Stradling at the 10/20 Borgata
 

Old tight rock player seated to my immediate right is losing because he can't comprehend that he is readable since he only plays high cards and bets top pair. This is a very loose passive game Saturday evening.

The rock starts straddling when he is UTG. I figure this is a one time gimmick he is pulling and I get out of the way. Second time around he pulls the same crap, I get out of the way. Third time I decide that I gotta put a stop to this crap, and I straddle to make it $30 pre-flop. I get him heads up while he is steaming, so I figure I handled this well. After that, he ceased and desisted.

1. Since when is straddling legal at the Borg? I didn't want to call the floor and complain since I would only slow down or break up a great game.

2. Any other way to handle this than being the overprick (coined new term) in this instance?

Re: Stradling at the 10/20 Borgata
 

Don't you want a poor player to straddle? Whats the problem?

Re: Stradling at the 10/20 Borgata
 

The problem is that is tightens up a loose passive table. They are only used to seeing this guy bet after he sees the flop and he has top pair. It also doesn't let me limp in cheaply anymore with my suited, connected, or low paired cards.

Re: Stradling at the 10/20 Borgata
 

Its not a straddle, its simply a blind raise. Nothing illegal about raising blind.

-ActionBob

Re: Stradling at the 10/20 Borgata
 

nineinchal evidently shouldn't play in Tunica.

The straddling there can get pretty crazy and you can straddle from any non-blind position. Straddling UTG and on the button are the most common.
Some players will straddle for practically every hand of an orbit....and then keep on doing it.
I've found it has pretty much the opposite effect of 'tightening' up the table. Makes others play looser because they want to take on the crazy guy who doesn't even know what he has yet. Good times...big pots. I always root for a crazy player or three to get in some straddling wars.
If I happen to be on a table where nobody is straddling then that pretty much means there isn't much life or action to it.

Re: Stradling at the 10/20 Borgata
 

I would suggest stop being such a hater. And brush up on your poker terminology. "straddle to $30," indeed. You'd be re-straddling or raising his blind raise depending on the specifics.

Complaining about straddling is maybe a level below complaining about people who raise on good draws or raise in AK in a 2/4 game. Anyway, if you can't call two bets with your hand, it probably wasn't worth playing for one anyway.

And at the B, it's just a blind raise, since the gaming commission does not allow (live) straddles in AC.