Is straddling allowed in casinos?

[spaminator101]

usually
is it possible on any online sites is what i would like to know

I saw it done at a 2/5 no-limit game at the Belaggio. When it happened, it threw me way off because I had no idea what was going on. The guy to the left of the big blind (me), announced his stradle bet twice the big blind without looking at his cards and then everyone called. I was the big blind and called and thought the betting was over but the stradler is actually the last to act pre-flop. And he raised 10 times the big blind. Most of the players seemed to know what was going on (except me) so I guess its normal, but it only happened that once time. I dont see the point. Its like volunteering to be the big blind x's 2 without seeing your cards while your out of position. Makes no sense.

[Snoogins47]

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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

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I don't think that argument ever got completely resolved, but I can easily see where straddling on the button in a 3handed limit game could possibly work out pretty well. I don't care enough, or want to think enough, to try to actually take a side on the issue. Regardless, if you go by the rule of thumb that "straddling isn't a positive EV play" you're probably going to be fine. It's damn fun though.