The question in Tim's post about dealers "walking their game" got me to thinking about what other sayings there are unique to gambling.

One that I've always questioned is a "Live Stradle".

That's a term used in a poker game with fixed bets. What most people watch on TV are "No Limit" games. These games have a small and big blind, but after that, anyone can raise as much as they want.

In fixed limit games, you'll have bet limits such as $2/4, $5/10, etc.

A live stradle is when the player immediately after the big blind also makes a blind bet which raises the first round limits and allows him/her a chance to raise after all other bets have been made.

I can accept the Stradle part, but why "live stradle"? I've never heard of a dead stradle. LOL

Senator
At the poker rooms I play at the rules vary but straddling is allowed at no limit as well as limit. If a straddle is not live it means he/she cannot raise a further amount when the betting comes back to him/her unless a raise was made during the round.

For example lets just say the game is 5-10 limit. At Fallsview the straddle is never live therefore if the Small blind = $5, Big Blind = $10, Straddler = $20 the straddler cannot raise further unless someone else during the betting round has re-raised and then he/she can cap the bet.

At Seneca the straddle is always live and the straddler can reraise further when the betting comes to him just as you have demonstrated. In no-limit the straddler cannot straddle more than double the big blind but can re-raise any amount when the action comes back to him/her. At Seneca you see straddling quite often at the $1-$2 no limit game with a max buy in of $100 and usually a late position player will reraise if there have been a couple of limpers before him/her.

Hope this helps.

P.S. For those unfamilar with the term "Limper" it means someone who doesnt raise the original bet but just calls hopeing to LIMP into the pot to see the next
card(s) as cheaply as possible.

rukiding

Glad to know there's another live poker player here.

Most of my poker room experience has been in Vegas and I've always heard the dealer call "Live Stradle".

I guess I don't see much advantage to the non-live stradle unless you're just stuck in a lower limit game than you like.