Does the "Never Open-Limp" rule still apply today?

louuu19 · Jun 26, 2026

Hey everyone,
We always hear that open-limping is a cardinal sin in poker. Every beginner book says to raise or fold.
However, I still see players doing it in live low-stakes games and winning. Sometimes they are trapping, and other times they just want to see a cheap flop with deep stacks.
Do you ever have a strategy for open-limping?
Or is it always a mistake in modern games?Curious to hear your thoughts!

TheniT · Jun 27, 2026

The "never open-limp" rule is still a good default in modern poker. Raise or fold in most situations, with the main exception being the small blind, where limping can be part of an optimal strategy.

fundiver199 · Jun 27, 2026

louuu19 said:
However, I still see players doing it in live low-stakes games and winning. Sometimes they are trapping, and other times they just want to see a cheap flop with deep stacks.

How do you know, they are winning? Everyone win hands, and have winning sessions as well, but that does not mean, everyone are long term winners. Its also possible to be a long term winner, even if you have flaws in your game. So maybe they are long term winners already but could increase their winrate, if they stopped open limping.

louuu19 said:
Do you ever have a strategy for open-limping?

Yes from SB when there is an ante.

hutzpaf · Jun 27, 2026

The bot built by Tuomas Sandholm beat all the best players in the world. The bot started limping strategy to everyone's surprise.
Tuomas is the World's No. 1 game theorist who has been hired by the Pentagon.
The income the bot brings in from poker is small compared to what he get from working elsewhere, Tuomas said.

ExMoroccan · Jun 27, 2026

i think its just a classic rule which not many players use today , well i dont

Semprini · Jun 27, 2026

In micro stakes cash games sometimes you will be at a table where everybody limp-calls and it's impossible to get isolation. In this case it's fine to just limp any speculative hand like 33 or 75s or K4s in hopes of flopping high equity or a monster built in the lab. Then just check-fold if you don't hit 2-pair or better or a minimum 8-out draw.

Goggelheimer · Jun 27, 2026

As always this a it depends answer.
There are rare situations where DNegs limping is pimping is the way to go,.
The question is always is it a good decission in the flow of the hand and the players at your table.
It may also depend on the format that you are playing.
What is it that you want to achieve by limping is the main question here.

tuitui · Jun 27, 2026

I don't really know what it is about freerolls, but limping in freerolls is weirdly common. Even with players that are not new to the game, meaning I see them there all the time. I guess there are some specific situations limping is ok, but I do it only by missclick.

Semprini · Jun 27, 2026

tuitui said:
I don't really know what it is about freerolls, but limping in freerolls is weirdly common. Even with players that are not new to the game, meaning I see them there all the time. I guess there are some specific situations limping is ok, but I do it only by missclick.

Freerolls are full of weak play. First you have the players who play freerolls because they don't have the bankroll to buy in to anything else, and they don't have the bankroll to buy in because they aren't very good and they aren't very good because they do things like limp way too much. ; )

Then you have the disproportionate number of maniacs who steal all of those limps until someone catches them with KK, because at zero buy-in there is no risk and they just go banzai!

Then you have the good players who can't open their normal range because they will just get called or limp-called 5 times so can never get isolation, hence they are forced to use an overlimp strategy to see enough flops.

steve01991 · Jun 27, 2026

i keep learning everyday here. I have opened limping many times, i guess its time to stop that and raise.

rhoudini · Jun 27, 2026

In a world where many micro to small stakes players think they are playing (and try to play) pure GTO, when someone limps and they are not paying attention, they assume this player is simply bad, but that's not always the case. I think there are some exceptions to the general rule, but when you're starting, you should try to not put yourself at risk, or not put yourself in a place where bad decisions can arise, and this is precisely the rule of never limping: most times you are just giving away free money, giving a good price for those who want to play the hand, and there is no good reason for that. When you are in a greater level, then one can start to consider deviating from the classic strategy.

23maxim88 · Jun 27, 2026

Sometimes I open-limp with a strong hand when I see a crazy aggressive player behind who might just shove all-in over a limp. I can even limp behind other limpers in that kind of spot. But sometimes it doesn’t go the way you want — he might just limp too, and nobody ends up reraising.

bronwen777 · Jun 27, 2026

I try to avoid it cause you get someone with 7,2 picking up 2 pair and you end up losing.

Debi · Jun 27, 2026

It should have always been and should still be "Rarely open limp" instead of "Never open limp."

Based on how pros and other winning players have played on my tables in live games they agree with me.

TeUnit · Jun 27, 2026

But why would you want to play your bad hand, out of position, with no initiative? You are actively fighting against math when you open limp in most situations.

