Quote:
Originally Posted by RustyBrooks
If everyone straddles then the game effectively just increased in stakes, and you should play accordingly
If only some people straddle then the game stakes are raised only for certain positions. You should like this if you are in late position and dislike it if you're not.
I would argue that an UTG straddle benefits every player at the table except the straddler. All positions that don't post blinds are +EV, so doubling the stakes is good for them. I doubt that seeing one less player act in UTG+1 negates the edge of doubling the stakes.
I believe it is typically going to be bad for the SB/BB, but could possibly go either way. I don't have a very large sample, but in my database the SB loses a greater percentage of the posted blind than the BB, so for the BB to effectively become the SB would be bad. Maybe having a little more dead money in the pot and retaining position on a player means the straddle is good for the BB, though. For a good player I suspect the straddle is +EV even for the SB/BB, as these positions become less unprofitable.
From a strategic standpoint you should play similarly to double the stakes with half the stacks, except perhaps opening a bit tighter due to needing to get through an extra player.
A player who doesn't straddle has a considerable advantage over players who do.