progressStack size zones in tournaments
The same seat plays a different game at 10 BB, 20 BB and 40 BB.
Strategy changes with stack depth in stages, not smoothly. Here is what the button does in our solution book when it folds to him, at stacks from 8 to 40 big blinds:
| Stack | Open raise | All-in | Fold |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 BB | 0% | 45% | 55% |
| 10 BB | 0% | 42% | 58% |
| 12 BB | 11% | 30% | 60% |
| 15 BB | 17% | 22% | 61% |
| 20 BB | 32% | 9% | 59% |
| 25 BB | 44% | 0% | 56% |
| 30 BB | 46% | 0% | 54% |
| 40 BB | 48% | 0% | 52% |
The four zones
- Under about 10 BB: push/fold. The button never raises small in our book (0% at 10 BB) and shoves 42% of hands. See push/fold strategy.
- About 12 to 20 BB: shove or small raise. The all-in share falls quickly as a raise starts to make sense, particularly with hands that want to see a flop.
- About 20 to 40 BB: small raises. The all-in is mainly a response to a 3-bet. The stack is still shallow enough that fold equity and commitment decide many pots.
- Above 40 BB: deep play. Position, hand shape and postflop skill matter more, and the ranges look like cash-game ranges with an ante.
Why the line moves
The deeper you are, the more a flop has to be played, so hands that make strong pairs, flushes and straights gain value, and the all-in loses its edge. With fewer blinds, fold equity dominates: when you shove, most of your profit comes from opponents folding, so the hand itself matters less.
Know your zone
Divide your stack by the big blind to find your zone, and use the trainer to practise it: you can choose the stack depths and it shows the exact book frequency for each hand.
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Questions
What is effective stack?
The smaller of your stack and the stack of the opponent you are playing against, because only that amount can be won or lost between you.
When should I raise instead of shoving?
Our book starts using small raises around 12 to 15 big blinds; the exact point depends on position and the hands.
Does ICM move these zones?
Yes. Near the bubble the shove zone for the big stack shrinks and the folding zone for medium stacks grows.
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progressGTO guides use our own solution book (v13, 8-max tournaments with ante, chip EV): an approximation of equilibrium with a modelled postflop, not an exact solution. Numbers are computed from the book and from the exact ICM model.
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