Betting Structure: The Straddle
One more betting “gimmick” that you will often find in card room cash games, that is the Straddle. The straddle is an optional third blind, which is usually placed by the player to the left of the big blind. So, if you were playing in a 4/8 limit game, the blinds would be 2 and 4. The first raise would be from 4 to 8, so the straddle bet of 8 is placed before the deal by the first player to act.
The betting order is altered by the straddle just as it was by the Kill. The player who places the straddle bet will be the last to act before the flop. The advantage of acting last is basically what the Straddle player buys with his blind bet.
You should know that the straddle is used practically to liven up a table or get some action going when the play is considered to be too conservative or too tight. In fact, the straddle is a terrible bet as far as the odds go. While the blinds are forced bets, you pay once a round; the straddle is a voluntary blind bet and not just a bet but a raise! A player who constantly straddles is looking for action and generally they will find it, not always to their advantage.
One other variation you may hear is the “Mississippi Straddle”. This variation allows the straddle to be placed by any player at the table in any position not just the player who would normally be first to act. Frowned upon in many card rooms, the Mississippi Straddle is not allowed in many rooms and will not be tolerated by many players, who will sit out rather then have the game so dramatically altered.
-This is Beginner’s Poker Blog Post #116
