In tournament poker, you will eventually find yourself “short-stacked” (usually with less than 15-20 Big Blinds). At this stage, standard moves like “limping” or “min-raising” become mathematically disastrous.
The only correct strategy is Push or Fold. You either move All-in to steal the blinds and maximize pressure, or you Fold.
Our Push/Fold Advisor is based on Nash Equilibrium—an “unexploitable” mathematical strategy. If you follow these ranges, you cannot be a losing player in the long run against optimal opponents.
How to Use the Push/Fold Advisor
This tool solves the question: “Can I shove with this hand?”
- Your Stack (BB): Convert your chip count into Big Blinds.
- Formula: Total Chips / Current Big Blind amount. (e.g., 12,000 chips / 1,000 BB = 12 BB).
- Your Position: Where are you sitting relative to the Button?
- EP (Early Position): First to act. You need a very strong hand here because many players are left to act behind you.
- BTN / SB (Late Position): You can shove very wide ranges here to steal the blinds.
- Read the Range: The tool will list the hands you should Shove.
- Notation: “22+” means a pair of 2s or higher. “A8s+” means Ace-Eight suited or better. “ATo+” means Ace-Ten offsuit or better.
Example: The Power of Position
Imagine you have 10 Big Blinds. Let’s compare two scenarios to see how position changes the math.
Scenario A: Early Position (UTG)
You are first to act. There are 8 or 9 players behind you who might wake up with Aces or Kings.
- Result: The calculator advises a tight range (e.g., 77+, AJs+, AQo+).
- You should FOLD hands like King-Jack or Ace-Nine because the risk of running into a monster hand is too high.
Scenario B: Small Blind (SB)
Everyone has folded to you. Only the Big Blind is left to beat. You already have money in the pot (the dead money).
- Result: The calculator advises an extremely wide range (e.g., Any Pair, Any Ace, Any King, Q8+, J9+).
- You should PUSH with hands as weak as Jack-Ten because the Big Blind will likely fold, giving you the pot uncontested.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is Nash Equilibrium?
In poker, Nash Equilibrium is a state where neither player can improve their results by changing their strategy. It is an “unexploitable” strategy. If you play according to Nash charts, you are playing mathematically perfect poker for that stack depth.
Why no “Call” or “Min-raise”?
When you are short-stacked, you lose the ability to play post-flop (you don’t have enough chips to bluff or maneuver). By moving All-in, you realize two types of equity: Pot Equity (winning at showdown) and Fold Equity (making opponents fold immediately). Calling or min-raising denies you Fold Equity.
What does “s” and “o” mean?
“s” (suited): Cards of the same suit (e.g., AJs).
“o” (offsuit): Cards of different suits (e.g., AJo).
Suited hands have slightly higher equity because they can make flushes, allowing you to shove them slightly more often.