Once stacks drop below roughly 10–15 big blinds, poker gets simpler and harsher at the same time. Raising and folding to a shove wastes chips, flatting gives away fold equity, and most decisions become push or fold. Push/fold charts tell you exactly which hands to shove and which to call. This guide explains where those charts come from, what "Nash" means on them, and how to use them without misapplying them.
What a push/fold chart is
A push/fold chart is a preflop range for a two-option game: when it's folded to you, either go all-in or fold. A matching call chart tells the player facing the shove which hands to call with. Charts are organised by:
- Position: button, small blind, and earlier seats in tournaments.
- Effective stack in big blinds.
- Antes and the number of players.
Nash equilibrium push/fold
A Nash push/fold chart is the equilibrium solution of that simplified game: the shove ranges and calling ranges where neither player can gain by changing theirs. If you shove the Nash range, an opponent can't exploit you by calling tighter or wider. If they call the Nash range, you can't exploit them by shoving differently.
Nash charts are computed, not estimated. Because push/fold has only two actions per player, it can be solved precisely for any stack depth, which is why these charts are among the most reliable tools in poker.
Nash vs Sklansky-Chubukov
An older idea, the Sklansky-Chubukov ranking, assumes the worst case: that your opponent knows your exact hand and calls only when it's profitable. That produces very safe but too-tight shoving ranges. Nash assumes your opponent plays well against your range, not your hand, which is far closer to reality and gives wider ranges.
How to read a push/fold chart
Charts are usually a 13×13 grid of starting hands, with each hand marked by the largest stack at which it should still shove (or call). Some patterns hold across almost every chart:
| Pattern | Why |
|---|---|
| Shove ranges are wider than call ranges | Shoving wins by fold equity; calling needs real equity |
| Later position shoves wider | Fewer players are left to wake up with a hand |
| Shorter stacks shove wider | Less to risk relative to the blinds you win |
| Antes widen everything | More dead money in the pot to steal |
| Suited and connected hands gain at shorter depths | They play well when called |
| Small pairs and aces shove often | Pairs have showdown value, aces block calls |
Common push/fold formats
Heads-up and the blind battle
Heads-up, or small blind vs big blind, is where push/fold ranges are widest. Around 10bb the small blind shoves well over half of all hands at equilibrium. See heads-up short-stack strategy.
Spin & Go
In 3-max hyper-turbos, stacks fall below 10bb fast, and the button and small blind decide between jam, limp and fold. Spin & Go charts at short stacks often mix limps into what is otherwise push/fold. See Spin & Go strategy.
Tournaments
In MTTs with a big blind ante, shove ranges are wider than in no-ante charts at the same depth. Near the bubble and at final tables, ICM tightens calling ranges considerably. See MTT strategy with antes and ICM.
When a Nash chart is the wrong tool
- When limping or min-raising is better. Modern solvers show that at 10–15bb, especially from the small blind, a mix of limps and small raises can beat pure push/fold. Nash push/fold is a strong baseline, not the full equilibrium.
- Under ICM. A chip-EV Nash chart is too loose for calling near the money.
- Against clearly unbalanced opponents. If a player calls far too wide, shove tighter and with more value; if they fold too much, shove wider.
How to learn push/fold ranges
Push/fold is the best place to start drilling short-stack strategy: few decisions, huge EV per mistake, and answers that never change for the same stack and position.
- Learn the small blind and button ranges at 10bb first.
- Add the calling ranges, which players usually get wrong by calling too wide.
- Fill in other depths by noticing direction: which hands drop out as stacks grow.
- Drill until each answer is instant with a GTO poker trainer, then check your hand histories to find your leaks.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Nash push/fold chart?
The equilibrium solution of a preflop game where the first player can only shove or fold and the other can only call or fold. Neither player can gain by changing their range.
At what stack size should I play push/fold?
Most spots become close to push or fold below roughly 10–15 big blinds, although solvers still use some limps and small raises at those depths, especially from the small blind.
Why are calling ranges tighter than shoving ranges?
A shove wins when the opponent folds, so it can be profitable with weak hands. A call only wins at showdown, so it needs real equity against the shoving range.
Should I use Nash charts near the bubble?
Not unchanged. Chip-EV Nash charts ignore ICM, so their calling ranges are too loose near the money and at final tables.