poker strategy – poker on internet

Maniacs bet and raise and seem not to know where the fold button is. It is pretty easy to take profit of this style and probably they are the kind of player which you can bust more easily while playing online poker.

Step by step, first thing is the preflop. If you are first to act, always raise 3x or 4x if you have good cards to play like AKs, JJ or similar, obviously you shall not raise or play any kind of crap hands, because you are a solid player. Do not let the maniac player to turn you into another maniac, if you are in a hurry to bust the maniac you will start playing crap as him and you will become a fish like him. You shall raise because a maniac will call 3x with barely any hand so you are likely to have better cards than him.

If you are second to act and the maniac has limped the pot, raise to 3x. Maniacs will call a 3x raise the same as they will call a 3x bet and you are likely to have better cards than him. If he raised like 3x or 4x you shall reraise to 9x or 10x. Maniacs usually call these reraises because they don’t want to give up the pot. If he gives up you have won and if he calls you probably are ahead before the flop.

The critical point to bust a maniac is when the flop hits the table. If you are first to act and you have nothing, check and fold. Maniacs are also calling stations and will call any low bet with nothing, placing a high bluff to scare them away is too risky; they are the kind of players more difficult to bluff because they like to call or raise. If you had a good hand in the flop and you are first to act, check and raise when he bets (he surely will). The raise must be definitive, like 3x the pot or all in. Do not let the maniac to draw because you are risking the pot.

Use the same strategy if you are second to act, if you have nothing and he bets, run away from that hand and wait for a better moment to bust him. If he checks and you have nothing, do not try to bluff, just check, cross your fingers and draw, bluffing a maniac player is not a good idea. If he bets, and you have a good hand, raise a good amount or throw your chips, he may call with an average hand and you will get a lot of money. If he checks and you have a good hand, bet a good amount of money to either scare him away or make a good pot; do not let the maniac to draw.

Although it may not seem a good idea to follow the above guidelines and slow playing is a tempting idea, by continuously raising him, you are heating him up and sooner or later he will call with an average hand and you will take all his money.