Drunk Maniacs online...

How do you avoid/exploit them?

In online play, they are simply maniacs. You can't see them to know if they are a drunk. So a maniac is a maniac.

Now you may suspect them to be a drunkard if they are mangling the chat box feature or exhibit extreme inconsistency. Problem is they could be tilting. Or they speak a different language. Or a cat could be walking across their wireless keyboard. No sure way to know they are drunk, inebriated or on something but it can be helpful to figure it out.

At first, your strategy should be to simply play them like any other uber-aggressive maniac. Pick your spots, wait for big hands, punish them and hope they don't draw out on you. This is very similar to a question posed on British Poker's site about online poker but I think there is more to it.

I think there are a couple of key strategies to employ if you think your virtual opponent is popping a few back and getting sauced while playing.

1. Find out if he is. How? You can ask "Is anybody else enjoying happy hour, right now?" or "Who else here is loaded?" Make it a positive question, because if posed negatively he might not cop up to it.

2. Then, if you get a yes, though they may be leveling you, say you are too, but if you are... don't follow the next piece of advice.

3. Encourage more drinking. Make it a prop-fame... "Any time a king hit the flop take a pop! Anytime a queen hits I'll take one (don't)."

4. Turn the needle a little bit. Once he can't differentiate between playful and antagonizing jawing, you've got him teed up.

5. Hit your hand, and felt the angry drunk.

Or... if needling isn't your thing.

1. Act quickly. Get the time function on him as often as possible. This will force him to think quickly. Even the best drunks lose processing efficiency so an online game with short clocks that force action are good places to exploit your advantage. Make it force him quicker.

2. Chat at him, be friendly, when it's about to be his turn. Another thing drunks aren't good at is multi-tasking. You do it as a friend, he won't turn off his chat box. Engage him in conversation and he'll think he's got a flush draw when he doesn't and he'll make more mistakes.

3. Soothe him after his bad plays. You want him around to leak more money. Drunks sometimes will lay off the guy they like when they have nuts, which is good for you too.

AND REMEMBER, you want him to make bad plays, don't get fired up when he draws out on you. That's what you want. If you can't afford to lose that pot, you are in the wrong game.