Genso Hikki
Cardschat Elite
Silver Level
I just finished playing a 10 handed s-n-g. Made it down to four players (3 cash). One player had most of the chips at the table, the rest of us were pretty even.
The big stack was a maniac. He raised every hand, which in itself isn't bad, I think he was right to put pressure on the rest of us, but he also called every hand when he was re-popped with ANY two cards. Even worse he kept raising on the turn and river when he had nothing - and didn't seem to understand that if he was getting called or re-raised he was probably beat.
I watched how the other two players dealt with him. Their stradegy seemed to be to go all in pre-flop, knowing he would call and hoping to double up. It worked for a few hands, but even donks catch cards and he managed to maintain his massive chip lead.
My decided my best bet was to lay low and only enter a pot when I had a better than marginal hand. I was nervous, because the blinds come around quick four-handed and they were eating into my stack. I picked up K/10 of clubs in the big blind. The maniac raised me all in and I called and doubled up when the flop came all clubs, including the Ace. I went back into fold mode until I lucked up and got pocket aces. The maniac raised, UTG called and I went all in. I tripled up on that hand. This put me in second chip position, but I went back to fold mode. Sure enough, a couple hands later, the maniac was knocked out when he called an all-in with 6/9 suited and failed to improve.
I then went back to my normal game and went on to win the thing. But I took a bit of verbal abuse for being a weak player - which I guess was justified considering I only played two hands the entire time we were four handed.
My question is this: did I make the wrong decision stradegy wise? Should I have played as aggressively as the other two players did, going in with marginal hands and hope to double up off the maniac? I'm not stupid and I realize that luck played a part in my survival. If I hadn't hit that nut flush and those pocket aces I could have very well been blinded down to nothing. Should I have been playing in push/fold mode like everyone else at the table?
The big stack was a maniac. He raised every hand, which in itself isn't bad, I think he was right to put pressure on the rest of us, but he also called every hand when he was re-popped with ANY two cards. Even worse he kept raising on the turn and river when he had nothing - and didn't seem to understand that if he was getting called or re-raised he was probably beat.
I watched how the other two players dealt with him. Their stradegy seemed to be to go all in pre-flop, knowing he would call and hoping to double up. It worked for a few hands, but even donks catch cards and he managed to maintain his massive chip lead.
My decided my best bet was to lay low and only enter a pot when I had a better than marginal hand. I was nervous, because the blinds come around quick four-handed and they were eating into my stack. I picked up K/10 of clubs in the big blind. The maniac raised me all in and I called and doubled up when the flop came all clubs, including the Ace. I went back into fold mode until I lucked up and got pocket aces. The maniac raised, UTG called and I went all in. I tripled up on that hand. This put me in second chip position, but I went back to fold mode. Sure enough, a couple hands later, the maniac was knocked out when he called an all-in with 6/9 suited and failed to improve.
I then went back to my normal game and went on to win the thing. But I took a bit of verbal abuse for being a weak player - which I guess was justified considering I only played two hands the entire time we were four handed.
My question is this: did I make the wrong decision stradegy wise? Should I have played as aggressively as the other two players did, going in with marginal hands and hope to double up off the maniac? I'm not stupid and I realize that luck played a part in my survival. If I hadn't hit that nut flush and those pocket aces I could have very well been blinded down to nothing. Should I have been playing in push/fold mode like everyone else at the table?