Final Table Push-Fold Charts for Every Stack Depth

You're six-handed at a final table with 12bb. UTG shoves. You look down at KJo on the button. Is this a call? If UTG folded and it came to you, would you shove? The difference between calling and shoving ranges at shallow stacks is often the difference between a min-cash and a victory—yet most players treat them identically. Understanding push-fold ranges across different stack depths and positions is the foundation of profitable final table play.

In ICM Explained: Tournament Endgame Strategy">Part 1 of this series, we explored how ICM (Independent Chip Model)">ICM pressure fundamentally changes hand values in tournaments. Now we'll apply those concepts to the most critical skill in late-stage tournament poker: push-fold strategy. This isn't about memorizing static charts—it's about understanding the mathematical framework that generates optimal ranges at every stack depth.

The Stack Depth Framework

Push-fold strategy operates on a spectrum, but we can identify distinct strategic zones based on effective stack sizes:

• Hyper-shallow (5bb and under): Pure survival mode with extremely wide ranges
• Shallow (6-10bb): The classic push-fold zone where postflop play becomes prohibitively expensive
• Medium-shallow (11-15bb): The transition zone where some hands can still call and see flops
• Medium (16-20bb): Mixed strategies emerge; not all hands are all-in or fold

Each zone requires distinctly different ranges. The mistake most players make is using 10bb ranges when they have 15bb, or worse, playing fit-or-fold poker with 18bb stacks.

The Mathematics Behind Push-Fold Ranges

When you're deciding whether to open-shove, three factors determine your range:

Fold equity becomes increasingly valuable as stacks shallow. With 8bb on the button, shoving 72o isn't insane if the blinds are playing tight—you're not hoping to win at showdown, you're hoping to win immediately. The Expected Value (EV)">EV calculation is straightforward:

EV = (Fold% × Pot) + (Call% × (Equity × Total Pot - Your Investment))

With antes in play and 8bb effective, you're risking 8bb to win approximately 2.5bb (SB + BB + antes) immediately. If your opponents fold 50% of the time, you need only 30% equity when called to break even. This is why solver outputs show such wide shoving ranges from late position at shallow stacks.

However, ICM (Independent Chip Model)">ICM pressure dramatically tightens these ranges at final tables. The ICM Deal Calculator">ICM Deal Calculator reveals that chips you lose are worth more than chips you gain—the asymmetry that defines final table strategy.

Position-Specific Ranges by Stack Depth

Hyper-Shallow: 5bb Effective

At 5bb, you're in crisis mode. Here are approximate GTO ranges for open-shoving:

• Button: Top 65% of hands (any Ace, any King, Q2s+, Q7o+, J5s+, J9o+, T7s+, 97s+, 87s, 76s, all pairs)
• Small Blind: Top 55% (any Ace, K2s+, K7o+, Q5s+, Q9o+, J8s+, JTo, T8s+, 98s, all pairs)
• Cutoff: Top 45% (any Ace, K5s+, K9o+, Q8s+, QTo+, J9s+, T9s, all pairs)
• Hijack: Top 30% (A2s+, A5o+, K8s+, KJo+, QTs+, JTs, 77+)

Against these shoves, calling ranges must be significantly tighter due to the pot odds you're getting versus your showdown equity requirements. From the big blind with 5bb behind facing a button shove, you're calling roughly: 77+, A9s+, ATo+, KJs+, KQo—approximately 13% of hands.

Shallow: 8bb Effective

The sweet spot for push-fold play. Ranges tighten slightly but remain aggressive:

• Button: Top 50% (any Ace, K2s+, K6o+, Q4s+, Q9o+, J7s+, JTo, T8s+, 98s, 87s, all pairs)
• Small Blind: Top 40% (A2s+, A3o+, K4s+, K9o+, Q8s+, QJo, J9s+, T9s, all pairs)
• Cutoff: Top 32% (A2s+, A7o+, K8s+, KTo+, QTs+, JTs, 66+)
• Hijack: Top 22% (A5s+, A9o+, K9s+, KQo, QJs, 88+)

The key difference from 5bb: your opponents now have enough chips to fight back meaningfully, so speculative hands lose value while Broadway cards and pairs gain importance.

Medium-Shallow: 12bb Effective

This is where many players make critical errors. At 12bb, you have enough chips that some hands prefer a min-raise strategy, planning to call off if shoved on. However, many hands still prefer the shoving line:

• Button shove: Top 28% (A2s+, A5o+, K9s+, KJo+, QJs, JTs, 77+)
• Button min-raise: Top 15% premium hands (99+, AJs+, AQo+, KQs) that can call a shove
• Small Blind shove: Top 25% (A4s+, A7o+, KTs+, KQo, QJs, 88+)
• Cutoff shove: Top 20% (A7s+, ATo+, KJs+, QJs, TT+)

The emergence of a min-raise strategy creates complexity. Hands like 99 or AQo prefer raising smaller to fold out more hands while maintaining flexibility against a shove. The Preflop+">Preflop+ app provides detailed visualizations of when to shove versus min-raise across different stack depths.

