If the pot is raised, action goes around like normal and the straddler acts immediately after the big blind. In this $2/$5 hand, the UTG player puts out $10 before the cards are dealt and action starts on their left. The betting action begins with the player on the immediate left of the straddler, and proceeds around the table in the normal way, such that the straddler is last to act. The Classic UTG StraddleĪn UTG straddle occurs when the under-the-gun (UTG) player (the player to the direct left of the big blind) puts out 2x the big blind before the cards are dealt. We will restrict our attention to the more common ones that you’re likely to find in a casino. And given the nature of poker players, there are a number of different types of straddle, with different conventions for how they impact the preflop action.

While the straddle is basically never seen in online poker, it is quite common in live games. This distinguishes a straddle from a blind raise, which does not have the option to raise when called.

Like the big blind, a straddle is “live,” so that if one or more players call this blind bet, the straddler has the option to raise the callers once the action is on them. And if you prefer a video summary of the key ideas in addition to the text, please enjoy the following:Ī straddle in poker acts like a third, oversized blind, placed before the cards are dealt. In what follows, we first explain precisely what a straddle is, then address whether straddling is a good idea. And it also provides another decision for a poker player in games in which a straddle is permitted: Should I straddle? What is the effect of a straddle on the rest of the hand? It turns out a poker straddle has both mathematical and psychological effects that go way beyond the extra dead money placed in the preflop pot. So what is it? Simply an additional blind bet placed before the cards are dealt, and typically (but not exclusively) twice the size of the big blind. For those of you who play exclusively online, the concept of a straddle in poker may be completely foreign to you. Straddling can be a fun element of live poker, but many players don’t fully understand what a straddle really does.

Why is it called seeing in poker