Straddle in Poker — All You Need to Know

Until recently, straddle was just an interesting addition to private high-stakes poker games and famous poker shows.

In the last few years, tables with straddle have appeared in the applications of poker sitesGGPoker, BetOnline and WPT Global. An additional “blind” bet on the preflop greatly affects the situation in the game:

• The size of the pot changes immediately.
• Straddle gives the strategic advantage of "last word" to the player not in the big blind position.
• Affects the player's image.
• Increases the level of "action" due to the need to fight for large pots.

All these changes required a new approach to straddle strategy.

What is a straddle in poker?

Straddle is the third blind bet after the small and big blinds in the UTG (under the gun) position. This bet is voluntary, i.e. the player may not make it. The size of the straddle is 2 big blinds. The player who made the straddle gets the last word on the preflop.

In live poker, if the UTG player makes a bet before the pocket cards are dealt, the dealer announces “straddle”. When playing online, the UTG player will be asked whether to make a blind bet or not, if he has ticked the necessary box in the application settings.

The first documented cases of the use of the straddle were recorded in the casinos of Las Vegas and Atlantic City in the 1930-1950s. Straddle gained great popularity in American offline poker in the 2000s, when it began to be actively used at poker shows.

Types of straddle

There are several types of straddle:

A straddle from the button breaks the standard poker position structure:

• The button is last to act - gaining a huge advantage due to position.
• UTG is UTG+1 now (since the button posts the "blind").
• Everyone plays in turn, but the button acts last.
• Players open less often due to fear of losing out of position.
• Opening ranges become narrower, especially in CO and HJ.
• The frequency of limps increases because players are waiting for the button to react.

Basic strategy

Straddle every time you are UTG, but always try to assess the situation at the table and agree to bet if:

• Most of the opponents are passive and tight.
• You have the image of a strong and aggressive player.
• You are on the button or in position (if Mississippi Straddle is allowed).
• You want to change the pace of the game or your image.
• You have a deep stack.

Strategy after making an UTG straddle

Once you have made a straddle, the most important thing is to change your opening range. The standard UTG range no longer works, since you are effectively in the big blind, and postflop you will be out of position to everyone except the blinds.

Remember to open even tighter than you would from UTG.

Below we give approximate preflop action ranges for different table scenarios ( with 100+ BB stack):

On postflop, you are almost always out of position, which makes the play harder:

• Don't bluff in bad spots.
• Simplify the game: check-fold more often, don't check-raise too much without good reasons.
• Plan your image. If you straddle too often, you will be considered too loose. Use such an image. Play tight against those who will try to outplay you.

Straddle made by other player

If your opponent puts a straddle, then you need to consider the following factors:

• The pot becomes larger, which affects the implied odds and the possibility of postflop maneuvers.
• With a straddle, it is reasonable to increase the raise size to 4-5 BB relative to the straddle. Otherwise, you give good pot odds to call on a cold call to players behind you.
• Adjust the range to a tighter side:

TOP 7 mistakes beginners make when playing with a straddle

1. Straddling without understanding why. Beginners often straddle "for action" without understanding how it affects the hand structure and strategy.
2. Playing out of position with bad hands. After a straddle, the player is the first to act preflop - this is the worst position at the table, especially without a plan.
3. Opening too wide a range after a straddle. Many beginners overestimate the strength of their hands and play too loose, not taking into account that they have already invested money and are out of position.
4. Passive play. The main goal of a straddle is to seize the initiative.
5. Ignoring the dynamics of the table. It does not take into account who is at the table - tight or aggressive opponents, stack depth, frequency of raises and 3-bets.
6. Constantly playing straddle makes the player's style readable and allows opponents to adjust, so the element of surprise is lost.
7. Short-stack play. Straddling increases the average pot size, and if a player's stack is less than 100BB, he will not have enough depth to choose from on the flop, except for push-fold.

How does the straddle change poker math?

In short, having a straddle at the table changes the pot odds and the effective stack size (SPR).

It turns out that the SPR in a single-raise pot with a straddle structure is quite close to the SPR in a 3-bet pot with a classic blind structure. Therefore, the optimal strategy when a straddle was placed in a single-raise pot will be quite straightforward, which means:

• Strong hands are played quickly.
• Protecting our ranges becomes less important.
• Playing speculative and draw-hands becomes less profitable.
• Strong but not nut hands, such as the top pair, increase their value.

Therefore, with a straddle structure, we will essentially be playing short stacks. Without a straddle, a standard stack of 100 BB, for example at NL200 is equal to $200, and with a straddle it is reduced by half to 50 BB.

The EV of a straddle is often negative on its own, but it can become positive if you can play aggressively against passive opponents.

"Psychological warfare" at the tables with a straddle

Straddles not only change the math of the game, but can also be a tool of psychological pressure, especially in live play. At tables with straddles, the level of action is higher and big pots are played more often, which increases the risk of big losses. In such conditions, some players may tilt, while others may get too carried away fighting for pots.

As a result, opponents may start increasing raises to “punish” their opponents. They may make bluffs mistakenly  or outplay marginal hands.

Experienced players get the opportunity to create the illusion of unreasonable aggression, even if the real strategy is tight-aggressive. 

For example:

• Create an image of a “maniac”, and then catch opponents with a strong hand.
• Vary the frequency of straddles to keep the table in suspense and force opponents to change their playing style to an unusual one.
• Play with polar ranges to prevent opponents from reading you.  

Pros and Cons of playing with a straddle

To offset the negative impact of playing with a straddle, you need to:

• Tighten your ranges, especially out of position.
• Attack limpers more often. But if a strong player limps, it is quite possible that this is a trap.
  Don't straddle at tables with a lot of loose passive opponents. This can lead to you finding yourself in a multi-way pot out of position.

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