The Loose Aggressive Poker Player - A.K.A. The Maniac or The Gambler.

 

Against a maniac, your best bet is to play extremely tight preflop. A good drawing hand is likely better than a strong start (6s 7s rather than Ah Ad). If you don't improve your hand, keep it cheap.

 

Avoid aggression.

 

Play from any position, as long as you play passively. Check and call. Give him the lead in the betting. You won't likely be able to isolate this player out of a pot with a preflop raise, but you could isolate him heads up with a re-raise, although this would take away his lead in the betting, making him more likely to fold or at least stop betting and start checking. Remember, this player wants to bet, not call. If you want his chips in the pot, let him lead them in.

 

Play implied odds against him, especially if he is the type to spew loads of chips into the pot.

Remember:

 

Pot odds = ($ in the pot / bet amount) to 1 = 1 in (x + 1).
                                                                      (or x)

 
Implied odds = ([$ in the pot + his chips you could end up with] / bet amount) to 1 = 1 in (x + 1)
                                                                       (or x)

 

Do NOT count on implied odds if he is the type of player who will likely tighten up with his chips when the board works against him (flush or straight possibilities, etc.). Of course, if he's more into betting than board texture, then be more likely to call based on implied odds.

 

Set this player up by simply playing passively against him, allowing him to bully you off of pots, especially early in the game or when you miss your hand. Don't get drawn into implied odds too early  until you get a feel for how many chips this guy's willing to spew, but don't wait too long before a better player than he ends up with his chips.

 

Preflop should typically be played passively, as you are more interested in drawing hands, which happen to work well in multiway pots.

 

On the flop, stay passive. Allow him to take the lead.

 

On the turn, stay passive, unless he is pot committed or board texture dictates the need for isolation  against him in a multiway.

 

The river is the place to become aggressive. Be willing to attempt a sandbag here if a bet from him seems reasonably likely. If this player calls bets on the river, but bets huge when checked to, take the risk in checking to him. You may receive no more chips, but remember, he's a bettor, not a caller anyways and if & when he does bet into you, it'll be worth it.

 

Showdown hands should be at least 2 pair, or higher as dictacted by board texture.

 

If this player is checking or calling, be cautious. Smell a trap, especially if he gets lively on the river!

 

Now that you are well versed on how to beat this type of player, go hunt some Loose-Aggressive poker players and relieve them of their chips. I've definitely been around when it comes to poker rooms; trust me, I've played at quite a few. As far as online poker rooms go, the rooms on the Cake Poker Network (such as Cake and Doyles Room) have got more Loose-Aggressive Players than anywhere else I've played. There's good reason for this phenomenon.

 

See, the major online sportsbooks and online casinos use the Cake Network as their host site for their poker rooms. Sportsbooks and casinos tend to draw in all kinds of gamblers, not just poker players, but sports-bettors and blackjack players and bingo and keno players and slot rollers. Many of these types of gamblers are big whales who are willing to risk big chips at any kind of gambling venue, and God bless them, some of them aren't all that good at poker. But they want to gamble and they want to play!

 

Best of luck to you!