Button straddle - opinions wanted
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 1,886
In a live game, say 2/5, in what scenarios would you expect a button straddle to be +EV and what scenarios -EV?
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,285
EV+ for who ? You? the Button player? The rest of the table?
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 5,029
It's always plus ev to button straddle if you have a deep stack and are one of the better players. It's also terrible for the game IMO.
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 466
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 26,044
If you're just doing it yourself, I think button straddling is only +EV in a vacuum if you're 3 or 4-handed, but sometimes it's worth it anyway with more players if you're in a soft game and you want to create more action (plus enhance your image) or if you can get other players to start as well and just generally make the game bigger.
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 6,778
i think its 0ev. the game just became bigger...
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 795
it's 0ev if everyones doing it. you're sorta of asking duhhh how do i play poker.
notice how people react to straddle, and notice how people play differently. decide if that's good for you. bigger blinds means more money goes in pre. if people are playing fit or fold it wouldn't be a bad idea to straddle for 50$ in 2/5 with 500 stacks if people are going to put 150 in and then fold if they dont flop gin
also good if people won't cbet if they miss in bigger pots.
note how the blinds react to the straddle too. most negative effect button straddle has is blinds act first and will fold 258Jds from the small blind, but if the straddle is up front and there's 5 limps sb may complete with the hand and see a flop
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 1,886
I guess I should have clarified. I'm talking about a game where button straddle is optional. How can we quantify the tradeoff between juicing pots where hero is in position (the BTN, duh) vs the times we put in dead money when hero folds to a raise/re-raise or ends up playing marginal hands with potentially bad RIO.
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 1,886
Obviously the weaker (in particular the more passive) and deeper the table is the better it is to straddle. But where's the breakeven point? How deep does the table need to be? What if there are short stacks at the table employing close to optimal SS strategy? In live play, the avg table seems to play 70-500BB deep and have one or two very good players (generally the deeper ones), a number of competent but exploitable players, and one or two obvious fish. Is this a good spot to be button straddling generally?
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 6,798
from what ive noticed people still seem to limp along like the button straddle isnt even on
if you are deep enough (meaning at least $500 but probably more) and there are some fish (which there always seem to be right now) its probably wise to do it
also probably take into consideration who the hj and co are, if they are the "very good players that are generally deeper" who are going to raise often then ask for a seat change or dont do it
