4 min
Heads-up blind-versus-blind heuristics for tournament stacks.
The small blind acts first preflop but only needs to beat one player. That creates wide shoving opportunities at shallow stacks.
At 8 to 12 big blinds, many suited kings, ace-x hands, pairs, and connected hands become candidates. At 20 or more, min-raising often captures more value.
Practice spots
A5S from the button at 10BB in a middle tournament spot. The heuristic recommends shove with 78% confidence.
KQO from the cutoff at 12BB in a middle tournament spot. The heuristic recommends shove with 73% confidence.
A7O from the small blind at 8BB in a middle tournament spot. The heuristic recommends shove with 65% confidence.
99 from the hijack at 15BB in a final table tournament spot. The heuristic recommends fold with 62% confidence.
AA from the under the gun at 6BB in a middle tournament spot. The heuristic recommends shove with 88% confidence.
KK from the under the gun at 6BB in a middle tournament spot. The heuristic recommends shove with 87% confidence.
FAQ
Exact ranges help, but pattern recognition by stack depth, position, and ICM pressure is usually more useful for live decisions.
Review similar positions and stack depths together, then compare the recommendation shifts when prior action or tournament stage changes.