When to challenge maniac short handed?

[Borax]

Game: NL cash game 4-handed
Situation: I raise 0.25-1.0£ with AQo nad maniac reraises me 1.0-5.0£. I fold. He then keeps showing down J3s, T8o, K2o etc. playing almost any hand. Little later, I again raise 0.25-1.0£ with AQs and he again reraises me 1.0-5.0£. Stacks are 25£ each before the hand starts.
Do I push here?

Main question: How patient should I be and how strong hand do I need before playing back at a maniac in games like this?

[ensign_lee]

So how often exactly will he pop you back like this?

If it's less than half the time, then go ahead and raise. You don't necessarily have to push all in. Make it 12 pounds total or 14 pounds total. Just be willing to go all in if you do this.

Why are you going to only raise partially if you'r ewilling to go all in anyway? Because You're trying to extract the most value out of the hand.

[Borax]

So how often exactly will he pop you back like this?

If it's less than half the time, then go ahead and raise.

Why less then half the time?

[Miffed22001]

id just push next time.

[The Izebox]

If the guy keeps reraising you preflop and showing you garbage, what makes you think that your ace queen isnt the besy hand?

PUSH!

If the guy is truly a maniac you might even ge a call from a KQ or ace rag if he thinks that you are trying ot play back at him. If you do reraise him preflop go all in, I would want to get all the money in with the bet hand preflop.

Make sure that you are paying attention to his play, he might change gears if he thinks the table is getting wise to him (but this probably wont bea problem at nl25)

[Renton]

just because he plays small pots loose doesn't mean he plays big ones loose too. Assuming otherwise is how good laggs make money. I am by no means assuming this guy is a good lagg, I am just saying be careful when you push against a maniac when you have a mediocre hand. Sometimes you're only called when beat.


I'd rather just cold call his raises with position and call down his bluffs.

[andy-akb]

I agree with renton here, simply because he is reraise a lot, what makes you think he is going to call your pushes with the same frequency of bad hands?

[WhooFleuryScores]

I will reraise/push a maniac anyday with AQs/AQo/QQ/JJ. TT/AJs is marginal and read dependant.

[Borax]

just because he plays small pots loose doesn't mean he plays big ones loose too. Assuming otherwise is how good laggs make money. I am by no means assuming this guy is a good lagg, I am just saying be careful when you push against a maniac when you have a mediocre hand. Sometimes you're only called when beat.


I'd rather just cold call his raises with position and call down his bluffs.

Right on target Renton
Silly me pushed my AQs and he showed KK and even hit a full house...
I know have a good read on the guy. He raises strong hands hard and puts less in the pot with marginal and poor hands. I learned something, but a bit too expensive I would say.