[threeonefour]

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How can you bet preflop after looking at your cards, then bet blind post-flop? Do you mean you close your eyes to the flop? Or do you forget your hand?

I'm not so sure straddling has such a negative expected value. There is a very old study that showed the opposite. It was under more favorable rules for the straddle, however. It was no limit, the smaller the blinds relative to the bets, the more advantage to straddling. Also, the first caller had to double the last blind or straddle; you couldn't just call. That made the last blind or straddle act like a small blind today; you got to see what everyone would do by putting up half the opening bet.

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i have never seen a rule structure/table texture that resulted in straddling in a limit game being +EV.

i guess i can think of one, turning a normal table into a 'must straddle game' will usually increase your profits. though your straddle is -EV its made up for by the fact that everyone else at the table is doing the same thing. mix in the fact that straddling can really get the action junkies going and you have a +EV proposition