Playing Against Maniacs

Things you will learn:

What's meant by a player with a 'maniac' playing style

How their wild playing style can harm you...

...and how you can turn it to your advantage

Maniacs, the name given to players who are playing recklessly with no regard for strategy, are not always at a disadvantage. For instance, a maniac might fare well in heads-up play against a passive opponent. And in short-handed games with multiple passive opponents, the maniac is likely to enjoy a significant edge.

The maniac's demise usually comes in full ring games (with at least eight players), where he is up against just one or two opponents in each hand - at least one of which (or even both) holds a stronger hand. What happens is that all the players become more disciplined and tend to play technically correct poker.

What is a maniac?

General poker theory suggests there are four basic types of poker player:

Weak-tight - players who play very few hands and surrender pots too easily
Tight-aggressive - players who play few hands but bet strongly when involved in a pot
Loose-aggressive - players who play many hands and bet strongly
Loose-passive - players who play many hands but surrender pots too often

Maniacs deserve a special category all to themselves. What separates maniacs from loose-aggressive players is that maniacs play even more hands and tend to bet, raise and re-raise to the point where the game is played for significantly higher stakes.

Therefore, the dynamics of an ordinary poker game are altered radically because of the presence of the maniac. In short, a maniac usually displays the following characteristics and tendencies:

He has more than an average number of chips on the table
He plays far more hands than normal
He raises and re-raises far more often than normal
He bluffs far more often than normal

Basic strategy for playing against a maniac

Keep in mind that in poker seating, position is absolutely critical. It is almost always better to sit to a maniac's immediate left. The worst seat at the table is usually to the maniac's immediate right. Your first goal should be to select a favourable seat. Change seats if possible.

With a maniac in the game, the ultimate objective is to get in with the best hand, anticipating that the maniac will pay off on all bets and raises. In tight games, a tight-aggressive play is usually the optimal strategy. In other words, in Hold'em enter a pot with premium starting hands (pairs higher than 7-7 and non-pairs like A-K and A-Q), and bet them aggressively. The maniac will often try to intimidate you into folding by raising and re-raising. But since you are playing good cards more often than not, you should end up with the best hand and win more pots.

In particularly wild games, a very different strategy is necessary.

Since the maniac has created multi-way action and big pots, drawing hands increase significantly in value. Pre-flop hands like suited-connectors, small pairs and ace-suited are often playable cards.

If you have two-suited cards and flop two cards to your suit, a raise by the maniac actually increases your expected value in the hand, since you will win a much bigger pot when you make the flush (which happens about 37 percent of the time when you flop a flush draw).

In tight games (with two or three-way action in most hands)

Play very tight in early position
Play tight-aggressive in late position
Check and call and/or check-raise more often, since the maniac will usually bet when checked to
Induce bluffs and tend to call more often. Call down the maniac's bets and raises, even when holding a marginal hand
Don't attempt to bluff

In standard games (with four or five-way action in most hands)

Play tight in early position
Play aggressively in late position
Re-raise more often, in an attempt to isolate the maniac and get heads-up
Call down the maniac's bets and raises more often, even when holding a marginal hand
Don't attempt to bluff

In wild games (with six-way action or more in most hands)

Play suited-connectors, pairs, and ace-suited hands more often
Check and call when pot odds dictate there is value
Throw away marginal hands when other players have raised or re-raised
Don't attempt isolation moves (for instance, re-raising pre-flop) since most opponents are likely to just call anyway
Don't attempt to bluff

Keep the maniac happy while you fleece him

Poker is just as much a game of psychology as card values. Accordingly, there are specific tactics which can be used to keep the maniac sitting in the game for longer periods of time, steadily contributing to your profits at the table.

Most maniacs are losing poker players. No amount of talent or experience can overcome playing way too many hands and putting one's money into the pot repeatedly with the worst hand.

Whatever the root causes, most maniacs - indeed, most poker players - want to enjoy themselves at the table. Disparaging remarks and negative comments made by so-called pros towards these players are incredibly detrimental to both the short- and long-term winnings that might be gained from having maniacs in the game.

It might sound dubious, but the ultimate counter-strategy versus a maniac is to let the player think he can dominate a game, and that you - his opponent - can be manipulated at the table. Letting the maniac think he can run over you, while you are actually prepared to confront his aggressiveness with proper counter-strategies, effectively sets the perfect trap.

In essence, the maniac has committed the very worst error of poker - underestimating his opponent.