Small blind shoving ranges and big blind calling ranges from 5 to 20 big blinds — the shortest game in poker, solved.
Heads-up, the small blind acts first and has already posted half a big blind. Fold and that half is gone; shove and the big blind either folds, handing you a blind and a half, or calls and you are racing. Below about fifteen big blinds there is nothing else worth doing.
Because there is only one player behind, this is the cleanest push or fold spot there is: two hands, two decisions, and an equilibrium that both sides can compute. The ranges below are that equilibrium.
| Stack | SB shoves | Range | BB calls BTN | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 bb | 68.9% | 22+ A2s+ K2s+ Q2s+ J2s+ T2s+ 95s+ 84s+ 74s+ 64s+ 53s+ A2o+ K2o+ Q2o+ J4o+ T6o+ 97o+ 87o 76o | 61.1% | 22+ A2s+ K2s+ Q2s+ J2s+ T4s+ 96s+ 86s+ 76s A2o+ K2o+ Q2o+ J5o+ T7o+ 98o |
| 8 bb | 59.6% | 22+ A2s+ K2s+ Q2s+ J3s+ T4s+ 95s+ 85s+ 74s+ 64s+ 53s+ A2o+ K2o+ Q5o+ J8o+ T8o+ 97o+ 87o 76o | 45.4% | 22+ A2s+ K2s+ Q4s+ J7s+ T8s+ 98s A2o+ K2o+ Q7o+ J9o+ T9o |
| 10 bb | 56.6% | 22+ A2s+ K2s+ Q2s+ J3s+ T5s+ 95s+ 85s+ 74s+ 64s+ 53s+ A2o+ K2o+ Q8o+ J8o+ T8o+ 97o+ 87o 76o | 37.3% | 22+ A2s+ K2s+ Q7s+ J8s+ T9s A2o+ K5o+ Q9o+ JTo |
| 12 bb | 51.1% | 22+ A2s+ K2s+ Q3s+ J5s+ T6s+ 95s+ 85s+ 75s+ 64s+ 54s A2o+ K3o+ Q8o+ J9o+ T8o+ 98o 87o | 33.0% | 22+ A2s+ K4s+ Q8s+ J9s+ A2o+ K7o+ QTo+ JTo |
| 15 bb | 43.3% | 22+ A2s+ K2s+ Q5s+ J6s+ T6s+ 96s+ 85s+ 75s+ 65s 54s A2o+ K7o+ Q9o+ J9o+ T9o 98o | 28.8% | 22+ A2s+ K7s+ Q9s+ JTs A2o+ K9o+ QTo+ |
| 20 bb | 39.1% | 22+ A2s+ K4s+ Q6s+ J7s+ T6s+ 96s+ 86s+ 75s+ 65s 54s A2o+ K9o+ Q9o+ J9o+ T9o | 21.7% | 33+ A2s+ K9s+ QTs+ A5o+ KTo+ |
| High card | A | K | Q | J | T | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | AA — Shove | AKs — Shove | AQs — Shove | AJs — Shove | ATs — Shove | A9s — Shove | A8s — Shove | A7s — Shove | A6s — Shove | A5s — Shove | A4s — Shove | A3s — Shove | A2s — Shove |
| K | AKo — Shove | KK — Shove | KQs — Shove | KJs — Shove | KTs — Shove | K9s — Shove | K8s — Shove | K7s — Shove | K6s — Shove | K5s — Shove | K4s — Shove | K3s — Shove | K2s — Shove |
| Q | AQo — Shove | KQo — Shove | QQ — Shove | QJs — Shove | QTs — Shove | Q9s — Shove | Q8s — Shove | Q7s — Shove | Q6s — Shove | Q5s — Shove | Q4s — Shove | Q3s — Shove | Q2s — Shove |
| J | AJo — Shove | KJo — Shove | QJo — Shove | JJ — Shove | JTs — Shove | J9s — Shove | J8s — Shove | J7s — Shove | J6s — Shove | J5s — Shove | J4s — Shove | J3s — Shove | J2s — Fold |
| T | ATo — Shove | KTo — Shove | QTo — Shove | JTo — Shove | TT — Shove | T9s — Shove | T8s — Shove | T7s — Shove | T6s — Shove | T5s — Shove | T4s — Too close to matter | T3s — Fold | T2s — Fold |
| 9 | A9o — Shove | K9o — Shove | Q9o — Shove | J9o — Shove | T9o — Shove | 99 — Shove | 98s — Shove | 97s — Shove | 96s — Shove | 95s — Shove | 94s — Fold | 93s — Fold | 92s — Fold |
| 8 | A8o — Shove | K8o — Shove | Q8o — Shove | J8o — Shove | T8o — Shove | 98o — Shove | 88 — Shove | 87s — Shove | 86s — Shove | 85s — Shove | 84s — Too close to matter | 83s — Fold | 82s — Fold |
| 7 | A7o — Shove | K7o — Shove | Q7o — Too close to matter | J7o — Fold | T7o — Too close to matter | 97o — Shove | 87o — Shove | 77 — Shove | 76s — Shove | 75s — Shove | 74s — Shove | 73s — Fold | 72s — Fold |
| 6 | A6o — Shove | K6o — Shove | Q6o — Too close to matter | J6o — Fold | T6o — Fold | 96o — Fold | 86o — Fold | 76o — Shove | 66 — Shove | 65s — Shove | 64s — Shove | 63s — Fold | 62s — Fold |
| 5 | A5o — Shove | K5o — Shove | Q5o — Fold | J5o — Fold | T5o — Fold | 95o — Fold | 85o — Fold | 75o — Fold | 65o — Fold | 55 — Shove | 54s — Shove | 53s — Shove | 52s — Fold |
| 4 | A4o — Shove | K4o — Shove | Q4o — Fold | J4o — Fold | T4o — Fold | 94o — Fold | 84o — Fold | 74o — Fold | 64o — Fold | 54o — Fold | 44 — Shove | 43s — Too close to matter | 42s — Fold |
