Betting Strategy
May 25 2008
One of the more trying experiences you can have at a poker table is when you’re up against a maniac. A maniac refers to a player that will play any cards and make a bet of any size at any time no matter what cards they’re holding or what the board is showing. Getting a read on a player like this is extremely difficult, and it’s almost impossible to tell if they’re bluffing with 7-2 or steamrolling pocket aces. Challenging a player like this at the wrong time can gut your chip stack in a hurry, but there are ways to turn the tables on the maniac.
The first thing to remember when you’re up against a maniac is not to bluff. If you’re playing against a true maniac, bluffing will likely cost you a ton of your chips. It’s extremely difficult to get a maniac to fold once they have chips in the middle, no matter how high you’re betting, so a big bluff will more likely feed his chip stack than allow you to steal the pot.
Now that you’ve put your bluff card away, you’ve got to really tighten up your play to bust a maniac. You won’t be able to get into many hands for cheap, so you’ll want to be holding cards with which you would be willing to call a raise. Whenever you do get lucky enough to snag a premium starter, be sure to bet it for value.
Betting for real value may involve making a slow-play whenever the opportunity arises. If you’re in a hand with a maniac, you can almost be assured that they are going to bet or raise. If you’ve got a solid hand on the flop that you think is a winner, let your maniac opponent take charge. Don’t be afraid to check and let him make a big raise. Try to conceal your strength while allowing him to dump chips in the middle.
No matter how strong your hand is, always make sure you’re not being too passive. You don’t want your slow-play to backfire and allow the maniac to catch a better hand later on the turn or river.
Learn more poker strategy in the Bodog
online poker guide.
