[johnb]

I see your point about the implied odds and honestly I missed the part of the post where he indicates that the straddler caps. However, I still call. My experience is that players will raise a little looser in hands like this 'to build a pot.' I still call. 8-1 odds are enough in my book to play a hand like this especially if I feel I can outplay most my opponents after the flop. JB