Mr Sandbag
Legend
Silver Level
I play 1/2 NL live, and I hate hands where the UTG player straddles. It builds a pot, but it also turns the table dynamics into some wacky jumble of semi-urgency. Raises out of nowhere with mediocre hands, the straddler almost always raises because he feels the need to protect his $5, 3-bets are called by limpers because they feel "committed" (lol).
What do you do differently (if anything) in a straddled hand?
I tend to tighten up my range and get really aggressive preflop if I do get a good hand. IMO, playing straddled hands often is a good way to introduce more swings into your bankroll. Not only that, but players are a bit harder to read in general because it seems like everyone gets slightly "tilted" by straddles. I saw someone in middle position randomly raise with 10-6s after a straddle, call a 3-bet by the straddler, and flop a flush to crush the straddler's pocket Kings. I feel like this hand never would have happened between these two players had there not been a straddle, and the reason he gave for calling the 3-bet was he "had too much money in the pot" ($15).
What do you do differently (if anything) in a straddled hand?
I tend to tighten up my range and get really aggressive preflop if I do get a good hand. IMO, playing straddled hands often is a good way to introduce more swings into your bankroll. Not only that, but players are a bit harder to read in general because it seems like everyone gets slightly "tilted" by straddles. I saw someone in middle position randomly raise with 10-6s after a straddle, call a 3-bet by the straddler, and flop a flush to crush the straddler's pocket Kings. I feel like this hand never would have happened between these two players had there not been a straddle, and the reason he gave for calling the 3-bet was he "had too much money in the pot" ($15).