Insane Man

Found a new podcast today called PokerNews. Only listened to one episode but it was really good with a lotta cash game strategy stuff. Looking forward to hearing some more.

Pretty good day on the felt results-wise after my 2 days off. Won close to a buy in in just over a 5hr session at a table with a very peculiar player…

After about an hour into my session “Insane Man” sat down at my table 3 seats to my right. It was already a table full of pretty novice players but this guy took the cake. He was well into his 70’s and clearly didn’t have much of a clue how to play poker at all. This was evident before he even played one hand by the fact that he tried to buy into a 1/2 game with $900.

He hadn’t even played an orbit yet before he was opening preflop for $50 with KQ and betting $50 into $10 pots on the flop with Ace high. It wasn’t so much that he was aggressive as it was he really didn’t know any better. However, NOBODY else at the table knew how to adjust to him. I of course tightened up and was finally able to get some reads on his betting patterns which helped me en route to my winning session, but everyone else was dumbstruck.

After a few orbits something was BLATANTLY clear to me. This guy NEVER folds post flop once he has money in the pot. He called a $40 preflop raise with AJ and then a $150 shove on a Q52 flop. He called with bottom pair over and over and over again all the way down to the river on the scariest of boards. He called down to the river with Ace high at least 5 times. Yet of course he was ALWAYS up. Somehow. Someway. When this hand happened…..

Insane man raises preflop which means he has an Ace in his hand. It also means all of $500 worth of chips are up for grabs cuz like I said HE WONT FOLD. In this particular hand he has AQ. The guy to his right, who has him covered, calls him with KT and OF COURSE the flop is…….you guessed it AQJ. So guy checks and ‘insane guy’ overbets the pot which means he hit, to anyone paying attention.

So whadda yo do if you’re the guy with broadway?

Insane man bet about $40 into a $30 pot and you guys are about $450 behind. Ask anyone and they’ll tell you to raise big for value and to protect your hand, but you can throw the protect your hand part out the window. DUDE WILL NEVER FOLD!!! With that being said tho, he will never fold on ANY STREET no matter what scare cards come out. So I think the move is to just call. This way you can tread safely and build the pot on the turn & shove the river if you still have the nuts and get paid off 99.9% of the time (I can't allow myself to assume 100%). If the board pairs you might be in deep trouble. Im not saying I’d fold to a paired board but at least you can get off a little cheaper than getting all of your money in the pot now with everything to lose.

So whadda you think happened? Of course guy with broadway over ships the flop and insane guy insta calls and hits an ace on the river. I just feel there was no upside at all to shipping this flop. You rarely see situations this extreme at the poker table but its good to think them out and be prepared for them if they arise. Also its good to study your opponents and know their tendencies even if they are insane. Im sure the guy with broadway wasn’t thinking as deeply about the hand as I was, and probably hadn’t deciphered the old guys playing style quite as well as I had. You should've seen his face when that Ace hit the river. Its like he didn’t even imagine that was a possibility. Oh well. While everyone else at the table was reeling, I was staying out the way, paying close attention and scooped a few pots on my way to a solid $292 win. Hopefully that guys there again tomorrow.