Details on New Wynn Poker Rule Change: “Straddles Have Become a Weapon”
Wynn Las Vegas is widely considered one of the best and most luxurious properties in Sin City, and the same can be said of its poker room. When asked their favorite place to play poker in Las Vegas, many players will answer the Wynn, and that’s due to several factors including not only the amenities and games they offer players but the fact that they listen and care about their clientele.
It was actually in conjunction with regular players that management instituted some new rules regarding some of their bigger cash games. And it’s not the first time Wynn has tried something new that could very well catch on elsewhere as they were the first ones to try Milestone Satellites, which have been adopted by other operators.
The new rules, which took effect on Friday, August 23, apply to $5/$10 and $10/$20 no-limit hold’em games and state:
- A Big Blind Ante will be introduced in all $5/$10 and $10/$20 NLH games.
- Straddles will be prohibited in each of these games.
- A player who misses the Big Blind and chooses to post will be required to post the Small Blind. Big Blind and respective Ante to receive a hand.
- The buy-in range for $10/$20 NLH will now be $2,000-$10,000.
- The buy-in range for $5/$10 NLH will remain $1,000-$3,000.
PokerNews recently caught up with Wynn Director of Poker Operations Ryan Beauregard, who took a moment away from winning tournaments at Resorts World to talk about the new changes.
Wynn Las Vegas Poker Room Transitions from Bravo to PokerAtlas
Q & A w/ Ryan Beauregard
PokerNews: What inspired the no-straddle rule? What is the thinking behind it?
Beauregard: Straddles have become a weapon for experienced players to drive up the stakes and force others to play out of their comfort zone. It simply puts too much strain on casual players or players trying to move up in stakes. We have established blind structures and buy-in ranges for a reason, and the peer pressure to constantly add a mandatory straddle after a game had started was creating a predatory and combative atmosphere that was very unhealthy for the ecosystem. We have to continue to create and maintain a positive and fair environment for everyone and doing away with straddles (at these limits) supports that.
Why have you decided to institute a big blind ante in a cash game?
The BB ante felt like the happy medium. Unlike a straddle, it will create more action as players should open their ranges and defend wider. Conversely, the straddle makes the gameplay too big and, specifically at higher stakes with more studied players, has the opposite effect and players tighten up. The BB ante should allow more players to enter the pot, at the stakes they have chosen to play, which will create more action and ideally lead to a better game.
Was this something the poker room decided to do on its own or was it at the behest of players?
I can't take the credit for this one. While I have long dreamed of phasing out the straddle and figuring out how to "fix" the challenges it creates, replacing it with the BB ante was collaborative and brought to me by a group of players. I didn't have a good solution and am fortunate to have their ideas and support. There is certainly a segment of the community that feels like the system isn't broken, primarily because it may benefit them, but if we want to reestablish a path for others to move up in stakes, specifically in the $5-10 segment, this is a much-needed step.
How have players reacted to the news?
We are only a few days in, but so far, it's been received favorably. I'm optimistic that adding the BB ante satisfies both types of players and restores the natural flow through the limits.
Will straddles be allowed in lower-limit games?
Yes, they are. This change wasn't targeting lower limits or players who occasionally want to straddle.
