What Is a Limp in Poker?

A limp is entering the pot preflop by calling the big blind instead of raising. Open-limping means you are the first player in and you flat for one big blind; over-limping means somebody limped ahead of you and you follow them in for the same price. Both lines put chips in without taking the initiative, which is why open-limping is one of the clearest leaks in a beginner's game.

How a limp plays out

You are in the CO at 100bb with J♣T♣ and it folds to you. Raising to 2.5bb gives you two ways to win the hand: everyone folds and you collect the 1.5bb sitting there, or you see a flop holding the betting lead. Calling 1bb gives you one — you have to make the best hand.

The cheap price then works against you. The BTN isolates to 5bb with a wide range, both blinds tag along because the pot is already laid out for them, and you play a suited connector four-handed and out of position. Your 1bb bought the worst version of the pot you wanted.

Why open-limping loses money

Two costs stack on top of each other. You surrender all fold equity, because nobody folds to a call, and you cap your range, because strong hands almost never open-limp at a competent table. Observant opponents raise your limps relentlessly, and you defend with a range that never holds AA.

The leak is quiet rather than dramatic. You rarely lose a stack by limping; you lose 2bb here and 3bb there, in pots you entered with no plan and no initiative, an orbit at a time.

Line from the CO	You risk	How you win
Open to 2.5bb	2.5bb	Everyone folds now, or you lead the betting
Open-limp for 1bb	1bb	You make the best hand, nothing else

When a limp is correct

The SB is the exception. Folded to you there, half a big blind is already in front of you and only one player stands between you and the pot, so continuing costs 0.5bb — cheap enough that solvers limp a wide range rather than fold it, raising the strongest hands to keep that limping range protected.

Over-limping behind others is the second case. With three limpers in front, 87s or 44 calls 1bb into a 4.5bb pot at 4.5-to-1, a price that rewards hands wanting to flop a set or a big draw in a multiway pot rather than win with one pair.

Everywhere else, raise or fold. The solver-built preflop charts show which hands open from each seat and where the SB limping range starts and stops, so the marginal holdings you were limping for comfort go into the fold pile instead.