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Texas Holdem / Poker Strategy Author
Co-Author of the recently published, 'Poker Mindset' poker Psychology book,, Ian 'Piemaster' Taylor is from London UK and has been playing poker seriously for two years and socially for a number of years before that. Mainly a limit specialist who has enjoyed success at levels up to and including 5/10 and has also dabbled in No-Limit and tournament hold'em as well as Omaha. He is especially well versed in the psychological aspects of the game, and so will often write about the more human elements of the game rather than middle-of-the-road strategy. |
| The Complete Guide to Maniacs - Part 1 |
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Every player at some point has the experience of playing with a maniac. Nothing changes a poker game quite as much as a loose aggressive player sitting down and taking charge of the game. All of a sudden the game turns upside down, and you no longer feel in control. You are playing a game that is still poker, but nothing like the game you have been playing up until now.
Amongst other things you might find: - Far more pots are raised and re-raised pre-flop - You are paying multiple bets on all streets with hands you rather wouldn’t - You are winning big pots with the unlikeliest of hands - You are losing big pots with mediocre holdings you would normally have folded long ago. - You lose faith in your reads and instincts - All your other opponents are suddenly behaving erratically and unpredictably. At this point you must adapt or be trampled. This two-part article is a guide to dealing with maniacs at the table. This article will categorise different types of maniacs and will give some general advice for coping when they join your game. In the next article, we will be looking in more detail at the changes you will need to make to adapt to the maniac. Hopefully next time you play you will be eagerly anticipating the maniac rather than dreading his arrival. Different Types of Maniacs ‘Maniac’ is a slang description for a player who is both loose and aggressive. Normally it is used to describe a player who is extremely loose and extremely aggressive, but much of the advice in this article also applies to players who are just more loose and aggressive than most (or LAGs as they are often called). A maniac is usually the most visible player at the table, because they are involved in a lot of hands and are usually the aggressor. Most maniacs are long-term losers. In fact, no style of play has the potential to lose you more money more quickly than an extreme loose/aggressive style. Not all maniacs are created equal. All they have in common is that they play aggressively and too loose. Their exact play-styles and indeed their motives differ greatly. In order to understand how to adapt to a particular maniac, you need to first identify what type of maniac they are. Don’t fall into the trap of stereotyping a player based on some observed loose-aggressive tendencies. The following are the seven most common types of maniacs you will encounter at the table: True manic The ‘true’ maniac will raise and re-raise repeatedly regardless of the strength of their hand. They probably play upwards of 70% of hands and are extremely aggressive on all streets. It is difficult to pinpoint any kind of motive for a true maniac, because their actions appear almost random. Most often they are just gamblers who want to get all their money in and then hope they win, with little regard for how strong their hand actually is. They are not really playing poker, but more playing a lottery. Action junkie An action junkie is a player who simply loves being involved in hands, betting and raising. They differ from the true maniac because they do actually try to play the game properly. Unfortunately they are just too hooked on the thrill of gambling to play disciplined poker. They enjoy being the centre of attention and live for the day when the stars align right and they post a big win. Wild/drunk player This type of player is trying to play good poker (or at least their own definition of it), but they simply overestimate how many hands they should be playing and how much they should be raising. This might be because they are naturally a wild player or because they are drunk and their judgement is impaired. Their play may be anything from slightly loose/aggressive to a full-blown maniac. Steamer A steamer is a player who is playing too loose and aggressive due to tilt. They will be playing too many hands and raising aggressively either to try and win some pots to get back money that they have lost, or because they are angry and simply expressing that anger by proverbially throwing chips around. Sometimes their anger is directed at one particular player, and you will find that their wild raises actually only occur when that particular player is in the pot. Bulldozer A bulldozer is not a maniac in the classic sense. They are certainly loose and aggressive and will generally keep betting until they meet resistance regardless of their holding. The difference between these and most other types of maniac is that if you push back enough, they will tend to back off or fold if their hand is weak. These can be difficult players to play against because they will not give too much action if they are weak, but if they have a good hand you will often end up paying them off. Your edge against these players is that you will have the best hand more often. One-street maniac Sometimes you will get a maniac who is only loose and aggressive on one particular street. Sometimes they always raise pre-flop but then try to play well post-flop. Some raise or re-raise the flop if they have hit any part of it but tighten up after that. Some always raise the river hoping for a free pot. These are generally players who have learned a trick or concept but have taken it too far. Shark in disguise It is rare (especially in limit hold’em), but sometimes you will meet a strong player who appears to be a maniac or at least loose aggressive. They will raise a broad spectrum of hands pre-flop and will put a lot of pressure on you after the flop. The difference is they will have a good sense of when they are beat and will be able to let go of their hand. You need to be wary of these players, even though they are probably playing sub-optimally. Fundamental Adjustments It is important to make the correct adjustments when playing with maniacs, and many of these adjustments occur within your own head. Some players are extremely bad at this, and hate it when a maniac sits down. Some will even leave the table because they are unable to cope with the fact that the game has changed. You don’t want to be one of these players. You want to be able to take full advantage of having a maniac at your table, and you can do this by: 1. Learning how to adapt your game to cope with a maniac. This will be covered next month in the second part of this article. 2. Have the correct attitude towards maniacs, and know and accept how they affect the game. This is discussed below. Maniacs are your friend Maniacs are nearly all long-term losers. Over the course of time they will lose a lot of chips to the other players at the table, including you if you play correctly. They should be welcomed to your table just the same as any other bad player would, because they represent a big jump in your expected win rate. Don’t listen to the other players who moan when a maniac is at the table. In fact, be happy that they seem unable to adapt and take advantage of it. Be prepared for the swings When a maniac is playing, the average pot size goes way up and you are often forced to commit a lot of chips with some marginal hands. Also there will be times where you have a legitimate hand and the maniac raises all the way only to back into an unlikely straight, flush or trips which you will pay off. The swings you experience when a maniac is at the table can be large, and this puts a lot of players off. When you play with a maniac, recognise that you will get burned some hands or maybe the session as a whole. It doesn’t matter if you beat this maniac in this particular session, providing you make the right decisions that will make you money in the long run. Acknowledge that the game has changed When a maniac sits down the game completely changes and you must acknowledge this. If you try to play your normal game you will struggle, or at least miss opportunities. The fact that you are a ‘better player’ will not beat the maniac on its own. It is adapting to the maniac and using his weaknesses against him that will win you the money. Tackle the maniac on your own terms Sometimes your ego gets in the way when you are playing poker. If a player is running over the table, you will try to ‘put him in his place’ by beating him at his own game, but this is rarely a good idea. A maniac’s strengths are that he is almost impossible to read and he will pick up a lot of pots where everyone misses. Don’t try to beat him by doing the same thing, because quite frankly he is probably better at it than you. Tackle a maniac through his weaknesses instead. Take him on when you have a strong hand, not a weak one. He wants to see weakness so show him weakness by folding to his raises, then strike when you have the goods. Make him play your game, rather than trying to play his. Let him have the respect and fear of the other players, while you quietly accumulate the cash. Maniacs can be beaten, and can actually be beaten rather easily if you know how. Having the correct attitude towards them is the first step. Make sure you read next months article for a more detailed discussion of how to beat such players. Good luck at the tables Ian Taylor (aka Piemaster) To discuss this article with Piemaster and others, or to ask questions and leave comments about this article for the author, please visit the ITH Forums. |
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