Table Image Theory: Representing a Maniac

So I got to thinkin' last night while smoking the peace pipe..

Has anyone tried the strategy, upon joining a table (I think this would work better for 6-max) you come out firing, 2 hands in a row, maybe 3 if necessary (or 1 hand apart, but short enough to show you are an aggressive maniac). so anyway, lets say 3 of the first 5-6 hands you come out firing, raise preflop, c-bet the flop, c-bet the turn if necessary and show absolute junk when folded around. you do this 2-3 times to make sure the table is paying attention to you now, and then you immediately tighten up, no questions asked. then you play pretty tight (pocket pairs and better mostly) and only really bet the flop when you hit something.

I'm interested to see if anyone regularly uses this and if it actually works. People hate being thrown off of pots when they have the better hand, and if you show them you just stole with junk 2-3 times in a row, i think people will start gunning for you and calling you down with tpwk or mpgk. There could be some real value in this. i've never really tried it out but it just dawned on me last night and I think I'll give it a try sometime soon.

This is a standard way of obtaining an image which correlates to getting paid off on your big hands. The key is judging when the table dynamic changes, which is usually obvious anyway

One of the problems is that many players just sit for a short while.

Originally Posted by flotu

One of the problems is that many players just sit for a short while.

i'm sure you could easily reincorporate it into the flow of the game if you notice the table is giving you too much respect lately.

actually, ive recently noticed and been toying with this idea recently.

Maniacs usually are insanely profitable when they just sit down at the table becuase people allow themselves to be run over the first and second times almost every time. But after that, their play is transparently unprofitable against anyone who can check/call the way down with top pair.

So i've been thinking about sitting at a table and trying to run it over for 10 hands then slowing way down.

i guess this is a possibility.

However, i think that if you simply bully from position by constantly betting/raising and become an aggro from there it has a similar effect.

well, attempt number one did NOT go so well

Cant get bodog hand histories but some hands

Dont remember exact action but we'll say:
I raise on the button, BB and CO limper call.

Flop came 922, check, bet, I raise, (checker) reraise, fold, I fold. Guy show A5. Guy says, "great fold" I start talking up a storm, being friendly and funny.

Any way, a few hands later i have 83s in sb, on the river board is real threatening. Guy who made the A5 play bets the river after it goes check (board is 3 straight, represents some hands), check to him. Guy check/calls, I make a moderate raise and they both fold. I show.

Both hands this one guy got beat down in with his wierd passiveness and me and A5 guy are still chatting up a storm

Then I get KK and reraise on the button. The run-over guy had 50 and has now reloaded to 90 calls/calls. flop comes T8x 2 diamonds and he check/raises me. I figure him for a meltdown with a draw and push. He has 88.

Then bodog crashed.

So, thus far, I hate this tactic. Though, it may be results oriented :P

Though, the problem may be on my side. Can anyone log into bodog?

Originally Posted by a500lbgorilla

Though, the problem may be on my side. Can anyone log into bodog?

dont u just get it all in on the flop with tpgk at bodog and takes stacks?

well, ive seen someone else successfully run over the table im trying to run over

im down like 2 buyins over like... 80 hands.

Originally Posted by a500lbgorilla

well, ive seen someone else successfully run over the table im trying to run over

im down like 2 buyins over like... 80 hands.

haha

the great rilla sucks at poker! :P

Originally Posted by a500lbgorilla

well, ive seen someone else successfully run over the table im trying to run over

im down like 2 buyins over like... 80 hands.

heh. so is this not an effective strategy? or were you just noobing it up losing stacks? i can't see how it would hurt. if you could even side with losing $5-10 in those first couple hands showing down absolute trash and then tightening up, people will be calling you down with everything.

i don't think you need to be tricky, depending on what level you are playing - if you are playing under $100nl, how tricky do you think you need to be? I used to get onto every table and make everyone think i was an idiot by betting and re-raising the first few orbits...Guess what? i WAS an idiot - You dont' need to get crafty with these guys....

Besides, if you have a good image it lets you steal more than you should get away with anyway - In short, there is no reason to get tricky - you are just giving away money - im no rock by any means - i run 24%VPIP and 12% PFR, but those stats over my past 5k hands are tighter than my previous 10k hands where i was running about 35%+ VPIP but i was limping a lot more - fact is you don't need to be that tricky - I did it for awhile thinking it was some great strategy and i figured out it was pointless...

Originally Posted by johnnyBuz

Originally Posted by a500lbgorilla

well, ive seen someone else successfully run over the table im trying to run over

im down like 2 buyins over like... 80 hands.

heh. so is this not an effective strategy? or were you just noobing it up losing stacks? i can't see how it would hurt. if you could even side with losing $5-10 in those first couple hands showing down absolute trash and then tightening up, people will be calling you down with everything.

One buyin was getting it all in KK on a Td8dx flop against a guy who i flet was primed to melt down.

I was getting pretty cold decked and getting minraised a lot which i 3bet/called/folded to almost 33/33/33 so i cant see how it's possibly a good tactic against me.

Originally Posted by a500lbgorilla

Originally Posted by johnnyBuz

Originally Posted by a500lbgorilla

well, ive seen someone else successfully run over the table im trying to run over

im down like 2 buyins over like... 80 hands.

heh. so is this not an effective strategy? or were you just noobing it up losing stacks? i can't see how it would hurt. if you could even side with losing $5-10 in those first couple hands showing down absolute trash and then tightening up, people will be calling you down with everything.

One buyin was getting it all in KK on a Td8dx flop against a guy who i flet was primed to melt down.

I was getting pretty cold decked and getting minraised a lot which i 3bet/called/folded to almost 33/33/33 so i cant see how it's possibly a good tactic against me.

table selection fish :P

uh only 3 tables running at the time

Originally Posted by a500lbgorilla

uh only 3 tables running at the time

Site selection fish?

LOL site was bodog

anyone else wanna question me?

anyway, im gonna lay off this. Maybe cold decked, maybe something else. But I mean, i had just changed gears at one table got KK and lost to 22 set.

My last 8 hands from lastnight:

Bankitdrew wins pot $4.25
Bankitdrew wins pot $1.25
Bankitdrew wins pot $1.25
Bankitdrew wins pot $3.00
Bankitdrew wins pot $9.60
Bankitdrew wins pot $5.55
UglyNasty wins pot $104.55

On the last hand I two paired my 58 on the turn of K8J5. He had 2 pair as well so it was all in and he won. I had 12 or 13 outs with the flush draw but lost anyways.

This was on 50NL 9-max.

THAT IS ONLY 7 HANDS

Originally Posted by LimpinAintEZ

THAT IS ONLY 7 HANDS

No there was one more hand, but it was being used to hold back the girlfriend from strangling him. She thought that money could have been used to buy her a present.

BankItPayette, just tell her you have a pearl necklace you would like to give her...

I've tried this stlye of play a few times and did well every time. I don't do it often as I feel uncomfortable playing like this. I usually wait until I'm running really hot then I'll open up the tightest table I can find and show down any and every bluff. I've only tried this at 25NL tables and ended up sitting on a $70+ stack each time but like I said my sample size is very small so I'm sure there would be some major varience coming my way if I were to play like this a lot more.

i think i think too much. this is a strategy for another time and place, and a higher limit most likely. when i start back up, i'm going for a tagg game of something like 14-16% vpip and pfr 8-10%. gotta build the bankroll up. and i want to see what it feels like to play a disciplined game for once.