Donkey Straddles

nuts · #1 01-25-2007, 10:08 AM

I play in a holdem game where the donkeys love to straddle. If they sit next to each other every orbit will be straddled then restraddled. I generally have 100bb and after two straddles the bb will be 4bb, sometimes 8bb.

How should I adjust my strategy from ep and lp with these conditions? They will call any reasonable raise (3-4x) after a straddle, and are very aggro postflop (bet any draw hard, any pair, never fold). Variance is very high. There are a couple of solid players, but they're in the minority.

nowags · #2 01-25-2007, 12:31 PM

straddles rule!

Yo Adrians! · #3 01-25-2007, 12:38 PM

[ QUOTE ]
I play in a holdem game where the donkeys love to straddle. If they sit next to each other every orbit will be straddled then restraddled. I generally have 100bb and after two straddles the bb will be 4bb, sometimes 8bb.

How should I adjust my strategy from ep and lp with these conditions? They will call any reasonable raise (3-4x) after a straddle, and are very aggro postflop (bet any draw hard, any pair, never fold). Variance is very high. There are a couple of solid players, but they're in the minority.

[/ QUOTE ]

This game sounds like lots of fun. And it sounds like 'the donkeys' know how to get some action going at the table.

nowags · #4 01-25-2007, 12:41 PM

If you know they are likely to call a raise, then just play good hands. You might want to play a little tighter than normal, because you are going to have to "play harder" if that makes sense. bet bigger, etc. If you want to get someone to fold pf, you will need to bet bigger. Adjust your bet to the straddle, because the straddle is basically the new big blind. if the straddle is 4, and you want to triple or quadruple it - 12 or 16 to go, and be ready to bet a bigger pot on the flop.

A straddle is just gamb00ling that loosens up a game. so adjust your play like you would for any other loose game.

I also wouldnt really call it a donkey move. We have a lot of solid players at our home games, and we throw in the occasional straddle just to mess with each other, and keep the game fun. re-straddles are pretty rare. We usually dont start straddling until the stacks get deep, and the blinds could be bigger anyways. Also, adding fun to it is always a plus. hold'em can get pretty monotonous after 6 hours.

Lottery Larry · #5 01-25-2007, 01:05 PM

I have a player, who plays below his normal limits when he comes to our game. Therefore, HE will post the straddle, the next double straddle (he's giving HIS money to the other players) and then he'll almost automatically raise, whatever his cards are.

bigshowmack · #6 01-25-2007, 01:14 PM

I can't believe OP is complaining about straddles. Tighten up your starting range if you don't want to play big pots with marginal hands, but otherwise profit from position, and win some huge pots against players with weak holdings, and profit. Straddles are +++EV as long as you're playing with money you don't care about losing when they occasionally hit a flop big with their weak hands. I play in a regular 1/2 game which can see a straddle and 1-3 restraddles, and it may be up to $20 to go, and i've had nights where i have cashed out up to $2k off one $200 buyin.

Lottery Larry · #7 01-25-2007, 01:22 PM

I don't think he's "complaining" about straddles, he wants to know how to best attack the game conditions.

mntbikr15 · #8 01-25-2007, 05:01 PM

[ QUOTE ]
I have a player, who plays below his normal limits when he comes to our game. Therefore, HE will post the straddle, the next double straddle (he's giving HIS money to the other players) and then he'll almost automatically raise, whatever his cards are.

[/ QUOTE ]

HAH

What an IDIOT!

Lottery Larry · #9 01-26-2007, 05:14 AM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I have a player, who plays below his normal limits when he comes to our game. Therefore, HE will post the straddle, the next double straddle (he's giving HIS money to the other players) and then he'll almost automatically raise, whatever his cards are.

[/ QUOTE ]

HAH

What an IDIOT!

[/ QUOTE ]

It's especially fun when he posts here, in order to warm up for his "blind raise, and your blind reraise, and your blind cap while LL gets Queens on the button, gets to coldcall and flops a set for a mega-raisewar" playing skillz.

nuts · #10 01-31-2007, 09:12 PM

Not an awful lot of poker advice been given here so far.

I personally don't like the straddles as it makes it very expensive to see the flop, and seems to turn the game into a shorter stacked game. It doesn't make the game more fun for me, as I feel that I have to tighten up, and as a result play less pots. The standard buyin in this game is 50 or 100bb, and while I will buy in for 100 a few players just go for 50.

I agree if I have premiums then i'm fine, but if I have an advantage against these guys it's postflop, and the big straddles turn it into a preflop game.

Also, I agree that sometimes solid players will straddle, but that isn't the case in this particular game.