Stop trying to 'trap' maniacs
Dara O' Kearney says the blueprint for beating LAGs is to counter their aggression with more aggression
Almost every student I work with needs help on how to play against 'maniac' players who are wildly aggressive.
The biggest mistake you can make against them is to 'trap' them by slow playing big hands against them.
This is an error because:
- It's often obvious you are trying to reel them in and they will slow down
- You allow them to realise more equity by never giving them a chance to fold
- You put yourself in tough river spots when the board runs out poorly for your hand
It is much better to counter their aggression by value betting and bluffing more, while not increasing your overall range.
Embrace the variance
People wince when I say this, because it pushes them out of their comfort zone.
Suck it up, embrace the variance.
Most of the time they have missed the flop and will not be able to stand your counter aggression.
Don't be results orientated.
It is much better to go out swinging against them than to slowly bleed chips to them.
Once you have a blueprint for dealing with maniacs, it becomes a lot of fun playing against them.
You can get Dara's free book on effective poker study by joining his mailing list.
