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You will undoubtedly run into a poker maniac at some time if you play Texas Hold’Em poker. It is something that you simply cannot avoid. But first let us see what a poker maniac is. He is not a mad man as you may think; he is simply a poker player that is ludicrously aggressive. He will raise if you check, he will re-raise if you raise, and he will go all-in if you raise big. He will check from time to time, but only if the is bluffing or if he is holding a monster hand. If he is holding a monster hand he is just trying to set a trap. If all the players fall for it, he will re-raise heavily.

The reason why poker maniacs are not very popular is because they are intimidating. They manage to bully people out of their chips and are a concern even to expert players.

Poker maniacs love running over other players and the more they get away with bullying their opponents, the happier they are. As a good poker player you should know that poker maniacs play incorrectly. Still, because of their playing style they manage to steal a lot of blinds and small pots. Not to mention that they pretty much always win big when they have a good poker hand. This in turn allows them to continue with their aggressive playing style. The bad thing is that your strategy pretty much becomes useless when faced with such a player. This is because you never know what he is holding when he raises. After all, he will raise even if the is holding garbage.

A question arises: how do we deal with such players? The first thing that you need to do is go on the offensive only when you are holding a good poker hand, a very good poker hand. You will want to go head to head with the maniac, but luckily his playing style will give you that opportunity. Once you commit, do not back down. Stay in the game, raise and re-raise as much as it takes. Don’t worry about it, he is not worried about playing good poker, he is more concerned about bullying you. So stay in the game, and when it is time for the showdown take him for all he is worth.

What will get on your nerves is the wait. Waiting to get a strong poker hand can prove to be very frustrating. You will have to wait for as long as an hour before getting such a poker hand. During that hour you have to endure losing blinds, watching this guy catch full houses on a 2-7 offsuit, and deal with the taunting that’s sure to come with such play. If you are dealt a hand that is not very strong do not fall pray to the temptation. If you want to take this guy down you will need a poker hand that is sure to win. Otherwise you will only end up doubling up the maniac and encouraging his erratic play.

Take your time and wait for a dominant hand. Do not get frustrated when you will find yourself passing up a lot of hands that you’d probably play in a normal game. Stick to the game plan and remember what you are trying to do. Eventually you will get that dominant hand and when it gets called, that maniac will pay you off. Do this every time you get a very strong poker hand and make the maniac pay for his playing style.

Note that when dealing with a maniac the seating is crucial. The ideal position is to the maniac’s left. This is because maniacs raise with weak hands and you will want to be in a position that allows you to re-raise.