Have you ever played in a poker game and been confused by seeing more than two players put money into the pot before the flop? This situation arises when players choose to post poker straddles, voluntary blind bets that spice up the action.
A straddle is not a part of the typical poker rules, which is why you can’t straddle in poker tournaments, and even in many casino-based cash games.
Yet, poker straddles are very common in private games and in some official poker rooms, which is why every poker player should have a basic understanding of the concept.
Let’s take a closer look at the poker straddles, the reasoning behind them, and the different rules you need to know in regard to straddles.
What Is a Straddle in Poker
Every hand of Texas Hold’em Poker starts with two players to the left of the dealer button posting the small blind and the big blind. These bets are not voluntary, and they must be made before a hand can start.
In some poker games, players are allowed to make further blind bets before the flop. These bets are called poker straddles.
A typical straddle is posted by the player in the “under the gun” position. This player is seated to the left of the big blind.
In the scenario where the UTG player posts a straddle, they are effectively buying the right to play last before the flop for the price of two big blinds.
For example, if you are seated in the UTG position in a $5/$10 game, you may have the option to post a straddle for $20. In this case, you will not have to act first before the flop, but will rather act last.
Other forms of straddles, such as a sleeper straddle and Mississippi straddle, can be posted by other positions at the table, but more on those a bit later.
Types of Straddles in Poker
As mentioned, there is more than one type of poker straddles out there. A straddle can be posted by every position at the table, and there are different names and rules for different straddling options.
Let’s take a look at some of the most common straddles in the game of poker.
Classic Poker Straddle
A classic poker straddle is always posted by the player to the left of the big blind, the poker position called under the gun (UTG).
The value of the UTG straddle is usually 2x the big blind, although there can be some rounding up happening in some situations. For example, $1/$2 games usually have a $5 UTG straddle instead of a $4 one.
The UTG straddle rules are quite simple. The player posts the straddle and goes last before the flop. On all future streets, the player acts in turn as if they were UTG, meaning only the blinds play before them.
In some games, players to the left of UTG can post further straddles. This is known as re-straddling. For example, if the UTG posts a $5 straddle, the next player may be allowed to post a $10 straddle, etc.
The total number of straddles is either dictated by the game organizer or agreed upon by the players in the game.
Button Straddle in Poker
The button straddle is another type of poker straddle that you may encounter in some games. As the name suggests, this straddle can only be posted by the player on the dealer button.
In most cases, the player on the button will have to post 2x the big blind to buy the privilege to play last before the flop, but some games allow this straddle to go up to any amount.
In return for paying the straddle, the button gets to see all other players act before them preflop. The action starts with the small blind and ends with the button.
In games like Pot Limit Omaha, the button straddle may be strategically advantageous, which is why some players refuse to play PLO in games with a button straddle.
Mississippi Straddle in Poker
Named after the famous river that used to be home to some of the biggest riverboat poker games in the world, the Mississippi straddle can be posted by any player at the table.
The Mississippi straddle can be a bit confusing, especially when games allow players to post a Mississippi re-straddle.
Since players in random positions post this straddle, the action starts normally, skips the players who posted the straddles, and comes back to them after everyone else has acted.
Playing with a Mississippi poker straddle is very confusing and unnatural, which is why very few games allow for this method of straddling.
Sleeper Straddle in Poker
A sleeper straddle is similar to a Mississippi straddle but with one big caveat. This straddle only becomes active if players in front of you fold their cards.
For example, if you are playing in a $1/$2 game and post a $10 sleeper straddle in the cutoff, action will start with the UTG player.
If any of the players in front of you decide to enter the pot, your straddle becomes inactive, and you can act in any way you choose.
However, if the players in front of you fold their cards, your straddle activates. The action skips over you and only comes back to you once all the other players have acted on their hands.
Are Poker Straddles Profitable?
If you have watched high-stakes poker games on TV, you have surely seen some of the most active players in those games regularly post straddles.
Since these players often win big pots or end the show with a big profit, you may be thinking that posting straddles is an amazing poker strategy.
However, the truth is quite the opposite. Posting two big blinds without looking at your cards for no real reason is never a good idea.
In fact, the expected value of this is so bad that most professionals agree it is completely impossible to be profitable from the straddle position.
For comparison, the vast majority of professional poker players aren’t even profitable from the small blind and big blind positions, let alone the straddle.
In most cases, players who straddle on the regular are doing so because they love to gamble and want to make the action bigger, not to give themselves a real edge over other players.
That said, there are some situations in which straddling can be justified, so let’s take a look at a few such scenarios.
Upping the Stakes
Many poker games, especially those played in a live setting, end up turning into a bigger game as the hours pass by.
The same group of players may be seated at the poker table for 10 hours or more, and the stacks often get quite deep over that time.
For example, everyone might start their local $1/$2 game with $200, but by the sixth hour of play, multiple players may be sitting with a stack of $1,000 or more.
In these situations, it is not unusual for most players to start posting straddles, effectively raising the stakes they are playing for.
If everyone in the $1/$2 game is posting the $5 straddle, then the game is now effectively $1/$2/$5. Posting the straddle now is fine, since everyone else is also doing it.
Appeasing the Fish
If you are playing in an extremely soft poker game with one or multiple fish who are insisting on straddles, you should probably appease them.
Posting the straddle every round may cost you some money in the short term, but the money you will win from these whales will far outweigh the losses.
Typically speaking, the softer the game is, the more likely you should be to agree to post straddles and even push for straddles yourself.
Your opponents will be likely to make even bigger mistakes when the stakes go up, so even the hands you play from the straddle won’t be exceptionally –EV.
On top of that, posting straddles will likely entice other players to do the same, which can lead to some super profitable situations for you.
Building an Image
When you play cash game poker, you don’t want your opponents to see you as a poker professional or someone who plays very carefully.
Posting some straddles is the fastest and safest way to make sure everyone sees you aren’t afraid to “gamble,” even if you don’t plan on doing much of that at all.
Posting a few straddles early in the game can help spice up the action and build some tension. Your opponents may start seeing you as the person who brings the action to the game, which can be beneficial in many ways.
Building up an image of a loose cannon with your opponents is one of the best ways to get them to play badly against you for many hours to come.
To Straddle or Not to Straddle?!
Poker straddles are a means of juicing up the action and adding an extra layer of gambling into a poker game.
Any straddle you post in a poker game will dig into your win rate and reduce your bottom line, as putting chips into the pot without looking at your cards is never a good idea.
Yet, we have described some situations where straddling can be a good idea, so it’s up to you to decide when and why you should straddle.
While straddles will always be a part of the game, especially in live poker, make sure to keep our advice in mind and only straddle when it brings you some sort of advantage.
