MTT Push/Fold Chart and Short Stack Decisions

What Is Push/Fold in Tournament Poker?

Push/fold means choosing whether to move all-in before the flop or fold rather than entering a smaller raise and postflop line. It becomes common when stacks are short and there is not enough room to raise and then fold comfortably. In MTTs, this often appears around 8BB to 15BB, but the exact threshold depends on antes, position, opponents, and payout pressure.

A push/fold chart can be a helpful training reference, but it should not be used blindly. The same hand can be a shove from the button and a fold from UTG because the number of players behind you changes the chance of running into a stronger hand.

8BB, 10BB, 12BB, and 15BB Differences

At 8BB, many playable hands become open shoves because the stack is too small to raise and fold. At 10BB, shoving remains common, but some hands can still mix with smaller opens in certain table conditions. Around 12BB to 15BB, the decision becomes more sensitive: raise/fold, raise/call, and open shove can all appear depending on position and hand class.

This is where many players lose discipline. They either wait too long and blind down, or they call all-ins too loosely with hands that perform poorly against a shoving range.

Why Position Matters When Shoving

Late position allows wider shoves because fewer players can wake up with strong hands. CO, BTN, and SB shoving ranges are usually much wider than UTG ranges. The small blind is a special case because only the big blind remains, but you will be out of position if called and must understand how stack depth changes limp, raise, and shove options.

Calling All-Ins: Common Mistakes

Many short-stack mistakes are not from shoving too wide, but from calling too wide. Calling requires stronger equity because you cannot win the pot uncontested. Hands like A9o, KTo, QJo, and small suited kings can be tempting, yet they may perform poorly against a tight shove. Good training separates open-shove ranges from call-off ranges.

Practice Push/Fold Spots

The daily trainer focuses on one decision at a time so you can build instincts for stack-depth thresholds. Use it to compare 8BB, 10BB, 12BB, and 15BB spots, then review mistakes where your call or shove was too loose.