early stage maniacs

[tncatfish43]

I was wondering if anyone had advice on dealing with those maniacs early in a micro $5.00 and under buy in tournament who go in all in all the time no matter what they have?Even if you have AA pre flop if 3 or 4 people call you chances are one of them is gonna beat you with garbage.This is especialy true in tourneys with 4000 or more people in it.I've seen 6 people go all in the first hand of a tournament and usualy the winner is the worst hand.

[hopeful]

Not all of these guys are maniacs, they play a double up or go home start to the tournie. Some are aware that with any high /connected/suited cards they are unlikely to be a massive dog against a similar range. any Ace is only miles behind AA and is pretty good against hands as strong as KK. I have seen maniacs double up a couple of times then calm down and run deep into the money. If you play a lot of these tournies it can be a profittable way to play. Like you, its not for me.

As to how to play against them. Your goal should be to get your money in as a favourite. Sure you will lose some but you will win more than you loose, thats what being the favourite means.

[DrStrangeShove]

Early in a MTT I like to be patient. Get to know the players a little. At least enough to know whos a manic, a call station, etc. When I know Ive got a maniac table I try to play it tight. In time you'll pick those guys off one by one. With AA at a table like this, I would raise a little better than 3x raise to get some information. If 3 or 4 maniacs go all-in, I would seriously think about folding. Two cards dont make a hand.

[Pino_Diablo]

hopeful made a good point.
if you are the button with AA and 4 all ins ahead of you, you do what you want, i'm still shoving it. you will at least make a few hearts sink..........before the flop....lol

[pippyn]

I tend to lay back and let the dust settle a little. If I get bad vibes from them, or feel like I'm reacting to their moves and am at risk of over playing my cards because I desperatly wnat to spank them, I really lay back unless I have a very strong hand.

[atom2k8]

what you have to do is just sit back until it settles down have patience

[hopeful]

Look guys AA preflop, early you call any number of all in bets. You never sit back with aces.

[CasalRoyal]

I was wondering if anyone had advice on dealing with those maniacs (...)

Well, this happens very often in freeroll tournaments, satellites and even tournaments with buy-in and fee - It´s not very likely to happen in single-table tourneys, as I can experience... Well, I used to get very upset because of such maniacs... But just call me down... Now I try to double initial stack until the very first break - doubling here means all-in in no way! One can double selecting 3 or 4 good hands in the very first hour... After that, the maniacs are half already busted!

[CasalRoyal]

hopeful made a good point.
if you are the button with AA and 4 all ins ahead of you, you do what you want, i'm still shoving it. you will at least make a few hearts sink..........before the flop....lol

LoL! I missed that the first time I read! You are correct: all-in causes hearts to sink, most of the time! Even when it is not of ours!

[lilking26]

All in is just a retarded tactic it shows that the players have no skill what so ever and just FYI if u try that in any live game at a casino it is seen as a form of cheating and they will boot u from the casino. As I read most of these posts it goes to show the ignorance of many new online players and most online players in general. Learn the game and I am sure that is why most of y'all and most online players will only be playing online and with there buddies on the weekend never in a real poker game and another FYI if u ever find a back room game be aware that most people there will usually beat the crap out of ya or slice your throat as well as take your money I have seen it before it's pretty bad but then again when u wanna play with the big dogs u gotta be prepared for the consequences. One of my favorite players is Doyle Brunson And he started off playing in those cut throat back room games and knows that u better be packin when u go no telling what can happen. So My opinion just learn the game figure out your own strategy and run with it but if u play online just go with the flow I tend to just call some of those donks most of the time just to see what happens never in a money tour but freerolls yep then note the one's that do so u know in the future who the donks are.

[simonanderssn]

not really!

[connectthesuitors]

I tend to shove if I believe I have the best hand. So AA, KK or even QQ is an auto push. In a $1 MTT a couple of weeks ago I pushed against three other players with QQ and was ahead preflop and hit a Q on the turn to take them all out which was sweet. Sometimes in the opening first 2 or 3 hands if I'm in ealry position I shove KK or AA just because it's so profitable as you always get one donk calling his tourney off in the first hand with A10 or KJ....

[drmcboy]

All in is just a retarded tactic it shows that the players have no skill what so ever and just FYI if u try that in any live game at a casino it is seen as a form of cheating and they will boot u from the casino.

[cow344]

Personally even in higher buy ins you have all inner's!

Allot of time I will not play for the first couple or more hands. Yesterday I did not play the first 1/2 hour in a $10 + rake buy in because of the action and got third place at the end.

The first two victims I went up against were all in or not players ( if they hit bottom or middle pair ), I just watched the first 1/2 hour period and when BB was 100 chips I played and played hard.

The one player I even put in the chat box "you are going to have to go through me sooner or later" the went all in with 2 pair and did not think I had a full house ( top trip and used the felt pair to fill ).

The all inner's just want to play and if you get them on tilt the more power to you! Just be smart, patient and discipline in your decisions !

[cardplayer52]

I've seen 6 people go all in the first hand of a tournament and usualy the winner is the worst hand.

AA vs 6 hands are supposed to lose most of the time i'm not sure the numbers but guessing 70% here. but calling is a positive equity play here. but early i like to have better than 30% of winning. so with lots of all inners i may fold QQ. it would be hard for me to fold AA,KK but i wouldnt blame someone for doing so if no chips were committed. remember AA is only a pair and i would consider it a small hand so small hand small pot. if you can get all in with AA vs 2 or less players do so all day. doesnt hurt to sit out a few rounds till the donks go away. or try folding every hand but AA,KK and AK if you get those shove.

[drmcboy]

please don't fold AA ever pre flop outside a satellite or absurd cripple payout situation (probably not even there).

[Itsgoodonwood83]

Listen theirs poker players and theirs slooches looking to mess ur day up. JUst play strong hands when u got em. If they go all-in all the time just wait til somebody knocks them out. It always happens. But if you got them pocket rockets you be the one to knock them out. Never be scared when u got hardware!