2461 Hands @ 11.17 BB/100

I was fortunate enough to find myself at a table with a maniac at it, and even though I was on the opposite end of the table from him, I was able to capitalize on it and take a good number of bets off of him.

Hand #1:

PokerStars 0.25/0.50 Hold'em (6 handed) Poker Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: HTML)

Preflop: Hero is MP with Td, Ts.
UTG calls, Hero raises, 2 folds, SB 3-bets, 1 fold, UTG calls, Hero calls.

Flop: (10 SB) 2s, Kd, 7s (3 players)
SB bets, UTG calls, Hero calls.

Turn: (6.50 BB) Ad (3 players)
SB bets, UTG calls, Hero calls.

River: (9.50 BB) Ac (3 players)
SB bets, UTG folds, Hero calls.

One of the advantages to not being directly next to the maniac is that you have position on the rest of the table since the maniac will be leading the action most of the time. I am definitely playing for a cheap showdown with my marginal hand, and I probably do not overcall if UTG calls in front of me. The reason is that this flop offers very little for him to hit that doesn't beat me. The turn card made it worse for me against his hand range as now even a hand like A2 or A7 is better than mine. But as soon as he folds, this becomes an easy call. Maniac shows 93o and loses.

Hand #2:

PokerStars 0.25/0.50 Hold'em (6 handed) Poker Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: HTML)



Preflop: Hero is Button with 7h, 7d.

UTG raises, 2 folds, Hero 3-bets, SB calls, 1 fold, UTG caps, Hero calls, SB calls.

Flop: (13 SB) 2h, 5d, 2s (3 players)
SB checks, UTG bets, Hero raises, SB folds, UTG 3-bets, Hero calls.

Turn: (9.50 BB) Td (2 players)
UTG bets, Hero calls.

River: (11.50 BB) Ks (2 players)
UTG bets, Hero calls.

The preflop 3-bet is a standard isolation 3-bet, and when SB comes along to the flop, I have to also raise the flop to knock him off of his overcards. Once that happens, I have no problem just calling down again. He had 83s this time and lost again.

Hand #3:

PokerStars 0.25/0.50 Hold'em (6 handed) Poker Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: HTML)



Preflop: Hero is MP with 7d, 7s.

1 fold, Hero raises, 1 fold, Button 3-bets, SB caps, 1 fold, Hero calls, Button calls.

Flop: (13 SB) 2d, Td, Ts (3 players)
SB bets, Hero raises, Button folds, SB 3-bets, Hero calls.


Turn: (9.50 BB) 9d (2 players)
SB bets, Hero calls.

River: (11.50 BB) Ad (2 players)
SB checks, Hero checks.

Knowing the results, I missed a value bet here, but I'm not sure if a 7-high flush is enough to bet and call a raise. I am definitely showing down any reasonable hand here, so the question is whether I think it's worth two bets on the river or not. And even though I might be good, paying off a river check-raise probably loses more money than what I make from making value bets and having him call with random pairs. He had a good preflop hand this time with AKs, but he still lost.

Hand #4:

PokerStars 0.25/0.50 Hold'em (6 handed) Poker Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: HTML)

Preflop: Hero is UTG with Qh, Ks.
Hero raises, 2 folds, Button 3-bets, 1 fold, BB calls, Hero calls.

Flop: (9.40 SB) Ad, 5h, Jd (3 players)
BB checks, Hero checks, Button bets, BB folds, Hero calls.

Turn: (5.70 BB) 8d (2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets, Hero calls.

River: (7.70 BB) 2h (2 players)
Hero checks, Button checks.

This hand highlights something rather subtle about this maniac. He didn't bet the river with his weak made hand (53s), but he's 100% willing to bluff his nothing hands. In a certain sense, this hurts him because now he fails to collect on hands when he actually has something, but then he loses money when he has nothing. It's rather strange, but some players simply do not think through their actions enough (and that's perfectly fine with me).