To straddle or not to straddle?
When players are really gambling it up at the table, they often announce “I’m going to straddle.” So what is a straddle? A straddle is a third blind that is usually double the size of the big blind. It is placed just to the left of the big blind. In a $5/$10 no limit holdem game, the small blind is $5 and the big blind is $10. If a player wants to straddle, the first player after the big blind or the “under the gun”, player places a third blind of $20 into the pot. The action continues clockwise around the table and if a player wants to enter the pot they must call $20 instead of the original $10 big blind. The “straddler” then has last action before the flop and has the option to raise.
So what effect does a straddle have on the game? It makes the stakes of the game bigger by putting in a third blind and placing more money in the pot before the flop. It sometimes causes more “action” as players now have an increased interest in playing for a bigger pot. The disadvantage of straddling is that you are putting more money in the pot without looking at your cards and often times receive a poor hand. You also will be playing a bigger pot out of position throughout the hand which is definitely another disadvantage. To overcome this positional disadvantage, some poker rooms allow a “Mississippi straddle” which is the same as a regular straddle except it can be made from any position. Players often use the “Mississippi straddle” in late position in a big bet game such as pot limit Omaha or no limit holdem because it creates a bigger pot while they are in position.
So the next time your poker game has hit a lull in the action, spice things up with a straddle and watch the fireworks start.
-this is Beginner’s Poker Blog Post #218
