Mute about the Maniac
Cash poker tables typically change up frequently with players coming and going. You never know when a loose maniac might sit down.
This scenario recently happened to yours truly, who was enjoying a good run at a fairly tight 1-2 NL cash game. The seat to my right was vacated, and a new player joined the table – an older woman wearing sunglasses who dumped a pile of chips in front of her. She posted to play, then made a big raise on her option. My maniac radar lit up and I knew the tone of the table would change. My first thought was to leave with the profit I had already made.
But maniacs are not be feared, they are to be played. I stuck to my usual tight style and only entered pots with premium cards, consciously avoiding the maniac who was in many pots. While on the big blind, with the maniac in small, I looked down at K-4, a weak hand. A few players called and, of course, the maniac raised. I knew this loose poker player would raise with anything, so I called the raise and the rest of the table folded. The flop brought K-J-5.
The maniac bets and I called with my high pair, knowing it was weak. The turn and river were blanks, but the maniac bet every time and I called to a showdown. She confidently flipped over J-10, losing to my dominant King. She pounded the table demanding to know “how could you call with those cards?”
I shrugged and replied, “big blind special” while I raked in a nice pot. What I did not say was that I played the player knowing that a maniac most often does not have the cards to back their raises. The maniac tightened up after that hand at the casino.
