I was just wondering what is every ones opinion on the straddle. Personally I find it annoying but ultimately I guess sometimes it is just part of the game. I enjoy the online tourneys because there is no straddle. Just also curious if you are a person who likes to straddle, can you tell me why you do it? I really just curious and looking for some insight. Thanks!

Originally Posted by digdug0037

I was just wondering what is every ones opinion on the straddle. Personally I find it annoying but ultimately I guess sometimes it is just part of the game. I enjoy the online tourneys because there is no straddle. Just also curious if you are a person who likes to straddle, can you tell me why you do it? I really just curious and looking for some insight. Thanks!

Thank U 4 Posting.

The straddle is a meta game play only. It is -ev to do unless it influences your villains to play looser.

If the game is straddled by others you should straddle to be a "good guy" . Positive perception is helpful at a live table.

Hope this helps.

There is one key advantage to straddling at a full table and that is to make people think you are a much looser player than you really are. Here's how it works. Let's say you're a tight player. If everyone knows you're a tight player then you'll never get good action on your made hands because once you start betting people will know you have a made hand and will fold. However, if people see you straddling then they may think you just like to gamble and will treat you looser than you really are. Obviously, it requires people being observant which does not happen much at micro stakes, but it can be beneficial when paying against good (not great) players. Great players will figure out that's what you're doing, so you need to use this against a sweet spot of player skill.

The second advantage to straddling is that it pisses people off and anytime you can lean someone towards tilting it's a good thing.

Now, that being said, there is a time when you want to straddle every chance you get and that is when there are only 3 or 4 players in the game. Remember, late position is very important. Well, when there are only 3 or 4 players you are always in late position when it's time for you to straddle. So, you're essentially putting pressure on people preflop, getting to act last preflop, then getting to act last or near last post flop.

And finally, if your casino allows it, there is a button straddle which is where you are the button and get to straddle while being the button, which means you get to act last after straddling preflop. I try not to abuse this because it's really a low-class move in my opinion, but at some casinos it is an option.

I've played cash games in Vegas a lot the last 4 years. The straddle can be used to do many things in poker. Liven up a dead table, tilt players that think they have to play it and like one of the guys said above , to make them think you're a loose player to get more action on your other hands.
The only time I've been a victim of the straddle was at Planet Hollywood. It was about 4 am in the morning, a guy comes to the table to the right of me and straddles 20 dollars every hand on a 1/2 table. It was the only table going that morning in the room and I stayed like an idiot. Lost my stack and went for breakfast

Originally Posted by digdug0037

I was just wondering what is every ones opinion on the straddle. Personally I find it annoying but ultimately I guess sometimes it is just part of the game. I enjoy the online tourneys because there is no straddle. Just also curious if you are a person who likes to straddle, can you tell me why you do it? I really just curious and looking for some insight. Thanks!

When there is a gambler at the table and stacks are deeper than say 100 big blinds (and especially the case when you are 300-500 big blinds deep) the straddle builds the pot up early so that you can have a better chance of stacking your opponent.

It also just gets the game to play bigger, so when i'm playing 1/3 or 2/5 but I'd rather be playing 5/10, the straddle makes this possible. The key is having deep enough stacks and to be one of the stronger players on the table who is comfortable with the higher limits because most players won't be.

A lot of people get very uncomfortable when the stakes get bigger and make strange mistakes, throwing the straddle on there brings on this reality which is very +EV

Originally Posted by This Fish Chums

There is one key advantage to straddling at a full table and that is to make people think you are a much looser player than you really are. Here's how it works. Let's say you're a tight player. If everyone knows you're a tight player then you'll never get good action on your made hands because once you start betting people will know you have a made hand and will fold. However, if people see you straddling then they may think you just like to gamble and will treat you looser than you really are. Obviously, it requires people being observant which does not happen much at micro stakes, but it can be beneficial when paying against good (not great) players. Great players will figure out that's what you're doing, so you need to use this against a sweet spot of player skill.

The second advantage to straddling is that it pisses people off and anytime you can lean someone towards tilting it's a good thing.

Now, that being said, there is a time when you want to straddle every chance you get and that is when there are only 3 or 4 players in the game. Remember, late position is very important. Well, when there are only 3 or 4 players you are always in late position when it's time for you to straddle. So, you're essentially putting pressure on people preflop, getting to act last preflop, then getting to act last or near last post flop.

And finally, if your casino allows it, there is a button straddle which is where you are the button and get to straddle while being the button, which means you get to act last after straddling preflop. I try not to abuse this because it's really a low-class move in my opinion, but at some casinos it is an option.

Everything the fish chums said is awesome and extremely on point. I also think it's worth mentioning that the ideal time to straddle is when you are comfortable with the higher limits and can get the entire table (or most of them at least) to straddle as well. That way everyone is contributing, because when you are the only one straddling it's extra dead money that you're paying which nobody else is and suddenly you need 2x your usual winrate to be profitable in the game

Some really really good points by fish chums, well said mate

I avoid straddling and it's definitely a -EV play but if I'm at a table that is straddling a lot I can definitely ask the person on my left if they want to double straddle before electing to do so myself (assuming the cardroom allows adding straddles) so that the extra dead money compensates for the money I'd bleed out from straddling by myself

This Fish Chums- great explanation of the merits of staddling. As someone who has never played live this opened up my eyes as I could never understand (watching only via the internet) why players would implement the straddle.


Thank you.