MISSISSIPPI STRADDLE...oh so nice...

What is up? So yep I wanted to throw something up before July was out. I was looking through some of my journals and I saw something that I wanted to share with the community.

I took my first trip to Tunica, Ms back in '03 and all I wanted to do was visit the different casinos with poker rooms. My first visit was to the Goldstrike, decent size and not much action going on. I walked across the crosswalk to the Horseshoe and did not leave for a day.

I observed a no limit game where the mississippi straddle was in play, but did not understand what was going on. I kept seeing the small blind act first, I kept away from that game because I thought is was not normal, which it is not. I spent most of my day playing 4-8 limit and finally got into my game of 10-20 limit and stayed until the table broke. So it was not until the year of Katrina, when I lived in Memphis for a few weeks, that I got properly introduced to the mississippi straddle.

I entered the Horshoe, (customer service here was the best and the games were always juicy) and got into the 5-5 no limit game. I sat down next to Steve a high stakes player out of New Orleans who was also here due to Katrina. Well the button comes to him and I post my five bucks and he puts out $10. I look at him with confusion and he said to me,"Strap on your seatbelt, going to be a long ride. Don't take it personally as soon as I learned that I could do this, I've been doing it ever since."

I smile and am first to act, as I look down at 7-2 off, of course, and muck. Three limpers to him and he puts in a nice sized raise and takes it down. I sit there for six orbits, $30 dollars later, seat opens up to Steve's right and I move quickly. Needless to say we sliced the game up for the next two weeks.

So what the heck is this mississippi straddle thing? It is a double the big blind, blind bet from any position other than the blinds. Normally a straddle is in the Under The Gun position right after the big blind but the Ms. straddle can be placed in middle position or late position but the only straddle that is allowed is the one closest to or on the button. So if three people straddle for position mind you, the straddle is last to act pre-flop, if the button is the fourth the other three must pick their money up. I have seen it used in the mid limit games 15-30 and of course the higher limit games 25-50. They will not allow it in the low limit, 4-8 nor have I seen it in the 10-20. This is usually allowed in No Limit games. Of course you do have games that there is a mandatory UTG rock (straddle), but the table has to totally agree.

Strategically, if you like to act last at all times from the button, this would be something to utilize. So is the straddle profitable? I had one view of the straddle for the longest time...waste of money. I have now opened my thought process and allowed others to show me something different. I have seen the straddle, a normal straddle, open up a tight game. I learned last year that a straddle is also good in a loose game, so instead of limping at the cost of the big blind the stakes get higher and the straddler can put even more pressure on the table. So, again, my opinions but I wanted to share the Ms. straddle with you. Very general description but I hope you enjoyed!

Stay nice as rice and mello as jello!