Where does the term straddle come from?

[Chipr777]

Just curious. I had a player ask me why its called a straddle and I couldn't give him the answer. Any informative anwers?

[Poshua]

I have a guess: the player is "straddling" the action because he gets to act first and last before the flop. Of course, the first "action" is a voluntary blind raise, but I think that could still be considered acting first.

[youtalkfunny]

I googled "Poker Dictionary" and eventually found one, written by Michael Weisenberg for Planet Poker's website (remember them?).

straddle

1. (v) overblind (definition 1). 2. (n) overblind (definition 2). Someone might say, "John acts last; he has the straddle." 3. The second of two forced blinds, usually put in by the player two positions to the left of the dealer position. In former years, these two bets were called blind and straddle. Some say that definition 3 is the only proper use of the word straddle.

In definitions 1 and 2 above, the word "overblind" links to this definition:

overblind

1. (v) Put in a blind when one is already present. In a traveling blind game, this could mean someone putting in an optional blind in addition to the mandatory blinds. In a game without mandatory blinds, this would be blinding a pot (putting in a blind) after someone else has killed it. (To put in an overblind is sometimes called to kill.) Sometimes called go the overs. 2. (n) The blind put in by the person who overblinds. In a 3-3-6 traveling blind game ($12 limit or $12 minimum bet no-limit), John might put in $12 before getting his cards. He has doubled the limit (or the minimum bet) to $24, and he gets last action before the draw. Someone might say, "John acts last; he has the overblind." Also straddle, for both meanings.

That definition had a link to "Traveling Blind Game", but we'll be here all day if I keep copying links.

It may not spell out the origin, but it at least sheds some light.

http://www.planetpoker.com/games/dictionary/

[esch]

The term straddle means to "bridge" two opposite sides/concepts.

I'd make the connection that one is bridging the first to act and last to act spots by straddling.

You also have the financial straddle where one takes action on both sides (put and call) of an option.

Whatever the origin, whoever came up with the term was pretty clever. "Blind raise with option" would just be lame.

[Phat Mack]

When I first started playing, if there were two blinds, the small blind was called "the blind," and the big blind was called "the straddle." It wasn't 'til the 80s that I heard "straddle" used to denote an optional blind.

Before that, optional blinds were called "kills" if they couldn't be "re-straddled," (if that makes any sense), or "darkens" or "re-straddles" if they could, and were to immediate left of the big blind. (As in "It's two, five and darkened for ten; twenty to bring it in.") If they weren't next to the big blind, and they didn't "kill" the action, and they would be pulled back if there was action before them, they were called "sleeps."

I'm not sure if any of the above makes sense, but there it is. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[pfapfap]

Thank you for that succinct description. I like that terminology better. I also tend to favor some of the older rules/customs in NL. I've been thinking of introducing a sleeper to my game.