Define "Straddle"

I watch the High Stakes Poker shows occasionally. I've often heard that term used, "[so n so] has placed an $800 'straddle' for this round." Can someone please define/explain this term?

Pre-flop, UTG post 2xbb so that they get to act last/after the bb. I am not positive if you are or are not allowed to look at your cards but I don't believe.

No you are not allowed to look at your cards, you must place the straddle before the hand is dealt. In a sense you are placing the third blind.

I believe straddling to be a losing proposition. The guys I see doing it live are usually the guys drinking and losing their shirts. Your essentially raising blind out of position to most of the table after the flop, and every knows you have a completely random hand. My advice is to not do it.

Hmmm. And to accept the challenge of a straddle, the opponent(s) must also not seen their "hole" cards?

no, but a call is now twice as expensive.

Well there's lots of forms of straddling. The most common form being the "Live Straddle"

In a Live Straddle the player UTG makes a legal raise of the big blind (effectively making a "bigger blind") before the hand is dealt, and is then granted the opportunity to act last before the flop is dealt. Different places have different rules as to the size of the straddle, some places it's max 2x the BB, and in some places it's as much as you want. Some places also allow multiple straddles, wherein the player to the left of the straddler can then straddle their bet.

There's also a Mississippi Straddle, in which any player at any position other than the blinds can post a straddle bet.

Interesting. I'll look forward to see if this occurs when these games go to $500K vice the usual $100K competitions. I can comprehend how these pots get excessive, now that everyone's given me an understanding of this technique.

A few things with straddles. First of all a "live" straddle is only valid in cash games and the straddle is usually double the big blind (So in $1/$2 NL, the straddle would be $4). And it's not always allowed so you need to make sure the cash table you're at allows them and under what circumstance. Sometimes everyone at the table must agree other times you just must announce it and pay your straddle prior to being dealt cards. You may never live straddle in a tournament. If you post double the BB in a tournament, it will simply be considered a blind minraise from UTG; you will not get to make the last action PF.

This isn't accurate. If the game allows a live straddle, then what you're doing from UTG is actually increasing the stakes for the hand pre-deal, assuming the role of a third blind (sort of like a Bigger Big Blind), and you get to act last that first round. You do this before your cards are dealt, so it's no different than any other random hand anyone can have. You don't automatically have bad cards because you straddled; you could wake up with AA and have the last action PF. Then once the cards are dealt, the person that was UTG+1 is now UTG and first to act.

No. The new UTG player waits until after the cards are dealt, looks at his hole cards, then decides to call the straddle amount, raise, or fold.



EDIT:

I appreciate, very much, Jack Daniels, the thorough explanation. This fits the dialog I've been observing in such situations.

Thanks very much ... Sandy

PS --- I served as an Air Force Civilian in the "purple" environment for 43 years .... yours is as complete an explanation as any I've received in multiple "Brainstorming" sessions. Salude!!

Thanks!I've also wondered what exactly the "straddle bet" meant.
This is best explanation I've seen yet.
Some of those commentators on tv talk things through so quick,they often confuse,rather than explain.
Thanks again.

Live games only.

Oh, I hate straddle betting. There's a jerk in Tunica who plays 1-3 NL and straddle bets every hand. It's extremely annoying. He sits there with $2500+ at $1-$3 and ruins play for someone sitting down with $100. The poker room manager at Harrahs actually made him leave the first time I played there. They didn't give us an explanation, but I assumed some players were complaining.

ty for defining straddle bet

learn something new each day

But you don't dispute the fact that straddling is a bad move ev-wise right? Check how much you win from the BB. How much you win from UTG. I'm assuming UTG you are positive (if not just fold every time UTG and you'll be more profitable) and the BB you are negative. The blinds are a huge disadvantage and a straddle essentially makes you play as the BB in a higher-stakes game. Definitely bad all around.

On the other hand I think usually it's done in agreement with the rest of the table so it's essentially a 3-blind game. Obviously not always but no smart player would straddle with the intention of being profitable without this agreement.

Correct, I don't dispute that. My post above is primarily the facts of what is physically happening at the table when you Live Straddle and that that just because you're in a blind doesn't mean you automatically have bad cards. But I would never just straddle randomly when it was my turn UTG. But the Live Straddle is only this bad if you are the only one doing it. To your point below...

As long as everyone agrees to and is doing the straddle, then yes it is essentially a 3-blind game and any -EV you have by playing that third blind is then compensated for by everyone else playing that third blind as well.

But in general terms, no, you'll never see me put on a straddle. If fact you'll never see me agree to do one at the table where full agreement is required.

Occasionally, someone will Live Straddle at the low limit cash games I play at my local casino. At least 95% of the time the straddler never wins the hand and only threw their money away. The players that I see straddling do it in an attempt to change their luck or really want to play at a higher stakes table, but there are currently no open seats at those tables. Or, like Sammy Farah, they are just "action" junkies. Straddling is a big -EV move and only helps you bleed chips faster.