Medium: 16-20bb Effective

At 16bb+, pure shove-fold poker becomes suboptimal except from the blinds and button. Most positions should use a mixed strategy with min-raises dominating and shoves reserved for polarized situations:

• Early position shove: Essentially never (perhaps AA-QQ in specific ICM spots)
• Button shove over limps: Top 35% when isolating limpers
• Small blind shove vs button min-raise: A7s+, ATo+, KTs+, KQo, QJs, 99+
• Big blind shove vs button min-raise: Slightly wider at A5s+, A9o+, K9s+, KQo, QTs+, 88+

At these depths, postflop skill matters again. The shift from pure push-fold to mixed strategies represents a fundamental change in approach.

ICM Adjustments: When to Deviate

Raw chip-EV push-fold charts assume tournament chips have linear value. They don't. Here's when ICM forces significant adjustments:

Short Stack Bubble Situation

Four players remain, three get paid. You're second in chips with 15bb. The chip leader (40bb) opens from the button. Standard chip-EV says you should shove A9s+ from the big blind. ICM says tighten to AJs+, TT+ because:

• You're already likely to cash if the short stack (3bb) busts
• Doubling up gains you less than busting costs you
• Preservation trumps accumulation

Big Stack Exploitation

Conversely, as the chip leader at a five-handed final table, you should shove significantly wider than standard charts suggest. With 50bb against opponents with 10-15bb, your Fold Equity">fold equity increases because medium stacks can't afford to call light. Your button shoving range might expand to 55% of hands because opponents simply can't fight back without premium holdings.

Pay Jump Considerations

The pay jump from 3rd to 2nd might be $2,000, while 2nd to 1st is $8,000. This asymmetry means you should take more risks for first place once you've secured 2nd. If you're heads-up with equal stacks, revert nearly to chip-EV ranges because ICM effects diminish.

Calling Ranges: The Other Side of Push-Fold

Knowing when to call shoves is equally critical. Against an 8bb button shove when you're in the big blind with 15bb, your calling range should be approximately:

Chip-EV range: 77+, A9s+, AJo+, KQs (top 8%)

ICM-adjusted with pay jumps looming: 88+, ATs+, AQo+ (top 5%)

The Stack to Blinds Calculator">Stack to Blinds Calculator helps you quickly assess whether you're in push-fold territory or can still maneuver postflop.

Common Mistakes in Push-Fold Execution

Mistake #1: Static thinking. Players memorize a 10bb chart and use it at 8bb, 12bb, and 15bb. Each big blind matters. Your shoving range with 11bb should be measurably tighter than with 9bb.

Mistake #2: Ignoring antes. Once antes are in play, pot sizes increase by 30-50%, dramatically increasing your fold equity. A hand that's borderline without antes becomes a clear shove with them.

Mistake #3: Failing to adjust for opponent tendencies. If the big blind is folding 90% to button shoves, you should be shoving 80% of hands even with 10bb. GTO provides the baseline, but Exploitative Play">exploitative adjustments are mandatory when opponents deviate significantly.

Mistake #4: Calling too wide as the short stack. When you're the 3bb stack at a four-handed table, tighten calling ranges dramatically. You need a double-up to matter, but you're also likely to cash by folding to the money.

Training Your Push-Fold Game

Push-fold proficiency requires both memorization and situational awareness. While charts provide the foundation, recognizing when stack depths, payout structures, or opponent tendencies warrant adjustments separates strong players from average ones.

The GTO Ranges+">GTO Ranges+ app offers comprehensive tournament ranges across all stack depths and positions, allowing you to drill specific scenarios until the ranges become intuitive. For postflop situations when you're in that 15-20bb zone and do see a flop, Postflop+">Postflop+ provides the training you need to navigate these critical spots.

Key Takeaways

Final table push-fold strategy is a spectrum, not a binary. At 5bb, you're shoving half your range from the button. At 20bb, you're rarely shoving at all outside blind-versus-blind situations. The transition between these extremes requires understanding:

• How each additional big blind affects your range width
• When ICM pressure demands tighter play than chip-EV suggests
• How position amplifies or reduces your shoving incentive
• The critical difference between shoving and calling ranges
• When to exploit weak opponents by deviating from equilibrium

Master these concepts, and you'll navigate final tables with the confidence of a seasoned professional, maximizing your tournament equity in every shallow-stacked situation.

Put It Into Practice

Ready to drill these ranges until they become second nature? Download Download GTO Ranges+ on the App Store">GTO Ranges+ for iOS or Get GTO Ranges+ on Google Play">GTO Ranges+ for Android to access tournament-specific push-fold ranges for every position and stack depth. Practice makes permanent—ensure you're practicing the right strategy.

In Part 3 of this series, we'll explore final table dynamics beyond push-fold: navigating bubble pressure, adjusting to different player types, and maximizing your equity when stacks are deep enough for postflop play.