you failed at isolating with a weak offsuit hand, and then you got 3-towned so you capped (CO is never folding to the cap but you increase fold equity a lot on later streets). And then the flop hit right in the mainiacs range that you were ahead of. And then you called down 3 streets?

River call is easy tho. But just because they play 80% of their hands doesn't mean that they dont have AA 1/273.

Anyway, call 3-jam, c/c flop c/f turn, (c/c river). If you want to show down, try for a free card, (this will also definatley drive out CO) if Mainiac 3-jams the flop then turn is an even easier fold.

JJH3984 · #7 08-26-2007, 03:49 PM

Preflop cap is lollerskates. Post-flop is okay, but I'd probably find a fold on the turn given the board.

Buzz-cp · #8 08-26-2007, 03:53 PM

I am not entirely happy with the pfr, because I will usually fold in this position anyway. I would pick a slightly better spot to isolate villain. The preflop cap is not for value--do we expect villain to be LRR w/A7? We are not buying the button after CO calls first time around. I think this is a pretty big mistake. Post-flop is standard.

Buzz

Buzz-cp · #9 08-26-2007, 03:55 PM

[ QUOTE ]
:g:

Well you failed at isolating with a weak offsuit hand, and then you got 3-towned so you capped (CO is never folding to the cap but you increase fold equity a lot on later streets). And then the flop hit right in the mainiacs range that you were ahead of. And then you called down 3 streets?

River call is easy tho. But just because they play 80% of their hands doesn't mean that they dont have AA 1/273.

Anyway, call 3-jam, c/c flop c/f turn, (c/c river). If you want to show down, try for a free card, (this will also definatley drive out CO) if Mainiac 3-jams the flop then turn is an even easier fold.

[/ QUOTE ]

xylo, I don't think calling down is bad at all--indeed we just pulled ahead of all the small pairs. As for raising for a free card / SD, this is not a good idea vs a post-flop maniac.

Xylocain · #10 08-26-2007, 04:05 PM

Thanks Buzz,

My thinking for the free card was because of the c/r river-read Vil probably will c/r the turn or 3-bet flop when he is WA which in both cases is good for us. Not even the worst of mainiacs 3-jams stuff we beat after a pre-flop cap no?

As for pulling ahead of small pp, thats only after we call the turn right, so that should be where the decision to go to showdown is if we call the flop.

[i] Man, I spell like a 3-yo