Waiting for the Maniac to Die

We’ve all been at poker tables where one player was in on every hand no matter what he got dealt, where every time it came to him he was firing and firing. He might even be talking game like he’s got moves like Gus Hansen or Daniel Negreanu, as if the backing of these players’ success is sheerly based on blind aggression.

While pushing hard in the right spots is important, the thing to know about these kind of maniacal poker players is that if they keep that kind of steam running full throttle continuously, they are going to go bust. You simply can’t throw your way through every hand and not expect odds of another player making a bigger hand, plus general percentages of people getting tired of your junking around and calling with lesser hands, to add up to getting caught with your hand in the cookie jar.

Sometimes at these tables it’s best to wait. Try to catch a big hand against this guy and peg him to the wall with it. But turning back on against him is no better an idea, nor is trying to act as if he isn’t there. Fine tune your poker moves, and wait for him to get crushed by someone or another.