Should straddles be considered good for the game?

IMHO the only straddle that should be allowed in the single UTG straddle. Button straddles nit up the game and multiple straddles also do this. Straddles from any position just add confusion in the game.

anbu210 said:

Should straddles be considered good for the game?

Click to expand...

Depends on what you define as good.
straddles are useful to build pots. It is common to have a straddle and re-straddle in cashgames.
some always make one and some do it when they are on tilt and hope to restack fast.
And sometimes , just for fun

Should straddles be considered good for the game?

I also think that it depends on the games, players involved... what I can say is that in my home games (we're mostly recreational gamblers* not everyone are even playing much poker except this friendly games...), we like to straddle as it makes things more fun and/or loosen tight players, helps with building big pots and keeps the game more entertaining.

Btn straddle is kinda pointless and a bad practice IMO. They're going to be playing a wide range anyways and have position.

I don't mind restradles but anything beyond regular straddlesI don't really like.

Let your opponents straddle if they want . Just don't do it yourself ! As for a required one , it just makes the game much bigger .If you are comfortable in a bigger game go for it .

No straddles are horrible for rec/hobby players which is what a the majority of the poker world is made up of I think sometimes everyone forgets this little fact. But many things poker does is bad for the majority but only gets done because it's good for the high stakes crowd who make up likely less then 5% of the total players.

Good luck getting me to straddle. I have this argument almost every time I go to my local casino. My final answer always comes down to 4 words cause they never seem to stop or get it the first 100 times...."I'm not f**king straddling." If I want I more money in the pot I'll raise or re-raise more then my normal amount.

Cheers!!!

I played once and didn't like it. It was always the same player. The player to his left was always the first to act pre-flop and was always at a disadvantage. It's crazy to be the small blind or big blind and have to be the first to act pre-flop. There's no way to be profitable.

anbu210 said:

Should straddles be considered good for the game?

Click to expand...

It all depends on the game. Your game. If you play at a beginner level, you will play at that level whether there is a straddle or not.

Honestly, straddles are a massive blessing for the game, especially in live poker. It lowers the effective stack sizes, builds bigger pots pre-flop, and forces the nits out of their comfort zone. When people start playing blind money, the action just naturally explodes.I completely agree with @Jillychemung on button straddles though—they totally ruin the game. It completely kills the natural positional advantage of the blinds and makes everyone play way too tight.Keep the single UTG straddle to juice up the action and create massive pots, but ban the rest!

tbh i am not a fan of straddles on the tabble i prefer normal play and bettings

Yes it's good for the game, I always try to get the straddle on. The logic used to be that putting money in out of position was -EV so why would you ever want to do that, and that's true, if you're the only one doing it, but if you can get the straddle it going then it really is no different than a third blind and just serves to build the pot. Bigger pots = more action which also serves to reduce the raked percentage of the pot, so there's that; but the main reason I like it is that mid stakes are drying up. $2/5 is almost impossible to find anymore and $5/10 doesn't exists outside major markets or private games. $1/3 is often the biggest game running. Straddling allows a table of regulars to turn their $1/3 game into something that plays like $1/3/6 without needing the room to spread a new stake. Nobody's forcing you to straddle but if everyone else is doing it than it's no less EV than paying the traditional blinds which are universally agreed to be inadaquate to justify the preflop betting as it is. I'm always a bit surprised at players who will call any 5x bet preflop with anything pretty but refuse to toss in a 2x live straddle. If you're uncomfortable with the larger pots than many rooms still offer $1/2 with no straddles, I suggest you go there.

I think straddles are good if everyone at the table enjoys that style of game. They create bigger pots, more action, and make the game more exciting. At the same time, they increase variance and can force players into tougher decisions, so they're not ideal for everyone. Personally, I prefer playing without straddles in tournaments, but they can be fun in casual cash games.

If you can get everyone to "mandatory" straddle, it's often a good strategy, especially if players are now going to be all-in and going for low equity.But a straddle on the button has less negative EV.

Straddles suck : if I wanted to be playing a higher stakes game that is what I would do. And when someone insists I do, " because everyone else is", my answer is quite simply "**** you", Putting extra money in blind is stupid.

Hunh, didn't know that the word **** was censored here.

I think they're good if everyone at the table is on board. Straddles create bigger pots and more action, which can make the game more fun. But if you're trying to play a disciplined bankroll strategy, they're not always the best idea.

Straddles are good for increasing wells. I don't like it. If you want more money go to another table where the blinds are higher. I'm from the old guard.

Yes, but only if players understand how to adapt to changes in dynamics and increased variance.