Live straddles

[Lunatunez]

Hey all, I play live games at Canterbury, and frequently I run into players whom love to straddle at any chance. And then occasionally there will be a solid player who straddles as well... I've read the rather short section on straddling in HEFAP but does anybody has more advice on facing straddles when in Mid position? What kinds of hands do you want to go against cards XX with? Is A9s good enough? One thing I notice is that a straddle always seems to bring MORE people into a pot then scares away, thanks for any thoughts!

Oh and what if you are on the SB and nobody has come in yet and you face the straddle plus the BB yet to act?

[danxd]

IMHO....live straddle is the dumbest play in hold 'em. I think people do it because it gives them the feeling of control; which then everybody encourages by not challenging. Why do you want to 1)raise blind; 2) buy the big blind? You have no position after the flop.

IMHO...those who straddle have zero knowledge on the value of position.

I love nothing more than a straddle bet when I'm on the button or cut-off. LMFAO! These donks will raise pre-flop with bluffs and push out a bet on the flop. I've won more money in these situations than any other. HA HA HA HA!

[shane88888]

Wow. Just.......... wow.

I want to learn how to preflop raise-bluff. Is that similar to the bluff-call?

[bravos1]

[ QUOTE ]
IMHO....live straddle is the dumbest play in hold 'em. I think people do it because it gives them the feeling of control; which then everybody encourages by not challenging. Why do you want to 1)raise blind; 2) buy the big blind? You have no position after the flop.

IMHO...those who straddle have zero knowledge on the value of position.

I love nothing more than a straddle bet when I'm on the button or cut-off. LMFAO! These donks will raise pre-flop with bluffs and push out a bet on the flop. I've won more money in these situations than any other. HA HA HA HA!

[/ QUOTE ]

There are a few obvious reasons why people straddle...

1. LAGtards love to GAMBOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOl
2. See point one!

For a good player, there are reasons as well.
1. Donking around with a bunch of other friends/2p2ers. When playing for fuun and to just donk around some chips.. a straddle is great.
2. Some players will straddle to liven up a game that has gotten way to tight, although I have never straddled in a serious game before. Straddles are great for action and tend to loosen up a table!

[KenProspero]

I was at a Canterbury in a couple of 3/6 games with lots of straddling last week, one player (three to my left) straddled every time so I was always faced with a straddle for the button. At this table, it was usually 3-4 bet by the time it came to me.

In this case, I folded a lot of buttons, but if I wound up with a premium hand, I'd have expected to make a lot.

Middle Position -- The problem with Straddles, is that I find what you do is really table specific. Some tables (like my first one) everyone goes wild. I tend to wait and see. Other tables people backoff.

In your case, if I was MP with A9s, and the pot was unraised (aside from the straddle), I'd probably raise. I want to make it very expensive for anyone who has position on me to call, and if I can isolate the straddler (who is expected to have more than an 'average' hand, by definition) I'm happy with that result. To be honest though, my playing style is to punish the straddler whenever I can, so given the right circumstances, with no other raises, I'd probably raise on a lot less.

A9s otherwise -- will, if 4 or 5 are going to see the flop, you'll get a nice payoff if you hit. Pot odds are probably close to right. However, your implied odds take a hit. I'd have to know who's calling, and what hands they've called/raised the straddle with in the session.

[KenProspero]

There are other reasons too.

Say you're at a game where most of the money is coming from 2 or 3 fish. However, there are also 3 or 4 rocks, who are trying to see the flop as cheaply as possible, in hopes of flopping the nuts.

Straddling here can really set off the rocks (especially BB, who had hoped on seeing the hand for free, and Button, who for some unknown reason doesn't understand that what you've done is good for him.) You're forcing them out of their game, sometimes they make mistakes -- other times they may leave the game in disgust (both of which are the point of the exercise).

Warning, if you're going to do this in a low limit game, you may take some of verbal abuse -- these guys get kinda upset when you take away their God-given right to see cheap flops. Ignore it, you're doing nothing 'wrong' from a cheating or ettiquite point of view (IMO), either turn up the IPOD, or say with a sneer "Hey, you play your cards, I'll play mine -- if I want your advice I'll ask for it" or something like that.

[shane88888]

You forgot my favorite reason: you can't stand the BB.

If I'm sitting next to a middle-aged nitty d-bag who plays Professor Poker after every hand, his BB shall receive no mercy. I would rather be slow-rolled than have some moron shame a fish for his poor play. And yes, I don't care if straddling is a -EV play.

Say it's a 4/8 table with the standard line-up at my local: two-three good players, 3-4 calling stations, two LAGtards that will sit for awhile, and that last seat that always seems to be occupied by a maniac that never sits for more than 90 minutes.

If those calling stations or the LAGtards start playing better (more selective, raising to protect hands), it's time to encourage some straddling. Peer pressure works wonders, especially if the dealer plays along - "Sir, it's your straddle." Plus it's good for your image.

Side note: I also actively order drinks for the table drunk - if I'm lucky enough to have one. Getting a drink at Foxwoods takes forever, but only takes half of forever if your new buddy (the drunk) is getting two at a time. People always ask me what's up w/ my friend (the drunk). I love breaking it to them that I don't even know the guy, hopefully while peering over a stack of chips that used to be in the drunk's possession.

[shane88888]

As for what hands you could play, I think it'd be a much better discussion if you gave a specific hand w/ descriptions of each of the players.

Should I play/raise A9s from MP against a straddle is about as situation-specific as you can get.

[HAL PHIPA]

I have never played limit holdem live, but it seems obv to me that if someone is raising blind UTG you should be 3 betting all the hands you would normally open raise and then some from MP. I guess everyone kind of picks up on this which is why straddles create so much action.

[Lunatunez]

Another situation that came up at CP a few weeks ago was where I was at an unusually TAG table, and there was a guy to my left (good player) who tried this tactic. He sat down straddled and tried to make it look like he was a maniac, then whenever it came around to me he encouraged me to straddle and I was like... dude, you're just gonna throw 3-dead if I do that and then I might as well be playing craps.