What Is a Limp in Poker?

In poker, a player with a weak hand may try to “limp in” by just calling the big blind instead of raising. This is often done with a small pair, hoping to hit a set (three of a kind) on the flop. A limp is generally considered a poor play because:

The player gives up the chance to win the pot preflop by raising.

The player’s hand is often outdrawn if they don’t hit their set.

Sets are harder to hit than many people realize. Just because a player has two cards of the same rank in their hand doesn’t mean they’re guaranteed to make three of a kind.

In fact, the odds of flopping a set are only about 7%.

A player who limps in is also more likely to be dominated if they do hit their set. For example, if a player with a small pair limp-in calls a raise from a player with an Ace-King, they’re almost certainly going to be outkicked if they make their set (one pair vs.

two pair or better).

There are some situations where limping in may be acceptable, such as when all the players remaining in the pot have already seen a flop and there are only one or two limpers. In this case, the pot odds may be good enough to justify calling the big blind with a weak hand.

Overall, though, limping in is generally considered to be a bad play. It’s usually better to either raise preflop with a strong hand or fold with a weak one.