Straddling - good/bad/has its place?

[Kirkrrr]

This is something I've been wondering about for a while - does straddling have a place? If so, how would you use it? For a while, I thought it was just a waste of money (just raise 2xBB from UTG with 7,2o and you've accomplished the same purpose), but I've seen some good players do this, and it DOES change the dynamic of the game. What does everyone think about this?

Kirk R.

[MychilrensEat]

straddling doesnt have a place. It's used by gamblers that want to generate action. The Live straddle has no positive value , you blindly raise under the gun, and are out of position, it can be very costly to your bank roll. Yes you will see some lucky gambler hit a miracle hand and take down a huge pot, but in the long run it will just leak extra bets from your bank roll. If it was a positive play, every one would do it, every hand.

[kslghost]

Hahaha...

If you are an INCREDIBLE player in inflated pots, but somehow HORRIBLE in small pots, you could do this. It IS potentially intimidating, but it could also be bait to players who simply CANNOT play multi-handed and in large pots. Let's suppose this player receives 8 5 os. And suppose someone calls with KT (loose because he feels he will win) and the flop is K 6 7... In a large pot, 8 5 os will suddenly be getting very good odds, and if he hits, KT will not be able to let go because he is a bad multiway player...

Of course, this is all random speculation, and this situation is ridiculous. So you'd better be some kind of odd, unusual player.

[CollegePlayer]

[ QUOTE ]
Hahaha...

If you are an INCREDIBLE player in inflated pots, but somehow HORRIBLE in small pots, you could do this. It IS potentially intimidating, but it could also be bait to players who simply CANNOT play multi-handed and in large pots. Let's suppose this player receives 8 5 os. And suppose someone calls with KT (loose because he feels he will win) and the flop is K 6 7... In a large pot, 8 5 os will suddenly be getting very good odds, and if he hits, KT will not be able to let go because he is a bad multiway player...

Of course, this is all random speculation, and this situation is ridiculous. So you'd better be some kind of odd, unusual player.

[/ QUOTE ]
perhaps it can used to give off the image as a "gamblor"

[shadow29]

You can use it to liven up a dead table or give an impression of gambooooooling to pay off in future bets.

[BarronVangorToth]

Shockingly enough -- especially for Foxwoods -- I was at a table a month ago where I got stuck with the tightest of the tighties (almost every hand was getting chopped by the blinds) and I thought to loosen 'em up (while I was waiting for another seat at another table to open) I'd post a straddle. Everyone folded -- including the blinds.

Next rotation, came around again, straddle #2. Everyone folded, the big blind called, action went to me, I raised, using my Super Duper Saddle Power o' Position. The big blind folded.

Another seat came up and I couldn't witness the effect my Saddlin' o' Doom had -- but they were all grumbling at me when I left. I'm all for playing "tight" but I think we were averaging around 1 out of 10 hands NOT being a chop -- and I was half-involved in this conversation with my buddy's girlfriend so I couldn't even take advantage by just raising every hand preflop in order to attempt to steal from every position.

But it finally gave me the chance to straddle.

However, in general, 999 times out of 1000 ... don't.


Barron Vangor Toth
www.BarronVangorToth.com (http://www.BarronVangorToth.com)

[cnfuzzd]

if you played perfectly post flop, which is unlikely, the most straddling could cost you would be 1.5 bbs. If you were going to play the hand anyway, without a raise, it costs you 1BB. If you were going to raise anyway, it costs you nothing. It gains you several things, most hard to quantify. I dont straddle, but if you are wanting to you need to read this (http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=838502&page=&view=&sb=5&o =&fpart)

straddle is g00t

peace

john nickle

[MikeGuz]

I have never straddled always thought is was a stupid thing to do I don't mind someone playing an aditional blind at my table though.

I did see some interesting straddle play in Europe - PLHE tournaments that made me rethink the straddle but I still think it is a stupid thing to do.

[housenuts]

last time someone straddled i raised it in MP with ATo..a hand I might not even play usually. everyone folded except the straddler. rags came out and he bet and i raised again. another useless card came on the turn, he checked i bet he called. then a Q or something on the river and check check. I flipped over ace high and won the pot. everyone was like "wow"

[PokerSlut]

Time and time again I have been at dead tables that suddenly turn into loose tables with 6-7 average callers preflop with action flying all over the place, all with the help of a couple of live straddles and some cheerful banter.

