Wynn Poker director Ryan Beauregard saw a need to shake up certain cash games, and says so far players seem to like the changes. (Image: courtesy of Ryan Beauregard)

In something of a surprise move in late August, the poker room at Wynn and Encore Las Vegas changed their rules for how they run $5/10 and $10/20 No-Limit Hold’em cash games.

These stakes were once some of the most popular at the Wynn, catering to a tourist clientele with a few thousand dollars to gamble in a single sitting. They also were big enough to attract a few pros, and before long, the sharks began playing in a way that made the game uninviting to recreational players who may have been thinking about stepping up in stakes. 

Now the Wynn is playing their popular mid-stakes games with a big blind ante instead of a traditional little blind/big blind format to start the action. And most notably, the “straddle” has been eliminated.

These changes apply only to $5/10 and $10/20 no-limit hold’em – other games will play as they always have. 

Straddling is a popular option in small-blind/big-blind games where a player under the gun, or sometimes on the button, starts the action with a blind bet that is twice the big blind. 

Under the new Wynn cash game structures, the $5/10 NLH buyin remains set at $1k min/$3k max. The previously uncapped $10/20 NLH game will have a $10,000 max buyin. 

akfxoqsd.shop spoke with Wynn Executive Director of Poker Operations Ryan Beauregard about these changes and what he expects from this game-changing shift.

Friendly cash games can be serious business for some.

What was the impetus for this change? 

The straddle was being weaponized to consistently drive up the stakes, which was causing unfair peer pressure and ultimately dissuading players from joining, specifically at the $5-10 limit.

While $5-10 is certainly a modest sized game for most, it is not the "high stakes" equivalent that it was 20 years ago.  Players need to be able to step up when they are ready, and we have to protect the environment where they can do so without the pressure of being forced into a much bigger game once they take their seat.

Doesn't the staddle create "more action"?

At these limits the straddle stifles action, especially when players are in the game that didn't intend to play that big.  While a mandatory staddle will likely lead to bigger pots, it does not create more action.  It is simply a bigger game.

Why the BB ante in a cash game? 

The BB ante was a good alternative. It will make the game play slightly larger than a normal $5-10, but not nearly as big as the $5-10-20. The benefit is that the ante will create more action as players widen their open and defend ranges, whereas the staddle has the opposite effect.  

How will you measure the success of this initiative?  

If we see the game segment grow with $2-5 players stepping up, if we attract new faces and hotel guests, then we know we have succeeded.

Do you think this big-blind-ante/no-straddle structure could start a trend?

Each market is going to be different. If the straddle is being used for predatory purposes, to force a group of players into playing bigger than they intended, I would certainly recommend considering it.

Alternatively, if the biggest game in a room was looking to create more action, implementing a BB ante is a much better alternative than doubling the size of the game by adding a straddle. 

New games in town? A sign outside the Wynn Poker Room spells out the changes. (Image: Dan Michalski/akfxoqsd.shop)

akfxoqsd.shop wants to know your opinion of these changes. Are they good or bad for the action most players want? Will we see more rooms follow suit? Let us know in the comments below.