What is the best way to deal with guys who bet and raise often, preflop and post flop on every street? Where do I want to be sitting in congruence with them? They usually go with me no matter what their cards are, so do s that mean I have to put them hem in a position to call my entire stack when I read them to be weak, or when I believe to be ahead? Thoughts??
You deal with this player the same as any other player: you get a line on their play, determine what their range looks like, and play accordingly.
With a maniac, you want to be sitting behind him and have position on him most of the time. You also need to be ready to throw some light 3! and 4! at him.
Last session I played I had just such a player ahead of me. I'd seen him put in a big 3! with (8d,6d) and dog pocket rockets. I picked up pocket 4's not too long after that, and opened for 3XBB. He 3! and I raised the pot. He called. Flop comes down (Q,rag,rag) and he checked it. I lead off 18BB into an 18BB pot. He tank, folded.
You'll have to take some chances, and never forget that, just because he's aggro -- or even a flat-out whacko -- doesn't mean he can't pick up aces or some other Premium. In that last session, I knew pocket fours was pretty much a coin-flip. He could have 3! with another mid-suited connector and binked a bigger pair than fours. If he could raise with (8d,6d) he could raise with (Q, anything). If he had, he'd call and I'd probably lose. Regardless, I made the right play to both get value from a hand that normally wouldn't be worth much beyond the steal and hitting a set, and to shut him down.
Another thing to consider is if he can change it up. That opponent from last night was doing that, and I happened to be dealt a playable hand when he was splashing around. Indeed, he tried to trap me later, and I avoided it because I already knew he had nitted it up.
Observe, observe, observe; never assume that they're playing
this orbit the way you saw them play three orbits ago. They usually do -- fish is as fish does -- but beware of those who can change it up on you. In Poker, assumptions can be damned expensive.