[bigshowmack]

I can't believe OP is complaining about straddles. Tighten up your starting range if you don't want to play big pots with marginal hands, but otherwise profit from position, and win some huge pots against players with weak holdings, and profit. Straddles are +++EV as long as you're playing with money you don't care about losing when they occasionally hit a flop big with their weak hands. I play in a regular 1/2 game which can see a straddle and 1-3 restraddles, and it may be up to $20 to go, and i've had nights where i have cashed out up to $2k off one $200 buyin.