Straddles and checking dark: Why?
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 47
Here's two things I'll never do at a poker table: straddle and check dark. But I see them all the time.
To me these seem like -EV plays in the long run. Straddle is dead money out of position. Check dark just doesn't seem to have any kind of advantage either. If one checks dark with a strong hand, they lose an opportunity to build a pot and get value plus possibly give away a free card that can beat them. If one checks dark with a weak hand, are they going to fire back if bet into or just fold? If the plan is to bluff or fold, just c/r of c/f.
Can someone who uses these plays with sound strategic rationale please explain?....
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 7,382
There is nothing beneficial about either of these plays. It's just fish trying to be cute and look cool at the table by making what they think are "fancy" plays. You are definitely dead-on about both.
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 9,163
How often do you see good players doing these things? I see players doing lots of dumb things all the time. That doesn't mean players are making those plays with sound strategic rational. If you see fish calling with garbage hands all the time does it mean they are making those loose calls with a sound strategic rational? Of course not.
The only time I straddle is when several fish at the table are doing it. If several players are straddling each round it makes the game bigger and players play poorly against a straddler. It also makes for a friendlier, less serious game when everyone wants to straddle and you're not the one boring serious player that wants to ruin the fun. I never check dark.
Last edited by Steve00007; 11-22-2015 at 01:27 AM.
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 2,300
I check dark all the time. I don't announce it. Why would I want to play the flop OOP?
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 26,519
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dizzyqtp
There is nothing beneficial about either of these plays. It's just fish trying to be cute and look cool at the table by making what they think are "fancy" plays. You are definitely dead-on about both.
This.
Quote:
The only time I straddle is when several fish at the table are doing it. If several players are straddling each round it makes the game bigger and players play poorly against a straddler. It also makes for a friendlier, less serious game when everyone wants to straddle and you're not the one boring serious player that wants to ruin the fun. I never check dark.
And that.
/thread
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 256
I'll straddle from time to time, but only in situations that make sense. I'll pretty much never do it in a full ring game. Generally when it's 6 handed or less and we have a couple people that seem to be uncomfortable with short handed play and are playing too nity. When i see that there's a good chance my straddle will make it fold to the blinds in a 5 or 6 handed game, now I can play a little bit bigger of a pot in position. In these types of games I also like to put in a sizeable raise on the straddle if there's a limper or two and collect the free $20. I'll also do it on certain tables that become a "mandatory straddle" table where everyone is doing it and people are double straddling, triple straddling, etc. These games are generally very deep with multiple stacks $1000+ and a lot of action, these are the games where huge profit days are made. I'll play along and donate an extra BB when I'm sitting 300+BB deep if it keeps the high action coming.
That said, a lot of the time, the games aren't like this so don't straddle, it provides no benefit other than bloating a pot that you will likely play out of position.
As for checking dark, it's pointless and provides no benefit, I never do it.
