| It was starting to get under my skin and tilt my | | | | anymore, in fact I look forward to it. I consider |
| play a bit. I decided I'd work on this problem and | | | | the guys that do it ineffective most of the time. |
| through some trial and error I arrived at a | | | | You strattle your putting your money in at |
| strategey that I've employed strictly for about 2 | | | | random, I'm making a choice on which hands I |
| years now with good results. Essentially what you | | | | play. |
| want to do is attack the straddler and take the | | | | Now you might wonder, what do I do with KQ, |
| play away from him. | | | | JT, 88 or 55 or 99 or 9T (hands I'd love to see |
| My enviroment was a regular group of about 50 | | | | flop with) against a straddle? I tell you, I toss |
| players. I was thought of in that group (I've | | | | them in the muck. There are a few games where |
| moved on to bigger games now) as a fairly solid | | | | I'll play some of those hands against a straddle |
| player, not loose for certain. | | | | where I call only, I've got to see a couple of |
| Regardless of the straddlers position relative to | | | | callers with 20x the straddle in thier stacks and |
| me, as long as the pot has not been raised in | | | | most of the strattles have to go around the table |
| front of me, if I look down and find A-10 or | | | | unraised. Typically however where straddles are |
| better (AJ,AQ,AK) or a pair of 10s or better, I | | | | involved people are raising them. I use my |
| raise the BB 15X. So, in my 1-2 game I make it | | | | strategy to not get involved with marginal hands |
| $30 to go. I've made a commitment plan also. | | | | EVER and to always take firm control of the hand |
| That is if I am reraised by the straddler, I'm calling | | | | when I do get involved. |
| (even all in) with every hand but A10 and AJ | | | | One of the big reasons people straddle is to set |
| To top off my sick little strategy pie, from the | | | | up a bluff. (as they see it) a bunch of suckers call |
| very begginning this was an experiment in | | | | then they pop it $20 and everybody folds or the |
| psycology at the table. I announced at the table | | | | get it heads up, they figure they are probably |
| many times over that couple years that if they | | | | facing big cards, when the flop comes they know |
| straddle against me how I would play it and that I | | | | if no big cards hit they can bet and the straddle |
| will always show the hand after everybody folds | | | | caller will fold about 2/3 of the time. It can be a |
| or the end of the hand. I never bluff here and I | | | | profitable play against weak opponents. However, |
| always show the hand. The results were very | | | | most of the players I see using it or long term |
| interesting in my group. I found it actually | | | | losers so I dont' consider it something I want to |
| increased the number of straddles that were put | | | | do very often. |
| against me. However, occasionally I'll pick up one | | | | In my current game where I employ this |
| of my qualifying hands and I picked up the | | | | strategy short of making the anouncement it's |
| straddlers money and many callers money often | | | | not increased the number of straddles. I'm thinking |
| enough that it's shown a profit. Do I get called? | | | | of going to making the annoucement on occasion |
| Very very rarely. When I do it's usually with | | | | as the increased straddles it seems to cause is |
| middling junk and I've won most of those | | | | part of the juice of the game I'd like to extract. |
| confrontations as well because I always start out | | | | There are some legitimate reasons to straddle, to |
| ahead. The reason I think my play causes more | | | | change your table image (make it looser) or to |
| straddles is some of the more aggressive but less | | | | loosen up a bunch of tight impact wrench |
| thoughtful players think that since they essentially | | | | salesmen. However most of the time I see it |
| know my cards they are somehow going to get | | | | employed it seems like the straddler is trying to |
| a chance to trap me for my whole stack. Now | | | | "change his luck" or just wants to set up preflop |
| understand there is some pot odds and implied | | | | bluffs as described above. |
| odds factors at work in this strategy. This is a 1-2 | | | | If you choose to try out my strategy understand |
| game where they can buy in for $50, I always | | | | that I think my table image (how people think I |
| buy in for the max, the suckers usually buy in for | | | | play) is a significant factor to it's success. I'm also |
| $100. Most of the players have between $100 | | | | willing to play a big pot with them in this situation |
| and $200 in front of them. I've bet $30 with a | | | | and they know it from experience with me. That |
| known good hand, your going to try to suckout | | | | is an implied threat. They look at their little A-5 |
| on me with what? You have to put between 1/3 | | | | donkey hand (or any small pair or any two face) |
| and 1/6 of your stack in the pot for a shot that | | | | they would normally raise all the callers with and |
| is probably less than 1/3 to 1/6th. If you do your | | | | say to themselves. "Hmmmm, I'll pick a better |
| probably making an implied odds mistake with | | | | spot to take this idiot down". Meanwhile, I'm |
| most hands. | | | | stacking their chips a great percentage of the |
| I've altered this strategy in the new game I'm | | | | time. Please let me know how it works for you. |
| playing in. All I've changed is I've never announced | | | | Give a trial time of 4 or 5 sessions before you |
| the strategy. I still make a 15Xbb raise and I | | | | pass judgement and don't be shy, tell them |
| continue to show the hand EVERYTIME. It's | | | | exactly how your going to play it and back it up. |
| effective for me and I don't mind a straddle | | | | |