Push/fold in tournament poker: the essentials
What is push/fold?
With a short stack, a small raise leaves little room to play after the flop, so many decisions come down to two options: move all-in (push) or give up (fold). When everyone folds to you, a push wins the blinds when nobody calls and contests the whole pot when someone does.
Effective stack
The effective stack is the smallest stack between you and a player who can call — that is what is at risk. In this lab every player has the same stack, measured in big blinds (BB), from 1 to 20 BB.
Why position matters
From UTG five players still act after you; from the SB only the big blind does. The more players left to act, the more likely someone holds a strong calling hand, so pushing ranges are tighter in early position and wider on the button and in the small blind.
The big blind ante
With a BB ante there is 1 extra BB of dead money in the pot before anyone acts. More money to win makes pushing profitable with more hands.
A model is not a guarantee
The model only counts chips (chip-EV), ignores ICM, payouts and real opponent tendencies, and assumes the remaining players fold after the first call. It builds intuition; it does not predict results. Even the right decision loses often.
Version 1 limitations
6-max only, 1–20 BB stacks, 0.5/1 BB blinds, no ante or a 1 BB big blind ante, equal stacks and everyone folding to you. It does not train big-blind calls, postflop play, ICM or 9-handed tables.
Responsible play
PokerRota is an educational tool for adults aged 18+. It takes no bets, has no cash prizes and does not connect to operators. If you play for money, only use licensed operators and set time and budget limits.