How to handle ultra-aggressive maniacs?

I played for a few hours today at a 10-hand NL$10 table, which was being dominated by an ultra-aggressive maniac. He would raise pre-flop 4-5BB ALL THE TIME. I responded by becoming ultra-tight, only playing pocket pairs and perhaps AK once, while folding everything else (AJ, KQ, etc).

Post-flop, the maniac ALWAYS raises as well, consistently. I've seen a few people try to "teach" this maniac a lesson and go AI with pocket QQ or KK, only for the maniac to beat them by hitting two pairs with trash like J3 hole cards, and one time pocket aces.

Is playing ultra-tight the right strategy against an ultra-aggressive maniac? It basically means I'm playing against one person, instead of the entire table. I patiently waited for pocket QQ-AA to trap the maniac pre-flop, but they never came in my two-hour session and I quit in the red from the blinds and a few expensive calls to see the flop. When I left, the maniac had tripled his stack. I know he's going to lose it in the end... I had hoped he'd lose it to ME.

The key to dealing with these maniacs is PATIENCE. Don't be tempted to call his raises with hands like A5 offsuit just because he has been raising with much worse and getting lucky on the flop. Wait for hands like pocket pairs and suited connectors (in position) that can flop a massive hand. If you do flop a huge hand, LEAD OUT against this guy if he will always raise your flop bet then RE-RAISE him to try to get him to shove over.

If your hand is not vulnerable to draws (eg. nut flush on a non-paired flop, set on a rainbow, widely spread flop) then you can slowplay a little bit if he will aggressively bet every street.

Don't bluff against this guy. This is just throwing chips away.

If you pick up a decent hand preflop (say 99+, AQ+) be tempted to re-raise or shove over him since he is clearly raising much wider than that. If he calls your preflop shove with something you're ahead of, you very likely get your chips in when you're a 65-70%+ favourite.

I had a guy like this at one of my tables a few days ago, he got all in preflop with J3s, just wait for a hand and try to get him allin fast before he can luckbox a hand. As long as the money goes in when your ahead you made the right play.

if it makes you uncomfortable, and you feel yourself changing your tactics, there is nothing wrong with leaving the table. go find one with passive fish.

I just played one of these lunatics...guy was running 94/55

And of course I was card dead until I picked up AK....the very next hand AFTER he went busto. It sucks, b/c he was sitting on a $60+ stack at one point (at 5NL nonetheless).

Originally Posted by taipan168

The key to dealing with these maniacs is PATIENCE. Don't be tempted to call his raises with hands like A5 offsuit just because he has been raising with much worse and getting lucky on the flop.

I agree that you shouldnt start playing as much trash as him but Im certainly going to start reraising with hands like suited Aces in position. If you nutcamp for QQ/KK/AA then someone else will bust him first.

agreed with pelion, I am going to abuse his ranges and value town him. If you aren't comfortable with it then I nutcamp.

change tables. Buy in short.

Originally Posted by euphoricism

change tables. Buy in short.

shhh

again agree with pelion

but i guess if it's more profitable for you to buyin short than do so so you can get your br up