Straddles are considered blind bets, not raises, because you make them before you’re dealt your two hole cards. The person who bets a straddle is usually the last to act after the hole cards are dealt but before the flop. This is an advantageous position, so you could also think of a straddle bet as paying for the privilege of being last to act. Straddles aren’t normally allowed in tournament play (although the World Series of Poker has allowed them) and are rarely seen online. [2] X Research source They’re most common in live cash no-limit games of Hold ‘Em, particularly high-stakes games.
After the hole cards are dealt, action begins with the player to the immediate left of the straddler, so the UTG player has magically transformed their pre-flop position from worst to best (since they’re now last to act). Action follows as normal after the flop. A straddle only affects the order of the action pre-flop.
Some poker rooms take the “no limit” part of “No Limit Texas Hold ‘Em” literally as meaning no limits of any kind anywhere, which means the “two times the big blind” limit is thrown out the window for straddles. This usually only applies to high-stakes games, though.
Since a straddle is considered a blind and not a bet, the straddler has the option of raising in the next round of betting (after hole cards are dealt but before the flop).
Some games have mandatory straddles. These are also referred to as “3 blind” games, and the straddle rotates around the table alongside the small and big blinds. For example, you might have a $1-$2-$5 game. The $5 is live to all players. [7] X Research source
Since the straddle is last to act and the straddle is considered a blind and not a bet, the straddler has the option to raise if all the other players have called the straddle.
Button straddles are terrible for you if you’re either the big or small blind because they put you in the worst position because you have to act first or second both before and after the flop. If you aren’t dealt a high pair or suited connectors, it’s usually a good idea to go ahead and fold.
Since the straddler has the opportunity to act last pre-flop, the player to the immediate left of the straddler opens the action pre-flop. So, for example, if you’re the button and you straddle under Mississippi rules, the small blind would be first to act.
For example, if you’re playing a $1/$2 game, the straddle would be $4 (twice the big blind). That means the double straddle would be $8 (twice the straddle). As you can see, a double straddle game can build some big pots pretty quickly and is definitely not for the faint of heart.
For example, in a 6-hand game, the 4th player to act needs to go to the bathroom and places a sleeper bet of two times the big blind. After the hole cards are dealt, the 3rd player to act bets three times the big blind, nullifying the sleeper bet. A lot of people don’t consider sleepers to be straddles, but since they’re blind bets, they’re included here. You could also think of a sleeper bet as a form of Mississippi straddle since it’s allowed from any position. [14] X Research source
The straddle effectively doubles the big blind. Players who don’t like straddle bets would say that if you’re at a $1/$2 table but you really want to be at a $2/$4 table, move to a $2/$4 table. Even the strongest pros lose money on blind bets in the long run—by playing straddles, you just increase your chances of losing even more money.
Keep in mind that in most cases what you’re doing is exactly that—paying a price. Odds are you’ll get dealt junk and won’t make a hand on the flop either. But the same odds apply to everyone else at the table, which means acting last gives you a little bit of an edge.
Since you’re last to act pre-flop, you can gain information from all the other players. If they’re quick to call but don’t raise, you might be able to get a few more chips from them if you raise pre-flop. This works especially well if you’re working a big stack because other players will see it as an opportunity to chip away at your lead and they don’t want to miss out on that.
This works especially well if you’ve been playing really conservatively for most of the game because your opponents will never see it coming.
Since straddling raises the stakes of the game, it can also serve to wake up everybody at the table a little. More money in the pot can get the blood pumping and add a little excitement when the game starts getting monotonous.