In my opinion it is an essential tool in the poker player's toolbox. I have used it successfully many times to generate extra action even in pots where I don't post a straddle. Oftentimes other players will start posting straddles as well to "join in on the fun", and in my experience it ususally gets the players to loosen even in other hands where there is no straddle.

[mmcd]

In pot limit cash games straddles are often used to raise the stakes. A lot of times players will agree and all or most of them will straddle every hand.

[Kirkrrr]

Well, I only play NL (badly) so I don't see how I can "cap" the flop; but it does seem to be a good strategy if the table has gotten really tight and you're willing to invest 2xBB to liven things up a little bit in the hope that you'll get paid off later on your image. Okay. Thanks for the responses, everyone.

Kirk R.

[MrPoker]

"I promise not to call if you straddle" is my usual comment, and I have never CALLed a straddle.

Works for me.

[BlueBear]

It may be ok if you want maintain a loose, aggressive and somewhat maniacal image in the table. Keeping this image may be advantageous in certain ways because some players may not respect the straddler for having the goods when the straddler has a very strong hand.

[dfscott]

[ QUOTE ]
"I promise not to call if you straddle" is my usual comment, and I have never CALLed a straddle.

Works for me.

[/ QUOTE ]

By "never called," clearly you don't mean "I'd never call," right? IOW, if you look down and see something like KQs in LP and someone has posted a live straddle, are you folding?

[pudley4]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
"I promise not to call if you straddle" is my usual comment, and I have never CALLed a straddle.

Works for me.

[/ QUOTE ]

By "never called," clearly you don't mean "I'd never call," right? IOW, if you look down and see something like KQs in LP and someone has posted a live straddle, are you folding?

[/ QUOTE ]

The emphasis on the word CALL leads me to believe he's done plenty of RAISING...

/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[dfscott]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
"I promise not to call if you straddle" is my usual comment, and I have never CALLed a straddle.

Works for me.

[/ QUOTE ]

By "never called," clearly you don't mean "I'd never call," right? IOW, if you look down and see something like KQs in LP and someone has posted a live straddle, are you folding?

[/ QUOTE ]

The emphasis on the word CALL leads me to believe he's done plenty of RAISING...

/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Interesting -- so you'll always assume that the straddler has junk (probably a pretty good assumption) and just assume that anything worth calling vs. a raise is now worth raising? I never really thought about it that way, but that's probably a good strategy.

[Al_Capone_Junior]

Straddling occasionally has it place. If you can change the dynamics of the game enough, it might be worth doing once in a while. I like to do it occasionally to fire up the game. I do it once, make a big deal of it, then everyone's doing it. They never seem to notice that I quit doing it.

It's even better when something like this happens...

In a no limit 1-2 blinds game, I straddled. I got 62o and no one raised. I flopped a straight, and someone had A5 and hit an ace on the turn, thus I busted them. This spectacular bit of luck kept the whole table straddling for hours, even tho I only did it twice all night.

Now of course I repeat the straddle story lots of times, but that doesn't mean I am straddling while telling the story!

Mostly tho, it's just an obviously bad play, so I rarely do it unless the situation is perfect.

[MrPoker]

My outlook is....

I only play fixed low limit games. (15-30 max, I prefer 4-8)

Players who straddle are usually gamblers, weak, on tilt, or just plain bad. If I have the best hand, or perhaps second best pre-flop, don't I want to get as much money into the pot as possible?

The chips they win when they drag a monster pot after a straddle, well, I know those chips are 'just visiting', and 'the loan' will be paid back with lot's of interest.

IF there is a straddle, the word 'CALL' is just not part of my vocabulary pre-flop except when - if a pot is already capped when the action reaches me.

Gosh, I hate when that happens. /images/graemlins/wink.gif

[Big Country]

I don't remember where i read this, probably here on the boards, but I believe the standard play is to raise a live straddler, especially if in early or late position. if in early and you ahve a good hand, you are making players call 3-cold to play, if in late, there are usually less players involved as they were faced with 2-cold, so a raise is a way to isolate the straddler.

[dfscott]

Makes sense -- thanks for the info.

Just goes to show you how much experience I have with straddle bets (zero).