How Aggressive is Too Aggressive?

It was a six-handed $15-$30 online hold'em game, and I raised from late position with pocket queens. The button made it three bets and the big blind made it four bets, capping the action.

Three rags fell and the big blind came out betting. I wasn't sure about what the guys had who three and four bet, but from the five minutes or so that I was at the table watching them play, they seemed overly aggressive, even maniacal. I called the big blind's bet on the flop. Once again the button raised and the big blind reraised. I called two additional bets, unsure of whether I was ahead or behind at that point.

The turn was another blank, and I was busily revising my estimate of what my opponents might be holding, so when the big blind checked, I checked too. But the button bet, the big blind called and so did I. The river paired one of the baby cards on board.

At this point I thought my queens might be good, and if they weren't, I was only beaten in one place, not two. So I bet and was called by both opponents. I turned over my queens, and pocket pairs of aces and kings I had begun to suspect my opponents might have never materialized and I won the pot.

Another hand similar to this one developed five minutes later. This time I had a pair of jacks and won another nice pot when neither of my opponents had a bigger pair, even when a king turned.

One of these guys went broke on this hand and left the table. The other went broke about five minutes later and he left too. I realize that short handed games are much more aggressive online than in traditional casinos, but I've seldom played in a game that aggressive. Without a few good clues about just how overly aggressive these two guys were, I'd have slowed down quite a bit in the hands that I described.

So what do you all think? How much more aggressive do you find online games when compared to those played in brick and mortar casinos? Do you find them much more aggressive -- aggressive to the point of maniacal?

And what's your basic playing strategy for games like these?