| 3 | A3o — Shove | K3o — Shove | Q3o — Fold | J3o — Fold | T3o — Fold | 93o — Fold | 83o — Fold | 73o — Fold | 63o — Fold | 53o — Fold | 43o — Fold | 33 — Shove | 32s — Fold |
| 2 | A2o — Shove | K2o — Shove | Q2o — Fold | J2o — Fold | T2o — Fold | 92o — Fold | 82o — Fold | 72o — Fold | 62o — Fold | 52o — Fold | 42o — Fold | 32o — Fold | 22 — Shove |
| High card | A | K | Q | J | T | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | AA — Call | AKs — Call | AQs — Call | AJs — Call | ATs — Call | A9s — Call | A8s — Call | A7s — Call | A6s — Call | A5s — Call | A4s — Call | A3s — Call | A2s — Call |
| K | AKo — Call | KK — Call | KQs — Call | KJs — Call | KTs — Call | K9s — Call | K8s — Call | K7s — Call | K6s — Call | K5s — Call | K4s — Call | K3s — Call | K2s — Call |
| Q | AQo — Call | KQo — Call | QQ — Call | QJs — Call | QTs — Call | Q9s — Call | Q8s — Call | Q7s — Call | Q6s — Too close to matter | Q5s — Fold | Q4s — Fold | Q3s — Fold | Q2s — Fold |
| J | AJo — Call | KJo — Call | QJo — Call | JJ — Call | JTs — Call | J9s — Call | J8s — Call | J7s — Fold | J6s — Fold | J5s — Fold | J4s — Fold | J3s — Fold | J2s — Fold |
| T | ATo — Call | KTo — Call | QTo — Call | JTo — Call | TT — Call | T9s — Call | T8s — Fold | T7s — Fold | T6s — Fold | T5s — Fold | T4s — Fold | T3s — Fold | T2s — Fold |
| 9 | A9o — Call | K9o — Call | Q9o — Call | J9o — Fold | T9o — Fold | 99 — Call | 98s — Fold | 97s — Fold | 96s — Fold | 95s — Fold | 94s — Fold | 93s — Fold | 92s — Fold |
| 8 | A8o — Call | K8o — Call | Q8o — Too close to matter | J8o — Fold | T8o — Fold | 98o — Fold | 88 — Call | 87s — Fold | 86s — Fold | 85s — Fold | 84s — Fold | 83s — Fold | 82s — Fold |
| 7 | A7o — Call | K7o — Call | Q7o — Fold | J7o — Fold | T7o — Fold | 97o — Fold | 87o — Fold | 77 — Call | 76s — Fold | 75s — Fold | 74s — Fold | 73s — Fold | 72s — Fold |
| 6 | A6o — Call | K6o — Call | Q6o — Fold | J6o — Fold | T6o — Fold | 96o — Fold | 86o — Fold | 76o — Fold | 66 — Call | 65s — Fold | 64s — Fold | 63s — Fold | 62s — Fold |
| 5 | A5o — Call | K5o — Call | Q5o — Fold | J5o — Fold | T5o — Fold | 95o — Fold | 85o — Fold | 75o — Fold | 65o — Fold | 55 — Call | 54s — Fold | 53s — Fold | 52s — Fold |
| 4 | A4o — Call | K4o — Fold | Q4o — Fold | J4o — Fold | T4o — Fold | 94o — Fold | 84o — Fold | 74o — Fold | 64o — Fold | 54o — Fold | 44 — Call | 43s — Fold | 42s — Fold |
| 3 | A3o — Call | K3o — Fold | Q3o — Fold | J3o — Fold | T3o — Fold | 93o — Fold | 83o — Fold | 73o — Fold | 63o — Fold | 53o — Fold | 43o — Fold | 33 — Call | 32s — Fold |
| 2 | A2o — Call | K2o — Fold | Q2o — Fold | J2o — Fold | T2o — Fold | 92o — Fold | 82o — Fold | 72o — Fold | 62o — Fold | 52o — Fold | 42o — Fold | 32o — Fold | 22 — Call |
At a full table, when everyone folds to the small blind, only the big blind is left to act. That is heads-up, whatever the table says it is — same two blinds, same two players, same equilibrium. So these charts are also the small blind's charts in a six-max or nine-handed game, which is why the small blind shoves so much wider than any other seat.
A table of which hands the small blind moves all-in with, and which hands the big blind calls with, at a given stack depth. Heads-up is where push or fold is at its purest: only two players, so both ranges can be solved exactly against each other.
Around fifteen big blinds, and completely by ten. Deeper than that, the small blind still has room to raise smaller and play a flop with position. Shorter than that, a raise commits so much of the stack that shoving is strictly better.
Far wider than most players expect — more than half of all hands at ten big blinds, and closer to seventy per cent at five. The blinds are large relative to the stack, and the big blind has to fold most of the time, so hands with no showdown value still print. The table above gives the exact figure at each depth.