Negreanu Follow Up Question

OK, most people who know pot limit seem to agree that you should straddle on the button in 3-handed PLHE (I agree too).


As a follow up, what about the Mississippi Sleeper in a full game? This is played in PLO games in Biloxi, Tunica etc. (although I have played it in LV too), and it is a live straddle you can put on from any position, with the action before the flop starting from the left of the straddler. Anyone coming in has to put double the amount of the straddle or pass. The button gets the first option to put the sleeper on, and if he doesn't want to, the option goes counterclockwise until someone does, or everyone declines.


So if the button straddles for 20 in a 5-5-10 game the action starts with the SB who has to put 40 to play. Obviously this vastly increases the size of the game and makes the blinds' positions totally untenable without a huge hand; the same pretty much goes for all early or mid position players.


Should the button "put the Sleeper on" in this situation in a ring game? If he declines, should anyone else?


Oh no!! Not again!

I've heard of a sleeper (though never seen one), and I always thought the action proceeded in normal order, with the exception that you passed the sleeper, and the sleeper acted after the big blind.


Anyone else experience it one way or another?


Later, Greg Raymer (FossilMan)

I played it for several days at the WPO. The position to the left of the sleeper did not have to bet double. This was in 5-5-10, 25-50 PL Omaha and in PL Hold-em.

I played PL at the WPO for 12 days this year.

1. It is called the Mississippi Straddle--this name makes sense because a sleeper is a straddle out of position that requires one or more people to fold before it becomes live.

2. Yes, the small blind is first to act; in a 5-5-10 game the small blind needs to complete to a total of $20 (the same amount the straddler puts on the button). As Greg correctly pointed out, you do not need to call $40--just the 20.

3. After everyone else in the hand has acted, the button (or whomever has straddled) can raise when it gets back to him.

4. You can straddle from any position on the table (though not out of the blind), and the action starts from the left of the straddle. After everyone else has acted, you then have an option to raise.


As far as straddling on the button in a three handed game--maybe. The conditions have to be right: the players should be very passive and probably weak; they should have a lot of chips (in relation to the size of the blinds) that you are planning on getting. Of course, most smart players won't be wasting their time playing three-handed unless the conditions are right. Usually, I straddle either because most of the other players are doing it or because a number of my opponents call too much and the straddle allows me to raise with my good hands; then my opponents will call too often with their weak hands.


Good Luck,

Thomas G

You'll never catch me and Cossette.