How do you play this?

[leonardo999b]

NL Holdem .25/.50 blinds.

Playing in a home game this game this situation came up. How would you play it? You are holding ATs and raise $2 before the flop. You get two callers, one of which is a maniac.

Flop 10 4 8 rainbow.

Player to your left bets $1. You raise to $4. Maniac goes all in. ($24 and all your stack.)

Player to your left folds.

Action is on you. Call or Fold?

I want to know what you guys would do?

[flyecui69]

I would call immediately if theg uy is a maniac

[Dazzler69]

i'd probably call, with top pair and top kicker, and I think most peopl would. Although I would be a wary of the str8 draw, or him flopping a set, but I'd have to go with the odds that he something small if anything.

[littlegrave]

I'd fold and put him on trips or maybe he was slowplaying an overpair, but I think he had small or medium set- 4s or 8s. There's no reason to commit your entire stack to a top pair. He might be bluffing or have a worse kicker, but I'd probably muck my hand.

[bulletfb]

i would probably think that he has to pair..but if he`s a maniac...i would definately call

[devious1]

well to be truthful 24 dollars isnt alot but in a game where the stacks are high then i would fold because he is probably sat there with 3 of a kind or 2 pairs thats how it always happens to me, it is upto you how you play some ppl have different ways of playing in that case 24 dollar isnt a lot so i would play to seee wat he had got

[MeDelay]

Id call to be sure :P

[hYrsch]

You just have to think with which hand he usually moves all-in (you said it was a home game) and which hands you raise. I'd say he would not move all-in with trips for sure, neither would he move all-in with two pairs, he would like to get more vallue out of those hands. If you are a tight aggressive player he might probably think that he has catched you bluffing and wants to take the pot right there. I'd probably put him on JJ but would call because you still have some outs if he really has an overpair.

hYrsch

[noteye]

I would have to call, and then I would throw him out of the house if he drew out on me, but if he had me beat when the $$ went in I would let him stay

[scrawnybob]

hi

I have to agree that top pair top kicker looks ok

but the thing about maniacs is they also seem to get luckier with low pocket pairs etc

so 44 makes him trips - and they're not going to slow play stuff - they play what they see which would explain the all-in

in their heads playing 8 10 is a perfectly good hand to call a raise with and get lucky - they have such variance on the hand selection against a maniac any junk could have hit

personally if the maniac had raised a bit I'd put him on a bluff and re-raise but this all-in play would make me feel uncomfortable - it reaks of 8 10 (suited) or 44 and just unable to control himself

Maniacs at home games make me nervous - I like to have control and I think this would be a hand I'd leave well alone

cheers scrawnybob - webmaster