Poker News

George Epstein

I regard highly skilled poker players as PokerSharks; but most players are PokerPigeons. Among the latter are two categories that stand out: maniacs and calling-stations. The latter are players who call all bets no matter what. . . They rarely raise but they hate to fold - ideal opponents if your goal is to win money ($$$), although you should never try to bluff out a calling-station. Maniacs go one step beyond.

A maniac is a player who bets, raises, and reraises almost with no regard to the value of his hand, the cards on the board, or the number and types of players still in the hand. (Notice I said “his hand;” that’s because I have never seen a woman maniac–only the males of our species and usually young men at that.)

Two Maniacs at the Same Table: You won’t find a maniac at every table but nor are they rare. They come in all sizes and shapes, so to speak. Some are even more maniacal than others. I was at a middle-limit hold’em table with not one but two maniacs sitting side by side. When I sat down at the table I observed the huge pot that had been built up. I sat out a few hands until the button got past me. (That tactic allows me to observe the texture of the game and get a “read” on the types of players at the table; and it permits me to play a full round of hands before I have to post the blind bets.) The first maniac bet, raised or reraised every hand; the second did likewise, albeit not as often. Both had racks of chips in front of them.

How Should You Play Against a Maniac?: You don’t need to be Mike Caro, the “Mad Genius of Poker,” to realize that playing againsta maniac can be very costly - more so when there are two of them at your table! On the other hand, the presence of a maniac offers opportunities to win big pots. Recognize that a maniac, like a calling-station, is not likely to be bluffed out. You must go for a powerful hand - ideally the “nuts” or at least a monster hand. Of course, when you are making your preflop decision whether or not to enter the fray, you can never be sure how the hand will develop. My hold’em algorithm can help you make that decision; I suggest using only the early-position criteria which are the most rigorous. That means you should call the blind with made hands or premium drawing hands with one exception: If you are in a late position and hold A-x suited, call if there are at least three opponents still in the pot. Those hands offer you the best chance for ending with a powerful hand. Once you are in the pot, don’t let the maniac force you out if your hand has lots of outs that would likely give you the best hand at the showdown. Of course, don’t hesitate to fold if the flop misses you, even if the maniac’s bet doesn’t get raised or reraised.

How Did it Come Out? As the game progressed, the big maniac soon went broke. His racks of chips disappeared before my eyes. No surprise! The other maniac’s racks also dwindled; he left the table shortly after the first. And those of us who mindedour Ps and Qs enjoyed the benefit of their largesse. . .

. . . So readers, what’s YOUR opinion?

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