Please explain to me the reason to straddle because if you have the same amount and the same expiration month on both the call and the put side, is this any different than just not committing to either side until you determine the direction? put another way, isn't a straddle a zero sum game until a direction is known and an additional position is taken? I can understand an uneven straddle as a hedge but what am I missing about a balanced straddle? Thanks!