ICM bubble drill

Why chip-EV gets bubble decisions wrong

Away from the bubble, a call that’s ahead in chip equity is usually the right call. Near the money, busting costs real money that doubling up doesn’t fully repay, because tournament prize pools pay out in unequal jumps rather than proportionally to chip count. This drill shows the stacks and the payout ladder for ten fixed shove situations and asks for the call-or-fold decision once that real-money asymmetry is taken into account, graded by the same ICM solver behind the ranked Trainer’s ICM puzzles.

What to look at before answering

The stack bars pick out you (hero) and the seat that shoved (villain) against the rest of the table, and the payout ladder alongside shows what each finishing place is worth. The shove always comes from the short stack, but your own place on the ladder moves between spots — the same shove is a different decision to the chip leader than to the player one pay jump above the bubble.

Related pages

• ICM calculator →
• ICM lesson →
• Practise ICM in the ranked Trainer →

Frequently asked questions

What makes a bubble call/fold decision different from a normal one?

Near the money, busting costs more in real money than doubling up repays, because tournament payouts jump unevenly rather than scaling with chip count. The chip-EV favourite is not always the ICM-correct call.

How many questions are there?

Ten fixed call-or-fold spots per attempt, in a repeatable order. Play again for another pass at the same ten.

How is the correct answer worked out?

By the same ICM solver behind the ranked Trainer’s ICM puzzles, comparing the expected prize-pool equity of calling against folding on the payout ladder shown.

Is the ICM bubble drill free?

Yes. No sign-in, no limit on replays. It is separate from the ranked Trainer, a paid subscription with a 14-day free trial.