A3s vs maniac

Hi, Im having a terrible time trying to figure out if i made the right move here. Blinds are $1/2 NL holdem table.

Im in the cutoff with A3s, and after a two limpers, I raise to $10 to build a pot. I get re-raised by the maniac button to $20, and all fold back to me. I call, as I think my A3s might actually be the best hand as this maniac has been raising and re-raising every 2nd hand and showing down trash like J6, K8, but occasionally turning up with a real hand and getting paid off too.

Flop is 993 rainbow. I check to him, and he bets $25. I check-raise him to $60, and he calls. Pot is now about $160. Turn in A. I check to him, and he puts me all-in for my remaining $167.

What is your play here? I thought my hand was actually good as I put him on a pocket pair, perhaps even as high as QQ or KK, but I eventually folded, as any Ace here beats my two-pair with 3 kicker..

Was my play weak by checking the turn, after showing strength on the flop?

Thanks

Everyone else will tear you up for your preflop play, so I won't even talk about that, but I will offer this golden nugget.

Don't get in deep OOP with a holding like A3. Even if he was playing J6, your hand is barely a favorite and he has position on you, which makes his hand way better.

perhaps that I should have added that this was liveplay and a $10 raise meant nothing on this table. Most PFR's were in $15 - $30, and my raise was meant to stop the maniac button from popping it up to $20 (as he had been doing).. as it turned out, he raised it up anyway..

I know A3 aint a great holding, but I wasn't about to get pushed off my hand for another $10, considering the maniac's history.

you forgot to mention stack sizes....and you should likely call this all in depending on how much you have

he put me all-on on the turn for $167 - he had about $10 more than I did. So stack sizes were very even at $240 - $250.

If the table is loose try to play tighter. You shouldn't be playing A3s preflop. As played postflop though i think you did a relatively good job. The flop is fine, maybe $75 would be better. On the turn you have to lead out, and then you would have to call an all in.

I dont get why a small raise (to protect against a possible bigger one) is bad in this spot. As I wrote earlier, a $10 raise on this table gets called by 4-5 players if the maniac doesnt re-pop it. And I didnt call a raise with A3s - there was 2 limpers in front of me.

lowsSkinsFan - do you risk your stack with that Ace hitting, where if you get called, you are most certain to be behind? Im worried that by failing to bet after the flop CR, I allowed him to bluff me out of the pot. By checking the turn, does that usually mean my flop CR was a bluff?

you underrepped your hand and he is a maniac so call

Originally Posted by IowaSkinsFan

If the table is loose try to play tighter. You shouldn't be playing A3s preflop. As played postflop though i think you did a relatively good job. The flop is fine, maybe $75 would be better. On the turn you have to lead out, and then you would have to call an all in.

I think I disagree with everything you said in this post, no offense.

Denito, you need to be playing as many hands as you possibly can against someone as bad as this guy and A3s is certainly good enough to play. I don't see any purpose in leading out on the turn, but I would more than likely call the all-in as played. Top pair is the nuts against someone like this.

id have limped preflop. Maniac can raise anytwo beihnd limpers which is fine for us with a hand like Axs as we arent looking to flop top pair all that often are we?

thanks guys. I actually said to the table that I had a feeling I was laying down the best hand - I just couldn't bring myself to call it as any Ace beats me. This is a fairly marginal situation though isnt it - would you really be comfortable putting your money in (in this case, $167 is almost 3x the max buyin for this table limit), or is there an argument that I could wait for a better spot?

Or is this simply a case of going with your "gut feeling"?

If I go in with a maniac holding A3. I'm pumping him if I hit two pair on the turn. you put him on a pocket pair, so he's either behind or has quads (discount the PP3's, your holding one so that's almost 0 chance of a set). And you will have best hand 99% of the time. What are the odds that the one time you have 2 pair, he has a 9. Worse comes to worse, he'll see the two pair and think twice about playing back at your raises because you've shown down a good hand. Even if he had a 9 you still ahd 4 outs to the FH.

I think he had 1010-QQ and I think he put you on exactly what you were holding, a weak ace who was looking for a good reason to fold.