"One hundred blind."

Is this a common play elsewhere? I play PL tournaments at a B&M casino in England and a common play is for UTG to bet twice the BB without looking at his cards.


I could ever work out why anyone would do this. I always assumed it was a move made by gamblers and had no intrinsic value.


But then last Thursday I was seated at a table with a big-name player and he made this move. Was he just trying to relieve his boredom? I noted that he was seated at the final table several hours later...

Is this a live straddle? In other words, if nobody raises the 100 blind bet, can that person raise? If it's really a blind raise where they don't get to act again preflop unless somebody else raises them, then it's a terrible play, IMO. If it's a straddle, it's a lot better, though I still would never straddle in a tourney (the stacks are too small relative to the blinds for a straddle to be positive value).


Later, Greg Raymer (FossilMan)

It's normally live yes. Spike, this is a high variance play that some gamblers like to make in the rebuy stages. I wouldn't recommend it unless you know exactly what you are trying to achieve. I wish I could tell you but I'm not sure myself :-).


Incidentally my local cardroom has recently changed the rules so that such a bet is no longer live, so now nobody makes it.


Andy.

Doh, think first, then press Post.


When you see this play, take careful note of what the straddler does when there is no raise before he acts (last). Some players always raise, some raise with anything half-decent, some still need a real hand. If you're against an always-raiser, and the table line-up is right, you can limp with a lot of hands with the intention of reraising the blind man's raise to isolate him, providing (big proviso) the rest of the field are likely to fold to your reraise.


Anyway some knowledge about what the straddler will do should point you towards how to play most hands (don't call with a hand that wants a cheap flop against an always-raiser for example).


Andy.

Greg, I like reading your posts and believe you are a very knowledgable player. But since when is a live straddle a good play?

It works well for me in the cash games, when it's PL or NL, and when the table is allowing me to control it. I would seldom if ever recommend it in a tourney, or if the money isn't deep.


Later, Greg Raymer (FossilMan)

it should never be allowed to be live in a tournament. and never allowed anytime after the dealer has cut the cards.