Push/fold: when the stack is short enough that only two options remain
Below roughly 15 big blinds, nearly every other line is worse than pushing or folding. The reason is simple: raising small and folding to a 3-bet means losing chips without collecting fold equity, while limping gives the whole table a cheap flop exactly when you need to take the pot immediately. Going all in compresses the hand into a single decision, and with a short stack that is a good thing.
The range chart on this page is a solid starting point, built from the equilibrium model for spots where only push and fold exist. It tells you which hands to move in with at each position and stack depth. Treat it as a baseline rather than a law: if the players behind you fold too often, you can push wider; if they call with almost anything, you have to tighten.
At this stack depth position matters more than raw hand strength. The same J9o is a correct push from the button with two players left to act, and a clear fold from under the gun with seven. The number of players still to act behind you is the biggest variable, not whether the hand looks strong in isolation.
Training Mode exists to turn the chart into a reflex. Reading a chart and knowing it are different skills: at a real table you have a few dozen seconds and no way to look anything up. Drill until the answer arrives before you have finished reasoning, and only then is the chart genuinely usable.
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Frequently asked questions
From how many big blinds does push/fold apply?
Usually from about 15 big blinds down, and most clearly below 10. Above that you still have enough chips to raise and play later streets, so a push/fold chart is no longer the right model.
Are the charted ranges always correct?
No. They are a baseline that assumes balanced responses. At a real table, push wider when the players behind fold too much and tighten when they call too loosely.
Do I need to adjust near the bubble?
Yes, substantially. Near the bubble ICM makes elimination far more expensive than the chips you stand to win, so both your shoving range and your calling range should be tighter than the raw chart. Check it against the ICM Calculator.
How does Training Mode work?
It generates random position and stack-depth spots, you choose push or fold, and it gives immediate feedback. The goal is cutting your decision time down to something usable at a live table.
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