Online Poker Forum - Maniac's at the Microstakes?

LitUp43 · Posted: Thu Oct 08, 2009 12:32 pm Post subject: Maniac's at the Microstakes?

So the past couple nights i've been playing at the microstakes hi lo tables, and I see a couple of nuts raising and re-raising the pot pre-flop with garbage and following through with it on the flop. Two nights ago, I was lucky enough to catch the nuts on some flops and stack them, but last night I couldn't get a hand worth 2 cents on either table I played, and when I would, I'd catch a monster draw OTF and miss every time. Even after the two maniacs went busto, I still wasn't catching much worth playing, so I ended up switching to Hi, caught a couple monster hands and got my buy-in's back.

My question is, how do you counteract this type of play when players are committing 1/2 a buy-in on one hand? I mean I looked at the avg pot it was up to $2.20 at .01/.02. I'm not a fan of playing the lottery unless I know I'm putting it in there w/ the best hand like AAK2 or AA2X ds. Thoughts, comments?

cardfish2 · Posted: Thu Oct 08, 2009 12:40 pm Post subject:

Pretty easy to beat really. Wait for a hand that beats that range and get all the chips in. Variance will be high but play enough and you will win.

LitUp43 · Posted: Thu Oct 08, 2009 1:03 pm Post subject:

Most definitely...I did that quite a few times, ended up losing every time. I played for 2 hrs and decided enough was enough, I'll try another table and come back another night. Thanks though, from your post I was playing it right, just wasn't coming out on the right end. Next time though, definitely!

aarosakura · Posted: Fri Oct 09, 2009 4:45 pm Post subject:

i like to play flops,and let them get their money in silly with a naked flush draw or 2 pair and no low draw.

Freerolling is what you want to be aiming for,if you can freeroll every hand you play,you'll end up winning. Which obviously means play scooping hands,see flops and don't get too much in pre.

cardfish2 · Posted: Fri Oct 09, 2009 5:07 pm Post subject:

aarosakura · Posted: Fri Oct 09, 2009 11:32 pm Post subject:

francois8 · Posted: Tue Oct 27, 2009 1:16 pm Post subject: Re: Maniac's at the Microstakes?

OP, play 2 tables or more if you can, at a time and just play tight as all hell. It will cost you a couple dimes to sit through like 6 orbits of the table, so you can wait for your spot since you'll be way ahead of their ranges when you do play a hand.

People who bet every hand blindly are challenging to play against mentally due to the variance, but very profitable in the long run. True, regardless of game. I'll let someone who knows more about PLO8 to tell you which hands to play.

Flying_Kiwi · Posted: Tue Oct 27, 2009 3:17 pm Post subject:

I good start would be learning Omaha.

LitUp43 · Posted: Tue Oct 27, 2009 4:33 pm Post subject:

Flying_Kiwi · Posted: Tue Oct 27, 2009 4:44 pm Post subject:

I was just meaning that Omaha is a high variance game and even really strong hands are only marginally ahead PF.

LitUp43 · Posted: Tue Oct 27, 2009 4:53 pm Post subject:

Oh, absolutely. I should edit my first post as I am definitely a fan of getting AI or most of it w/ monster draws. NLNFD for example, that's just a no brainer, or wrap around 22 way SDFD combinations, it's going in if the pot is big enough. I usually pick those spots to make a pot bet, or check raise if it's multi way that way I'm sure to get the most value when I hit my draw, and I'd say most of the time I do.

Driv3Thru · Four of a Kind Joined: 26 Nov 2008 Posts: 274

King Kinser 11 · Flush Joined: 30 Jun 2005 Posts: 136

I've only recently deposited again on FT, and have played nothing but micro-stakes PLO. The OP is absolutely correct when he says these morons put in a pot-sized raise EVERY hand.

I decided to play PLO because of all of the total donkeys at the NLHE tables. My bankroll is extremely small, but I love playing poker. So, it's been sitting at the 9-handed tables trying to grind it out.

Have to sit there and wait until the idiots go busto, or you can get a good hand that connects on the flop.

Zophar · Posted: Fri Jan 08, 2010 5:39 pm Post subject:

Sorta easy to combat these spots to a degree, although it will be a little higher variance.

First off, play the majority of your hands IP. Play your premium 2 way hands faster, trying to isolate and/or getting as much in PF as possible as you'll most likely have an equity edge. Meaning, if there's a bet, 3bet in front of you, 4bet your suited A2Bx/A3Bx, AALx hands. This way postflop is rote. If you can get >60% effective stacks in pre, postflop is simple as you'll almost always have proper equity to shove.

Play your premium one way hands slower, get them multiway because that's where their value lies. Some examples are A2/A3LL, low rundowns and broadway rundowns. Don't overestimate the high value of hands like A235, as they have much less value in AI PF situations. Also, don't overestimate your weak AAxx hands. If you propokertools AAxx multiway against A2xx and any4 hands, you'll see your equity is really bad.

Acousticdude · High Card Joined: 12 May 2008 Posts: 5

The best way to play against the maniacs is to wat until you have a nutz hand and beat them at their own game. This usually puts them on Tilt too. Patience is needed in playing hi/lo. Starting hand selection is very important.

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