It also depends on who you are playing against, If you are playing against a table full of GTO pros then you can make the case for having an open limp range.

If you are playing against a bunch of exploitable players you probably shouldnt have much of an open limp range.

No matter if you are playing against a bunch of GTO pros the solver still doesnt like open limping in early position.

For every player that is sitting out it becomes more neg EV because you should be attacking the dead money not limping into to it.

Roller · Jun 27, 2026

I don't think it's always a mistake, but I do think it's usually a mistake.
In most games, raising or folding is the better default because it builds the pot when you're ahead and gives you a chance to win the blinds immediately.

ne0npipe · Jun 27, 2026

I think raise or fold is still the best default strategy. That said, in soft low stakes games, open limping is fine. I play on WPT Global and I rarely have any issues with open limping because many players do not punish it. I think it is all about adjusting to the table rather than following one rule. Poker rules are guidelines, not something you should follow blindly.

Mario7 · Jun 27, 2026

I must say I love those limpers. I play 2NL and it's pretty common situation like: limp, limp, limp, limp, bet 15bb - fold, fold, fold, fold. Sitting on UTG do you really find any possible profit in limping? Considering there are several players behind you who can squeeze? Of course, you can have limping range and have the strongest hands in it, but what do you do in such case? There are players who limp with AA - usually in such situation they 3bet big after being raised. I usually just fold if the limper 3bets. If you decide to open-limp I believe you really should have a reason for it. Otherwise it is just burning money.

okeedokalee · Jun 27, 2026

Have a varied range by where sometimes you are limping big hands sometimes you are raising trash.
Helps you lure the weaker hands in to play your best hands.
If opponents have seen your trash range previously raise, and if your trash is employed against weak players, to get your share of folds, they will enter the pot when you employ your stronger hands as a raise, believing you are still stealing.

EvertonGirl · Jun 27, 2026

I've only ever limped AA once UTG because I knew this maniac who raised every limper was going to raise me and he called when I jammed, SB I've limped a fair few times, so you can never say never limp.

fundiver199 · Jun 28, 2026

Semprini said:
Then you have the good players who can't open their normal range because they will just get called or limp-called 5 times so can never get isolation, hence they are forced to use an overlimp strategy to see enough flops.

Limping behind is very different from open limping and certainly makes sense, when a raise wont do, what we want it to do, because we lack fold equity. This is no different from the fact, solvers hardly ever use a 3-bet or fold strategy in MTTs with antes. There is almost always a calling range as well, so its little surprice, that there should also be a calling range, when people have limped into the pot.

The classic example is a small or medium pocket pair. If 3 people have limped, and we look down at 66 with a 30 BB effective, then putting in a big raise will do nothing other than create a small stack to pot ratio, where our hand play poorly. So instead we should almost always rather limp behind and basically try to flop a set and get paid.

Semprini · Jun 28, 2026

fundiver199 said:
The classic example is a small or medium pocket pair. If 3 people have limped, and we look down at 66 with a 30 BB effective, then putting in a big raise will do nothing other than create a small stack to pot ratio, where our hand play poorly. So instead we should almost always rather limp behind and basically try to flop a set and get paid.

100%. 66 makes a lovely limp in many situations because it's a hand that has to hit. 66 whiffed is never going to be good at showdown in a 4-way, 5-way pot - it HAS to hit. If you raise and can't get isolation, then you have to check-fold it 90% of the time. If we have to check-fold at such high frequency, we might as well limp. Then if we do hit, we're perfectly disguised. Limping 66 55 44 etc is a lovely cheap gamble.

schtiuky · Jun 28, 2026

I think it always depends on what you whant to play there are shure oportunities for that kind of play.

rifflemao · Jun 28, 2026

Semprini said:
100%. 66 makes a lovely limp in many situations because it's a hand that has to hit. 66 whiffed is never going to be good at showdown in a 4-way, 5-way pot - it HAS to hit. If you raise and can't get isolation, then you have to check-fold it 90% of the time. If we have to check-fold at such high frequency, we might as well limp. Then if we do hit, we're perfectly disguised. Limping 66 55 44 etc is a lovely cheap gamble.

Limping 66 worked out well for me in a home game last week. I later thought a minraise would have gotten more chips in the pot, but there were many times I minraised a middle pair and was dominated on the flop vs players who will call 3 streets with any piece of the board.

TeUnit · Jun 28, 2026

It is very difficult to find a winning player who open limps with any frequency, at normal stack depths, in buy in games, online.

Does the "Never Open-Limp" rule still apply today?

louuu19

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