Live Straddle Question

Hi Folks. I'm new to this forum and I play 5-10 Holdem at Holloywood Casino in Aurora, IL 5-6 times per month. My question for the day relates to this annoying creature, the Live Straddle.


1) What is the purpose for this?


2) Every time I sit down at a table (5-10) at Hollywood in the BB my left Straddles. What are these people hoping to gain?


3) Is this an anomally of the 5-10 game or does this happen at the 10-20 and higher tables also?


I assume that they are just gambling but the usual people to do this are from the group of the same 6 or 7 people that I see each and every time I walk into that cardroom. What am I missing?


--Scott

Its stupid dont ever consider doing it urself, a waste of money, the same as posting a blind in the long run you will. Yes its a long term -EV play and a gamble, you can play more hands when someone straddles or limps blind, and if he straddle raises then you can reraise and isolate with many hands that you would only limp with such as A10, KJ, KQ, 88, 99 etc. depending on position.


-MJ

A player posts a live straddle in order to stimulate action. He is trying to loosen up the game and create some big pots. He is gambling. You should welcome him and encourage others to straddle as well while avoiding it yourself. Obviously, straddling is bad because 1) You are putting money in a pot without knowing what your cards are, 2) You have poor position on subsequent betting rounds, and 3) In a game populated with decent players you will frequently get isolated since one of them will often raise thereby driving everyone else out putting you heads-up and out of position with the worst hand in most cases.


On the other hand, if you are part of a regular group that frequently does this, you may get pressured into doing it yourself. When that happens, I recommend you find another game. Note also that your swings may be greater in games where there is a lot of straddling.


Straddling is one of a number of measures players take to juice up a game. Another one is playing kill pots. Another one is playing "overs" buttons.

You don'twant to encourage a player to straddle when he is to your immediate left. You'll never see your BB for free and rarely, as Jim stated, for one bet. Ask for a seat change.

Thanks Folks. You confirmed my suspicions. I never even dreamed of doing it. One positive side effect is that a couple of the people start to do this when they are going on tilt. Nice little warning flag. I'm completely stunned as to how they afford to play that night after night...


Thanks again.

Don't totally overlook this play. It can be a tool like any other. The last time I did it (about 6 months ago), was in a very tight game, where a new player sat down and when it got to him he said he would stradle if anyone else at the table would also do it. I said I would. The stradle he put up and then I did completely changed the game. It became incrediably looser, and almost everyone started gambling. I won a bunch in the next two hours. Like the old James Bond movie said, "Never say Never"

I heard a great story concerning a game where everybody was posting a straddle. There was an older gentleman at the table, and when it came his turn to post the straddle, he said, "I'm sorry but I can't."


When asked "why not," the older gentleman replied, "because I finished high school."