Good News/Bad News

Good News - The maniacs are back, and they have money to spend.

Bad News - It's my money.

As the saying goes, be careful what you wish for.

Previously, I was bemoaning the lack of action at the tables. Last night had more action than Paris Hilton's bedroom.

Unfortunately for me, I got to spend the night with the chihuahua.

To be fair, the first big hit of the night was entirely my own fault.

Within a few hands, the table maniac had made himself known by raising every hand he played and playing like he had no fold button.

Soon thereafter I flopped the nut straight, with a bunch of low cards, but by the time the action got to me there'd been a raise and a reraise.

At this point, greed got the better of me. My vision coloured by the fact the reraise had come from the resident maniac, I re-reraised, only to see the first bettor fold and the maniac go all-in.

Cards on their backs, and my hand didn't look so good. The maniac had the same straight, but with a draw to a better one. Which duly arrived on the river.

Omaha 101. Don't get all your chips in on the flop with an unimprovable hand.

Unfortunately that was a lesson learned, which proved to be utterly futile.

The maniac proved to be the poker equivalent of The Teflon Don. No matter how bad his starting hands, or how stupidly he played them, nobody could lay a glove on him.

By the end of the night he'd quintupled his buy-in with gems such as:

• calling a raise and re-raise on the flop and hitting his 2-outer


• getting it all in on the turn with 2 pair against a made straight and nut flush draw, only to hit his full house on the river

According to Cardplayer he was 7% to hit the first, and 12% the second.

Meanwhile my hard earned lesson was going to waste. Three times I managed to get my chips in with the nuts, plus the best draw. Each time I either split the hand when there was no improvement, or lost it to a crazy outdraw.

Yes the maniac got me with his 12%er. Just as well Mrs Div was at the gym, and the baby was sleeping. I would not have been good company at that moment.

Even when he lost he still got lucky. Betting my made Broadway hard, I was sick to see the board pair on the river.

What could he have been drawing too? Only a full house I thought, so when he checked to me on the river I checked behind, fearing the worst.

I was happy to see the pot slide my way. Agog, when I saw he'd called a pot size bet on the turn, drawing to a WHEEL against my made Broadway. If only he'd hit.

Despite his successes, when he finally departed with his booty the rest of the table seemed genuinely disappointed. It was certainly action packed, and I doubt he will hold onto the cash for long.

For a few minutes after each beat I was steaming, but really you have to take the rough with the smooth.

That's the nature of the game. Without maniacs, there'd be a lot less fun, and a whole lot less cash on the table.

Every dog must have his day. Even if he is a 93/7 underdog.