Playing against a ‘maniac’ presents a unique set of challenges for any poker player.

Maniacs- the name given to players who are playing recklessly with no regard for strategy – are no always at a disadvantage. For instance, a maniac might fare well in heads-up play against a passive opponent. And in short-handed games with multiple passive opponents, the maniac likely enjoys a significant edge.

The maniac’s demise usually comes in full ring games (with at least eight players), where he is up against just one or two opponents in each hand – at least one of which (or even both) holds a stronger hand. What happens is that all the players become more disciplined and tend to play technically correct poker.

They wait for strong starting hands with which to confront the maniac. Hence, the maniac often faces the one or two best hands at the table, and is frequently at a disadvantage. Because opponents see that the maniac plays many hands and will pay the bets off with a flurry of raises, all that is necessary is to patiently wait for strong cards and let the odds work against the maniac.

Unfortunately, this poses a serious problem if you fail to get good starting hands.

Some undisciplined players see chips flying around the table and can’t contain themselves. They see the maniac occasionally winning with garbage, and react by betting or raising with marginal cards. This plays right into the maniac’s intent – to generate action, put opponents on tilt, and create a wild poker game with multiple players in every hand with huge pots.

Most games with a maniac usually fall into one of two categories:

• They are either very tight, with two or three-way action in most pots…
• …or they are very loose, with multiple opponents calling raises in every hand.

Whatever happens, the maniac’s behaviour causes every single player at the table to adjust his strategy.

Basic Strategy Playing Against a Maniac

Keep in mind that in poker seating, position is absolutely critical. It is almost always better to sit to a maniac’s immediate left. The worst seat at the table is usually to the maniac’s immediate right. So, in such a situation your first goal should be to select a favourable seat. Change seats if possible.

With a maniac in the game, the ultimate objective is to get in with the best hand, anticipating that the maniac will pay off on all bets and raises. In tight games, a tight-aggressive play is usually the optimal strategy. In other words, in Hold’em enter a pot with premium starting hands (pairs higher than 7-7 and non-pairs like A-K and A-Q), and bet them aggressively. The maniac will often try to intimidate you into folding by raising and re-raising. But since you are playing good cards more often than not, you should end up with the best hand and win more pots.

In particularly wild games, a very different strategy is necessary.

Since the maniac has created multi-way action and big pots, drawing hands increase significantly in value. Pre-flop hands like suited-connectors, small pairs, and ace-suited are often playable cards.
If you have two-suited cards and flop two cards to your suit, a raise by the maniac actually increases your expected value in the hand, since you will win a much bigger pot when you make the flush (which happens about 37 percent of the time when you flop a flush draw).

Keep the maniac happy while you fleece him. Poker is just as much a game of psychology as card values. Accordingly, there are specific tactics which can be used to keep the maniac sitting in the game for longer periods of time, steadily contributing to your profits at the table.

Most maniacs are losing poker players. No amount of talent or experience can overcome playing way too many hands and putting one’s money into the pot repeatedly with the worst hand. So, it’s important to try and understand why the maniac plays so recklessly.

• Does he simply like to gamble?
• Is he a wealthy eccentric playing for insignificant stakes?
• Or does the attention he receives at the table stroke his ego?

There are myriad reasons for maniacal behaviour, and identifying the underlying cause of such behaviour is the first step towards exploiting it for profit.

Whatever the root causes, most maniacs – indeed, most poker players – want to enjoy themselves at the table. Disparaging remarks and negative comments made by so-called pros towards these players are incredibly detrimental to both the short- and long-term winnings that might be gained from having maniacs in the game.

It might sound dubious, but the ultimate counter-strategy versus a maniac is to let the player think he can dominate a game, and that you – his opponent – can be manipulated at the table. Letting the maniac think he can run over you, while you are actually prepared to confront his aggressiveness with proper counter-strategies, effectively sets the perfect trap.

In essence, the maniac has committed the very worst error of poker – underestimating his opponent.