Poker Limp Raise
To limp in poker is to bet the absolute minimum needed to stay in a hand. Limping is often used when the little blind simply calls the big blind instead of raising. It's also known as limp in, flat call, or calling the blind.
If there was a raise, he was going to be able to limp call it and play setter jack pretty easily. If you have a really good read on that dynamic, the raises are coming in very rarely. No one is really going to pin point you on this small pocket pair range. If there is a raise, it’s going to be a size you could normally give action. In fishy poker games where players limp often & never fold, you can’t realistically expect they’ll fold if you raise it up, so you’ll likely have to see the flop multi-way anyways.
An open limp is when the first player to enter the pot preflop bets only the amount of the big blind, the minimum bet. The under the gun position is one that is most likely to open limp to see how the rest of the table will be playing their hands.
Limping is considered to be weak and passive play and is seen more among beginning poker players rather than experienced players, who prefer to open with a raise if they have a hand they wish to play.
Small Blind Limp
An example of the small blind limp is being dealt 8-9 offsuit in the small blind. All of the players before you fold so only the big blind and you will be in the hand if you limp in. You place the minimum bet in hopes that the big blind will simply check and you'll be able to see a cheap flop.
By limping in from the small blind, you risk that the big blind will raise and you'll have to decide whether to match it to see the flop. However, it is a cheap investment as you've already had to bet half of the amount of the big blind if you had folded rather than limped in.
If you have a strong starting hand when in the small blind, limping would be a weak or passive move. But if the big blind raises, you have the choice of reraising and sweetening the pot. However, that also signals that you have a strong hand, perhaps A-A.
A small blind limp with a strong hand can be a tactic to use against an aggressive player in the big blind. You can anticipate that they will raise and then you have the opportunity to call them and see the flop or to re-raise.
Open Limp
Poker Limp Raise Back
An example of an open limp is that you are the player under the gun and have the first action preflop. The big blind minimum bet is $10, so you place that bet. The action then proceeds around the table and other players have the chance to call, raise, or fold. If everyone folds and the big blind checks, then there are just you two in the pot, plus the $5 from the small blind, who folded.
Poker Limp Raise Money
More often, in the above scenario, one of the other players will raise the bet. You then have the choice to fold, call, or reraise. If you aren't prepared to defend your hand and call the raise, you have wasted chips by limping in.
Poker Limp Raised
From any position, limping in is considered to be a beginner's move and weak or passive play. But you might use it as a tactic if you are prepared to call any raise.