Push/fold chart: push ranges from 5 to 20 bb
When it folds to you and your stack is short, the decision comes down to push or fold. This chart gives the share of hands to push at equilibrium (Nash, chip-EV, equal stacks, big blind ante) by position and stack depth. Click a cell for the full 169-hand grid, the borderline hands and the calling ranges you face.
| Position | 5 bb | 6 bb | 8 bb | 10 bb | 12 bb | 15 bb | 20 bb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hijack | 34.8% | 34.2% | 30.3% | 27.9% | 25.8% | 23.4% | 17.2% |
| Cutoff | 41.0% | 38.5% | 37.3% | 33.3% | 31.2% | 30.3% | 25.5% |
| Button | 49.6% | 48.4% | 46.3% | 43.3% | 41.2% | 38.5% | 33.6% |
| Small blind | 85.8% | 83.1% | 78.0% | 74.4% | 67.7% | 62.9% | 54.1% |
How to read this chart
Why push so many hands with an ante?
The big blind ante brings the starting pot to 2.5 bb: every push that makes the others fold wins more, so the equilibrium pushes wider than without an ante.
What about earlier positions (UTG, MP)?
With more than four players behind you, the exact calculation gets too heavy; the 8 and 12 bb opening ranges on the Preflop strategy page cover these positions.
Do these ranges apply on the bubble or at a final table?
No: here every chip is worth its face value. With pay jumps, ICM tightens the ranges; the Jam or fold solver computes these cases with your payout structure.
Open and defense ranges from 8 to 100 bb · Jam or fold solver (ICM)