Push-Fold

Push-fold strategy is essential for MTT survival. As blinds increase and stacks shrink, the game transitions from multi-street poker to a mathematical exercise in shoving ranges. At 10-15 big blinds, a standard open-raise commits too large a portion of your stack, and facing a 3-bet puts you in an impossible spot with marginal hands. The solution is to shove or fold. Push-fold charts are derived from Nash equilibrium calculations, showing the mathematically optimal shoving range for each position at each stack depth. These charts consider the size of the pot (blinds plus antes), the probability that each remaining player calls with their respective range, and the equity of your hand against those calling ranges. For example, at 10bb on the Button, the optimal shove range might include any pocket pair, any ace, any king, suited queens and jacks, most suited connectors, and various other holdings, totaling roughly 40-50% of all hands. From UTG at 10bb, the range is much tighter because more players can wake up with a calling hand. The calling side of push-fold is equally important. When an opponent shoves, you must determine the correct calling range based on the pot odds and your estimate of their shoving range. Calling ranges are always tighter than shoving ranges because the caller does not have fold equity. ICM adjustments significantly affect push-fold ranges near the bubble and final table. A mathematically correct chip-EV shove might become a fold when the risk of elimination is too costly. Similarly, calling an opponent's shove becomes riskier because losing means busting out with ICM implications.