What is a straddle in poker?
Updated November 2026
A straddle is an optional blind raise made before the cards are dealt, usually by the player left of the big blind and usually for twice the big blind. It doubles the stakes for that hand and gives the straddler the last decision before the flop.
You'll see it in casino cash games. For most beginners it's a bad deal.
| Who | First seat left of the big blind |
|---|---|
| Size | Usually twice the big blind |
| Acts | Last before the flop |
| Mandatory? | No |
$1/$2, $200 stack
How does a straddle work?
In a $1/$2 game, the player directly left of the big blind can put in $4 before the deal. That's called a live straddle. Action before the flop then starts one seat to that player's left and comes round to the straddler last, who can check or raise if nobody else raised.
$1/$2 with a straddle
Are there different kinds?
- Live straddleFrom the first seat left of the big blind.
- Mississippi straddleCan be made from other seats, depending on the house rules. The button is a common one.
- Re-straddleSome rooms let the next player double it again.
What does it do to your stack?
It shrinks it. Everyone at the table now plays as if the big blind were $4. A $200 stack that was 100 big blinds is 50 of the new size, so raises get bigger and mistakes get more expensive.
$200 stack
Is it worth doing?
Usually not. You're putting in a raise without looking at your cards, from the worst seat at the table for the rest of the hand. Do it every time it comes to you at 30 hands an hour and nine players, and that's $4 about 3.3 times an hour, or $13.33 an hour in money you chose to risk blind.
Every orbit, $4
What should you do when someone else straddles?
Treat $4 as the big blind. Make your raises bigger, because $6 is hardly a raise any more, and raise to about 3 to 4 times the straddle if you're first in. Tighten up, since stacks are shallower compared to the blinds.
Do you know how it works?
Twelve spots in three rounds.
Questions players ask
Is a straddle a raise?
Yes. It counts as a live bet, and it's made before anyone has seen their cards.
Can you straddle online?
Some sites offer it. Check the rules of the site you play on.
Why do people do it?
Mostly for fun and bigger pots. The player gets the last word before the flop, and that doesn't make up for playing the rest of the hand from a bad seat.
Know someone who straddles every orbit?
Send them the cost.