Hypothetical tournament question thingy

You're in the middle stages of a low buyin (say $5) tournament. The guy to your left has just taken a bad beat, and gone on SUPER TILT (da-da-da-daaaah). He is proceeding to push all in preflop every hand. He's done this over half a dozen times already, and has sucked out on someone with 93o, so you're certain he's not just on a rush and so is pushing anything.

My question is this - assuming both you and Captain Tilt have comfortable, above average stacks (and he just has you covered) but are not near the bubble yet, what range of hands are you calling his push with and why? Remember you're to his right, so you're acting only against Captain Tilt and have no need to worry about the rest of the table (assume they've all folded for the sake of the question). Does this range change when you're close to the money and when you're in the money? If so, to what and why?

I'll post my thoughts later.

Good question Dorkus - exact same thing happened Sunday's freeroll (as always!). Someone had got to him before I had a chance, so didn't have a chance to make decision. He was small stack though - if getting it wrong meant busting out, then that's different.

Boring answer, i'd probably let someone else deal with him. Mid tournament I wouldn't be unduly worried about another opponent doubling up as there's plenty of cards left to play. If I'd gone in to a lull and felt i had to make a move in tournament, i'd say QJ, KT, A7 + pairs 66 and up.

Near money probably same - i dont think there's any reason to try and hold on to win $10, when 1st prize is $200+. When in money, if the blinds are significant maybe a bit lower - someone will have to make a stand at some time else he'll clean up (though if you're last to act you'll be BB anyway I suppose).

Again, I would only do this if i felt opponents were better players than me. I was in this situation in final stages of tournament I was in, and I was folding A4's etc because I felt I had the beating of the other 3, and was happy with someone else taking the wildman out, which they did (and I did win).

I have a very bad tendency to target this type of player as they irritate me to no end. In Sunday's freeroll I was sandwiched between 2 of this type, one or the other was all in nearly every hand pre-flop. Finally got reasonable cards, A-J suited, and called. Got rivered and went home...

Playing against maniacs is a bit annoying, despite you know you can get big pots from them by playing just premium hands.
The way to play against a maniac changes depending of the position you´re in relation to him. If you´re to his left, you can play some hands like A8 or KT since you know that his bets have not the same value as a normal player´s one. You´re allowed to play those hands because you know the maniac´s hand is probably weak, and also the other players at the table won´t try to reraise you even if they know that your hand isn´t premium (unless they have legitime premium hands), because they know you´re playing those hands because of the maniac´s raises. In that position is good to reraise the maniac with good hands in order to punish him for playing those hands.
Now i´ll talk about what you asked Dorkus: if i´m to his right. This position is really uncomfortable. Here you have to be selective with your hands, because you don´t know what he´s going to do. If you´re saying that he´s pushing in most hands, of course you know that probably you´re going to be against crap like 93, 64, 82, K5, Q2, etc. But here it comes the problem. You know that most of his hands will be crap, but also there exists the chance of him getting a real good hand. It´s very difficult to read a maniac. Remember that even the worst player gets AA, KK, QQ, JJ, AK, etc. So if i planned to play hands like QJ against him because i knew i would be against 93, now i have to think it twice. Even if he push with crap like K2, he´s favourite against my QJ. So i would be a little more selective. Thinking that i have a comfortable stack to play good poker so i don´t have the need to take those kind of risks, and thinking of the possibilities of him having a good hand, i think my range of hands would be this: AA, KK, QQ, JJ, 1010, AK, AQ, AJ, A10, KQ, KJ.
Of course if i´m plenty sure i´m going to be favourite this range could be wider.
In relation to being in the bubble, i don´t think it would change. In fact, when you´re in the bubble it´s good to loosen up a bit because everybody gets tighter (but obviously you have to be very careful).

Against extreme tilters you really want to play any hand where you will have an advantage. When you are not yet near the bubble, this is a perfect situation to build your stack. Every tournament you come to a point where you either start to build a big stack or you lose and go home. Having a wild tilter at your table is a GREAT way to get some *free* chips...


One of the first requirements to open up your calling range is that you are heads-up in a pot with him/her.

Ok, if he/she is pushing EVERYTHING I open up my calling range to any two cards over 9, any ace, almost any king, and then obviously pocket pairs 55-up...

Don't be calling with a hand like 45 suited because even if he has 93, you are an underdog in the pot. This play has a risk, but most of the time if you select your hand carefully you will greatly improve your stack and have a good shot at going far into the money...

It's a tricky decision. Sure, the player is going all-in with every hand but eventually the player is going to get a good hand. It would be a huge blow to you if you call the player's all-in when the player has the good hand. I would call with head cards and a high kicker or high pocket pairs. Even then, if someone calls the player's all-in before you do, unless you have a great hand (pocket queens, kings, or Aces), fold and hope the player loses.

chicubs1616 said:

Against extreme tilters you really want to play any hand where you will have an advantage.

Click to expand...

Really? Would you want to call off all of your comfortable stack with a 51:49 edge over someone who might give you much better odds than that soon?

I'm surprised at the wide ranges that most of you have given. I don't like having even a 60:40 edge here, as if I win I have a big stack but am still not certain of making a run to the final table where the big money is (or even into the money at all) considering we're still in middle stages, whereas if I lose I'm out. I don't want to play a huge pot with Captain Tilt unless I'm almost sure I have a huge advantage.

Personally I call with AA-TT and AKs, in any situation I mentioned. Other than that, I'm happy to let someone else play with him.

Ram and Jam this type of players.. raise and re-raise. Yes you may lose but when you wait for that premium hand.. You will have the better chance of winning.

Would you want to call off all of your comfortable stack with a 51:49 edge over someone who might give you much better odds than that soon?

Click to expand...

No, if I had a 55/45 advantage I would though...

If you don't want to start playing his game stick to the top ten hands pre flop

Assuming he's pushing all-in pre flop

just be patient

why make yourself the table captain? this irritates me too, and you see it all the time in freeroll tournaments. just be patient and play your cards according to your style. yes, you can let the others deal with him and eventually he will get busted. the other thing is that it can be a good thing if he accumulates a lot of chips because you will get him when you pick up a premium hand and add his chips to your stack. if his actions bother you, than he is succeeding in getting into your head, which is exactly what this person is trying to do. a lot of players enjoy watching as their actions put other players on tilt. everybody has seen this maniac win with a 2-4 vs wired pocket pair. and everybody knows how that beat makes you feel. you want to get back at that person. set this person up for a checkraise by limping in with a premium hand. you were going to enter the hand anyways...so if you are eventually going to get a bad beat from this person, allow him to give away all of his chips. yeah, you will get beat sometimes, but more than often, your hand will dominate and will win.

it depends on the end result

if i were in on a cheap $1 $2 $5 buyin etc. i wouldn't be as concerned with going out before the $, so i might call with much looser hands than if
I was in a $100 buy in where the $ would be significantly more. In that case I would only be calling with premium hands like others mentioned pairs 10 and up, and maybe good Aces and suited paints.

I don't change my strategy at this point in tourney. Premium hands only & if he pisses someone else at the table off so much the better.