Push/Fold Chart

What is push/fold poker?

Push/fold is a binary preflop strategy used when stacks are short enough that any preflop raise effectively commits you to the pot. Instead of opening to 2.5x or 3x and getting in awkward postflop spots, you simplify: either go all-in (push) or fold. There's no calling, no min-raising, no flatting. That's it.

Why does this exist? Two reasons:

• → Pot odds destroy postflop play. When you raise 2x your stack, the pot is already 5+ blinds; calling a 3-bet means you're committed. So skip the dance and shove pre.
• → Math is solvable. Heads-up push/fold has a known mathematical solution (Nash equilibrium). Once you have a chart, you can play optimally without thinking — your opponent has no exploit.

Push/fold is the foundation of late-tournament play. SnG bubbles, MTT short stacks, hyper-turbo formats — they all collapse to push/fold once stacks drop below ~20 big blinds.

Nash equilibrium in 60 seconds

A Nash equilibrium is a strategy pair where neither player can improve their result by changing strategy unilaterally. In push/fold, both players know the optimal strategy AND know that their opponent knows. Despite this, there's no exploit available — both sides have equilibrium ranges that maximize EV given the other's range.

The practical implication: following the Nash chart guarantees you're not being exploited. You might leave EV on the table against bad opponents who deviate from optimal — but you can never be losing money to someone playing the chart against you.

The chart adjusts to stack size because the math changes. At 1bb stacks, you push almost any two cards because the ante alone makes pushing profitable. At 25bb, you push only premiums because losing matters more than the small dead money in the pot. The slider above shows this dynamic.

Stack brackets & how to think about each

1-3 BB: Any-Two-Cards Territory

With 1-3 big blinds, you're at the wall. The blinds eat 50%+ of your stack every orbit. Push almost any two cards from SB — the dead money in the pot is so large that even hands like 72o have positive EV vs a wide BB calling range.

BB faces the same desperation: call wide. You're getting massive pot odds. Folding A-rag to a SB shove is a real mistake here.

4-6 BB: Push Wide, Call Sharp

SB push range is roughly the top 60-70% of hands. You're still pushing wide because fold equity is high — most opponents fold ~50% of their range. BB calling tightens to about 40% — the strongest pairs and broadway hands.

7-12 BB: The Bread & Butter Zone

This is where most short-stack tournament play happens. SB push range tightens to 35-45%; BB calling tightens to 20-30%. You're looking for hands with showdown value (pairs, suited Aces, broadway combinations) and folding the bottom of your range.

Memorize the chart for 8-10 BB — that's the most common stack size when you're forced into shove/fold mode.

13-20 BB: Push/Fold + Min-Raise Mix

At this depth, pure push/fold becomes too tight. Top players add min-raises (2x BB) with their value range and shoves with marginal hands that don't play well postflop. The chart still works as a baseline — anything in the "push" range can be shoved profitably — but you're leaving EV on the table by not mixing in raises.

21+ BB: Beyond Push/Fold

You're no longer in push/fold territory. Standard preflop strategy with raises, 3-bets, and postflop play. The chart still shows the floor of what you should shove with at this depth — anything in "push" at 20bb is automatic at any deeper stack — but it's mostly a reference point.

Real-world adjustments

Antes

When antes are in play (typical in late MTT levels and most online tournaments), the dead money in the pot is larger, so push ranges should widen by ~15-25%. Charts assume no antes by default — if antes are 12.5%+ of the BB, add hands like J7s, 64s, 22, T9o to your push range.

ICM (tournament money pressure)

When you're close to the money or pay-jumps, the chip value and the dollar value diverge. In ICM-heavy spots (bubbles, final tables), call ranges tighten significantly because the cost of busting is much higher than the chips you stand to win.

For ICM-aware play, use our ICM calculator to see chip-to-dollar conversion. Rule of thumb: in tough ICM spots, fold the bottom 5-10% of the chart's call range.

Position vs more than the BB

The chart is heads-up SB vs BB. Multi-way push/fold (BTN vs SB vs BB, or earlier positions) requires tighter ranges because two opponents can call instead of one. As a baseline: tighten the push range by 30-40% if you're shoving from earlier than SB with multiple players still to act.

Reads on opponent

Nash optimal protects you from being exploited but doesn't exploit. Against:

• → Tight callers (folding more than Nash) — push wider. Their reluctance to call gives you free EV from blind steals.
• → Loose callers (calling more than Nash) — push tighter and value-shove more. They'll pay you off.

Common mistakes

1. 1. Min-raising at 5-10 BB.When you have 5-10 BB and min-raise, you're committed to the pot postflop. You can't fold to a re-shove without disaster. Just shove or fold pre.
2. 2. Folding the BB too tight.When SB shoves, the pot is already big and you're getting great pot odds (typically 1.5-2:1). Folding A8o to a 9bb shove is a real mistake at most stack depths — you're giving up too much equity.
3. 3. Calling instead of pushing.If you're short-stacked, raising or calling is rarely correct. Push or fold — the chart works for a reason. "Limping" with a short stack (rare in modern play) telegraphs weakness.

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