Live strattle Question

[Rottersod]

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Does it matter? I mean, if someone straddles it doesn't affect the cards in any way. If someone accidentally calls a smaller bet not realizing there is a straddle usually dealers will give them the option to take it back. Every casino seems to handle straddles differently, including where you can straddle, etc. Usually the dealer will announce it to the table, but I don't consider it a big faux pas if they don't.

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It does matter, especially in NL. Say the dealer doesn't announce it and the other players assume it was just a min raise by UTG and they call? They need to know that he still has the option to raise. That's the point of the live straddle.

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Anyone who can't follow the action in a poker game is an idiot. When I'm playing I couldn't care less whether or not the dealer announces a straddle, given that I can easily deduce that, since the min raise was put out before the cards where dealt, it's live. However, I do announce stuff like straddles when I'm dealing because, well, many players can't follow the action on their own.

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Sounds like you deal home games and have never played in a noisy casino. People leaning back to eat food off the table next to them. Pay the cocktail waitress for a drink. Watch the game on TV.

[Rottersod]

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That chip sitting there in front of the BB could be a variety of things: A mistaken big blind post, a "dead dingle" (UTG Blind call), a blind raise, etc. Of course, most of these things will never happen. But as a dealer, you announce it so that you don't have to deal with "is that a straddle? How much is it? Is that a straddle?" ad infinitum. I don't think it's a hard and fast rule, but announcing the straddle is good for both the players and the dealer (saves time).

I also find that the straddlers like it much better when I announce it... i guess they want everyone to know how cool they are, that they can post 2xBB when they don't have to.

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It is a hard and fast rule. Just announce it so everyone is playing with the same knowledge.

[p4594spa]

While I take the point of several posters that people should be observant whether or not the straddle is announced. The problem is some casinos treat the straddler as a 3rd blind and others don't. It seems to me that it is important to know that there is a true 3rd blind.