This happened at Hard Rock Hollywood where a straddle is allowed from any position.

Seat 3 coming in after missing blinds puts out a $25 chip. Dealer asks if that is a straddle and he affirms. Dealer deals the cards. UTG in seat 8 opens to $20 and I ask, "isn't there a straddle?" Apparently the player coming in has picked up his straddle and is holding it in his hand. It is not visibly apparent to anybody else that a straddle is on. UTG takes back his $20 and when action gets to him he wants to raise to $35 instead. Nobody has opened the pot changing the action.

I don't know if it makes a difference, but it was a loud room on a busy Friday night, and this dealer has a bit of a quiet voice.

No action behind UTG means action not messed up unless I'm missing something so let him raise, imo.

If $25 straddle is on, I would think he must raise to at least $50.

Looks fine to me too. Let him raise to $35.

Since UTG tried to raise to $20, I'd assume the straddle isn't higher than that even though the player used a $25 chip.

Most likely scenario is a 2/5 game with a $10 straddle.

If that's the case, I don't see any reason why we shouldn't let UTG raise to $35?

I see I should provide some more information.

Maybe my OP made it seem like this was 5|T. This room allows a fixed straddle of $10 at 2|5, which was the game. $20 would be a legal minimum raise with the straddle in play.

I said action is messed up because Seat 8 acted out of turn with a raise to $20 not knowing there was a straddle, because Seat 3 was hiding it in his hand.

Another player at the table objected when Seat 8 wanted to raise to $35 instead of $20 once action folded to him, because out of turn action is binding. Normally this is correct, but it doesn't seem right to me that seat 8 should be punished due to seat 3 concealing the straddle.

I think action was supposed to start after the straddle and not UTG.

To answer OP, his original $20 should stand since action hasn't changed, but some rooms do that differently, so room dependent.

Can't have it both ways. If the 20 stands, then there can't be a straddle and the limpers have to call 20 not 10. Or straddle plays then the 20 should just be an error and should not be considered oot action. How is utg supposed to know there is a straddle if the guy decides to pick it up? Just like you have until the card hit to place the straddle you also have until the card hits to pick it up.

Any views on allowing a missed blind ($5 live + $2 dead and acts in turn) to be replaced by a $10 straddle (all of it live and gets to act last pre-flop)?

Not my fav rule but one I have seen often

I'm all for letting games develop as they will w/ fun features but, damn, the rooms ought to really make the dealers pay attention when they get at all complicated.

What? The straddle stands and UTG's $20 was oot action. Action hasn't changed to the oot player so his oot action also stands. Without more info as to wtf the dude was doing with his straddle chip in his hand I can't say if that would change anything or not.

If he picks up the straddle for whatever reason utg is certainly within reason to believe the straddle is off. If so the utg starts action raise to 20 straddlers hand is dead and he pays his missed blind next hand if he wants

If I am B and before or as the cards come I pick it up, utg is certainly with in reason to believe I am out and he is now bb. Completely reasonable conclusion to make. Same here you pick up your straddle and the reasonable conclusion is the straddle is off. Now if you want to ask him wtf and allow him the put it back on, fine but you also have nulled the utg bet. Utg bet 20 into a 5 bb, now it would be 20 into a 10 straddle. Action HAS changed. Not to mention it was not oot when it was made.

I vote for kill the straddlers hand and play the hand without a straddle but I hate people who mess with the pot for no reason. Straddled can obviously angle and said he took back his straddle and was now going to wait.

Obvious ruling 99% of the time is revert the action and the player who raised 20 can act differently cause action changes

If you are UTG, put in chips, say 'call in the dark' and the dealer asks you specifically if that is what you want to do and you confirm, there is no reason to assume that you aren't going to honor that call even if you pick your chips up.

Player puts out a straddle, dealer asks him if that's a straddle and the player agrees. Maybe the floor can't force him to keep that money in the pot, but he can certainly treat it like a situation where a player says call and refuses to put the call amount in. Player can decide between putting the money back in the pot or racking up and leave.

This is why rooms allowing straddles from any position are dumb. I don't believe any Vegas rooms on the strip allow this..as a matter of fact I think some still do not allow it from any position other than UTG. People simply do not pay attention, particularly at low games like 1-2 or 1-3 and you end up constantly with out of turn action. I would say allow it at 2-5 and up from any position but 1-2 or 1-3 where players are just worse and more clueless only UTG or button or maybe both. Another issue is I find more often than not it kills action in 1-2 games because nits fold hands they otherwise may play for 2. Even worse, sometimes the nits or geezers straddle because they think its cool and 99 of 100 they don't raise it, but it can still cause some people to fold hands they'd otherwise play. If I'm in late position with a marginal hand and a guy who is 70 straddles I pretty much treat it as 2$ bet and call the 4 or 5$ knowing that he's never raising.