Good players and the Live Straddle

On multiple occasions I have seen good winning players post a live straddle. what's with that? what's the EV on this play in a 20-40 game from a good player who wins ~1bb/hr? If you wanted to gamble a little don't you think it would be more effective to just raise blind without letting the field know what you are doing?


Rob

To truly evaluate this supposedly -EV play you need to consider all the angles. That said, I'm not sure you can give a comprehensive mathematical answer as psychology comes into play.


To wit: while posting a double BB does not overtly seem profitable, it has some positive upshots such as confusion, anger and increased action. These psychological changes in the field can exploit weaknesses or alternately make your opponents redouble their efforts making them better players. There's no way to tell other than experience against similar players.


Some people will play tighter against the live straddle, while others will jump in and gamble. I try to not let it affect me and play my game, all the while remembering the straddler might be apt to over-protect his straddle. A well-timed raise might just nab it, and if not at least you can get more money in while the gettin's good.

...so take my observations at your own risk. They are simply observations and I have no desire to run a TTH sim against them but it might be interesting. I will see if they seem reasonable this weekend in low limit HE at Bellagio and Mirage.

I Straddle

The reason I did this in the beginning was for action, I loved it and I loved looking at the faces of people at the table when I did straddle.


Now if the table is tight and I can loosen it up with a straddle I will. Just another addition to long list of skills you need to overcome the low limit wonders.


SS

About 18 months ago, we were in LV, celebrating my daughter's 21st birthday. I wanted to play a "bigger" game that my normal 3-6/4-8, so I stepped up the 6-12 at The Mirage. I was in the 3-seat; across the table from me, the 8-seat straddled almost every time. And I won about two-thirds of those pots, with good but not great hands in the first couple of hours.


Then, my cards went cold, but I kept calling the flop, usually with only a couple of players still in the hand. I'd then raise the turn, whatever hit. I'd hear guys at the other end of table murmur, "If he's (me) in the hand, I fold." At the river, it was often just me and the straddler, and he would usually fold to my river bet. I guess he was loose enough to straddle, but too weak to call a BB on the river. I booked a very nice win in my first foray at 6-12, which has since become my favorite game.


Moral: I love (others!) to straddle. Never done it myself. Not once. Horrible bet.

I've tried to approach the problem from every angle but I really feel that there's no way straddling is a profitable play. especially at lower limits. what percentage of hands are playable utg? 10, 15%? so you're choosing to raise, with almost worst position, not knowing your cards, with heavy odds that you would fold had you looked at the cards. if you want to gamble and feel like straddling, live it up, I wish you the best of luck. but any attempt to justify it as mathmatically correct just seems hollow.

what percentage of hands are playable utg? 10, 15%


5% or so


the only time i straddle is when everyone else is. if it will keep everyone else putting in two small bets with the worst of it, ill do it.

I was trying to be as generous as possible with the percentages to avoid having someone come in with a quote from HFAP telling me I was wrong, it's actually 6.5% or something like that. In practice I think your number sounds more accurate.


If by straddling you would keep others straddling then, yes, that would be good(assuming you'd simply play better post flop). however, if they're going to do it anyway I'd rather be the black sheep and keep my 4 red chips than make that play.