Poker Glossary

Straddle

A voluntary blind bet — usually double the big blind, posted from under the gun before the cards are dealt — that buys the straddler last action preflop. It effectively doubles the stakes for that hand and halves everyone’s stack depth measured in blinds, loosening the game considerably. Common in live cash; variants include the Mississippi (button) straddle.

At the table

In a $2/$5 game, a $10 straddle turns your 100-big-blind stack into a 50-blind stack for the hand — every standard size and range shifts with it.

House note

The straddle: paying extra to gamble sooner. Economists hate it; the table loves it.

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