You need some shorthanded practice.... Play a week or so of heads up... it is quite st8forward to deal with an all-inner.

Having said this - Taking on one of these guys with a substantial rake is a waste of time...

Originally Posted by Flushed

Okay, so if I am supposed to loosen up, what range of hands would you call a $70 all in bet when you have about $240, but you also have a player who has you covered 2 to 1 still to act after you. I can handle an all iner heads up, but I am confused on how to deal with him when I have a player who follows my bets who can match or put me all in---

If you don't want the guy behind you to call - go all in yourself. Naturally you risk having him call and putting your stack up for grabs but if he doesn't call, anything over the maniac's all-in will be returned to you. But on a different tact, the more help you have in the pot the more likely you are to bust the maniac - the cooperation play you sometimes see in tournaments. Sure you have better odds of winning HU but the idea is not your winning but the maniac losing!!

If the maniac is going in as often as you say, he's really pushing the edge. I'd say any pocket pair 7 or higher and any two face cards should catch him more often than not. Just don't get too frustrated if you take a stand just when the boozo catches a real hand - my timing is like that

if you dont wanna lose, then this is tough. But theoretically if you keep calling him with strongish hands, your gunna beat him. what is the bb? im guessing this is a 2-4nl game?
for the example well say its 2-4nl, so all in maniac has 20bb. then this is not so bad, Ax, Kx prolly have him (although even AK vs 56 is not as powerfull as one might think) basically any poket pait above TT would be automatic call fore me.

in theory you'd bust him only if he stayed at the table and you still had him covered. These players however migh fit a profile of "hit n run" theyll double up and run.
So if your cautious, and value the 70$, maybe move tables b/c it will be a wile untill you get TT-AA.

Originally Posted by Flushed

Okay, so if I am supposed to loosen up, what range of hands would you call a $70 all in bet when you have about $240, but you also have a player who has you covered 2 to 1 still to act after you. I can handle an all iner heads up, but I am confused on how to deal with him when I have a player who follows my bets who can match or put me all in---

Well is he really going all-in every hand?-- if he is then call him with any A, K. pp, SC

My guess is that he isn't going all-in every hand..and he is proabably doing either the above or doing it with any face card - If he's adopting the latter then use the above card selection and you will win.

The point with shorthanded play is that you get into a rhytm..you actually play a number of hands and 'probe' your opposition - test them... this can be expensive .. in terms of rake..You musn't back off or tighten up. 33% of the time you have the best hand preflop. Under these circumstance I tend to play 20-25% of the hands but raise aggressively on every street. Either raise or fold..

He is playing you off against the third. When he has position.. he goes all-in then you two might think ahh. the other guy may call if I call so I'll fold this A/J- then you with 72 os go yuk and fold.... lol. Youu must then reciprocate. When you have position and marginal strength - bung in 1/3 of your stack (=all-in)..

Remember this guy has you down as WT.. he will respect your bets... abuse it...