[CurryLover]

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and you WANT to be labeled as a maniac? a LAG image is fine but a maniac image is not profitable.

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What are you basing this assertion on?

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And what are you basing your whole post on? Some wily old pro who knows how to mix his game up well? Nobody is arguing the fact that you should not mix your play up and be unpredictable. That is all part of being a good live player. It just seems that you and some others cannot accept you can do this without a straddle.

The question was "benefits of the straddle" not "benefits of mixing up your game". A straddle is putting money in blind. How can that possibly be +EV. Yes you will win some pots by being lucky but long term it cannot be a profitable play IMHO.

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My point was that straddling was one possible way to influence certain important factors such as image, game conditions and table texture. Voluntarily putting money into the pot before you have been dealt your cards is clearly -EV when looked at in the most literal sense. Obvioualy. But sometimes it can have other more intangible benefits that might compensate, and might even make this a +EV move. For example, straddling once or twice may do any or all of the following things:
1) Loosen up a tight table by promoting a gambling mentality.
2) Give you the image of a loose gambler and lead to you getting more action on future hands.
3) Encourage other players to straddle.

Would you not agree that - in the right circumstances - these factors might more than make up for the small loss you have voluntarily taken on by straddling? In my experience I have often seen someone straddling a few times open up a tight game and make it more profitable to play in for the next few hours. I have also seen someone posting a straddle and this leading to another player choosing to straddle every pot for the next two hours!

Of course there are other ways to mix things up, improve your table image, and influence the actions of other players. I am not saying that straddling is the only way to do this, or the best way. I am certainly not suggesting - as you accuse me of - that it is impossible to mix up your play and be unpredictable without straddling. All I am arguing is that straddling is one possible way to influence these factors.

To be honest, I am not even arguing that straddling is profitable. I am just pointing out that it can have benefits in the right circumstances, and that sometimes these may make it a +EV move.

So, in answer to your question: I am basing my post on a reasoned argument coupled with my own experience of seeing how someone straddling can influence game conditions. You may not agree with my reasoning, and you may have had different experiences in your own live play. That's ok.