Poker Straddle Blind Bets

In poker, there are several different kinds of forced bets. Different poker game variants conventionally use different forced bets, but these kinds of forced bets are not necessarily set in stone according to what kind of poker game is being played. The kind of forced bet that is most commonly used in community card poker games and stud poker games is the blind. This is a kind of forced bet made before the cards have been dealt, by players to the left of the dealer. The blinds are usually meant to imitate the kinds of bets being made during a regular betting round.

The most common kind of blind has a two bet structure: the small blind and the big blind. The player to left of the player with the buck or dealer button posts the small blind, and the player to the left of the one placing the small blind places the big blind. Usually, the small blind is worth half a normal bet, and the big blind is equal to a normal bet

A straddle is a kind of blind bet that is voluntarily made by a player who wishes to "buy" the benefit of having the last action. It is usually made after the blinds have been placed, and before the cards have been dealt out to the players. There are many different kinds of straddles. One is the live straddle, which is made by the player "under the gun" or to the left of the one who had made the big blind. A live straddle essentially raises the big blind. Therefore, it is sometimes also called the "bigger" blind.

A Mississippi straddle, on the other hand, is a kind of straddle bet that is made by any player. This usually varies according to the house rules in a particular casino. A Mississippi straddle essentially "raises" the big blind, which would be around twice the amount of the big straddle. After the straddle, betting actions continue to the left of the straddle, but before the deal begins, the player to the right of the Mississippi straddle can choose to re-straddle as well. They can do this by placing a blind bet that raises the Mississippi straddle as well.

In the United States, legislation concerning gambling varies from state to state, and in some states, straddling is considered illegal. In Las Vegas, for example, straddling is permitted, but in Atlantic City, it is illegal.