Live game move - is this a local gimmick?

In live "Pot" limit games here in Edinburgh its quite usual for the person "under the gun" to "STRADDLE", i.e double the BB before the hole cards are dealt.

Is this a UK/Scottish thing or is it a common move?

It happens in loose games everywhere.

In California we used to play lowball that way all the time and you see it some hold-em games today. Something like a 5-10-15 straddle. We use it in limit, pot limit and no limit. In Vegas I've seen it in some bigger pot limit Omaha games.

SILLY silly silly play, you should NEVER straddle, look at your cards first, then raise if you like, remember your out of position and raising without even seeing your cards.

We had a "Triple Straddle" the other night, folk getting desperate.

SB - 25 pts
BB - 50 pts
UTG - Straddles to 100 pts
+1 - Double Straddles to 150 pts
+2 - Treble Straddles to 200 pts.

Bearing in mind when you buy-in or top-up you only get 500 pts, these three just had a fresh top-up so you know that the full 500 pts are going in somewhere!

I hate this play, you look down at AA and know your gonna be up against at least 3 others, makes it hard for any hand to hold up.

Its a dumb move, but its not only a UK thing. They do it at the casino...in fact, there is a guy at the casino who plays somewhat regularly at the 1/2NL table that stradles EVERY TIME he's UTG...which is crazy. His reason behind it..."i don't like to act first" So basically - he buys the option and gains position (it is technically a 3rd blind bet). And often times he raises his stradle regardless of his cards (i saw him raise with 72o from $4 to $15!) simply to push out 99% of all the limpers who simply called his 4. Anyhow, thats how that works. Its good for getting action and money in the pot - but as a good poker move...its sometimes called hte dumbest move in poker.

It's dumb if it's voluntary but in games I've seen it's part of the blind structure so you have to whether you want to or not.