Yep, it’s my 1k post. Ahh, but how many of my posts were wasted doing mundane ICM calculations for lazy 2+2ers? Well, consider this the last time I am doing your ICM homework for you...
Software
PokerStove
ICM Calculator
Hand 1 – The Basics
Quote:
Poker Stars $210+$15 No Limit Hold'em Tournament - t200/t400 Blinds - t25 Antes - 4 players
UTG: t5225
BTN: t1800
SB: t2140
Hero (BB): t5835
Pre Flop: Hero is BB with A K
UTG raises to t5200 all in, 2 folds, Hero?
Poker is all about maximizing your Expected Value (EV). In order to calculate EV, you determine the value of every possible outcome, multiply each value by the probability of that outcome happening, and then add all of those numbers together. I will call the value of an outcome it's equity (EQ).
Possible Outomes for Hand 1 (ignoring ties):
- Call and win - with equity EQ_win, probability P_win
- Call and lose - with equity EQ_lose, probability P_lose
- Fold - with equity EQ_fold
We want to know whether calling is better than folding, so we take the EV of calling relative to folding.
Equation 1
EV = EV(call) – EV(fold)
EV = ( P_win*EQ_win + P_lose*EQ_lose ) – ( EQ_fold )
Type the stack sizes for each outcome into the ICM calculator to determine equities:
Put UTG on a range (I used ~30%), and PokerStove to find P_win and P_lose:
EV = P_win*EQ_win + P_lose*EQ_lose – EQ_fold
EV = 0.64438*44.735% + 0.35562*9.493% – 32.440%
EV = -0.24%
Repeating this calculation for every hand, or for every villain range would be tedious. We just want to know which hands are +EV. After some maths (set
EV>0,
P_lose = 1-P_win, re-arrange), we get a magical equation...
Equation 2
P_win > ( EQ_fold – EQ_lose ) / (EQ_win – EQ_lose)
This gives the required P_win value needed to make a call +EV.
For Hand 1:
P_win > ( 32.440% - 9.493% ) / ( 44.735% - 9.493% ) = 22.947 / 35.242
P_win > 65.11%
Hand 2 – 3bet Preflop (6max)
For some reason sng wiz doesn’t do 3bet situations, so it’s good to know how to do them the old fashioned way.
Quote:
Poker Stars $72+$6 No Limit Hold'em Tournament - t10/t20 Blinds - 6 players
UTG: t1500
MP: t1500
CO: t1500
Hero (BTN): t1500
SB: t1500
BB: t1500
Pre Flop: Hero is BTN with Kd Ah
3 folds, Hero raises to t60, 1 fold, BB raises to t1500 all in, Hero?
This is stars 6max so the payouts are 65/35. Plug the stacks into the ICM calculator for each outcome. When you lose you are busto, so
EQ_lose = 0. Here are the others:
Equation 2:
P_win > ( EQ_fold – EQ_lose ) / (EQ_win – EQ_lose)
EQ_lose = 0, so this becomes:
P_win > EQ_fold / EQ_win
P_win > 16.054 / 31.085 = 51.65%
So you need at least 51.65% equity to call a shove.
( Equation 1 also simplifies to:
EV = P_win*EQ_win – EQ_fold )
Hand 3 – ZOMG ICM Postflop?
Quote:
Poker Stars $15+$1 No Limit Hold'em Tournament - t15/t30 Blinds - 8 players
UTG: t1535
UTG+1: t1475
MP1: t1545
MP2: t1460
CO: t2425
Hero (BTN): t2080
SB: t1630
BB: t1350
Pre Flop: Hero is BTN with A Q
3 folds, MP2 calls t30, CO calls t30, Hero raises to t150, 2 folds, MP2 calls t120, CO calls t120
Flop: (t495) 6 A 9
MP2 checks, CO bets t120, Hero raises to t360, MP2 raises to t1310 all in, CO folds, Hero?
OK, this time you can work out the stack sizes yourself (50/30/20 payout). I get:
EQ_win = 24.896%
EQ_lose = 5.044%
EQ_fold = 11.781%
P_win > ( EQ_fold – EQ_lose ) / (EQ_win – EQ_lose)
P_win > ( 11.781% - 5.044% ) / ( 24.896% - 5.044% ) = 6.737 / 19.852
P_win > 33.94%
You need ~34% equity to call this shove.
Hand 4 – The Multiway Pot
Quote:
Poker Stars $55+$5 No Limit Hold'em Tournament - t200/t400 Blinds - t25 Antes - 4 players
Hero (UTG): t1585
BTN: t1925
SB: t6785
BB: t3205
Pre Flop: Hero is BB with X X
Hero raises to t1200, Button raises to t1900 all in, SB calls t1700, 1 fold, Hero?
EV = EV(call) – EV(fold)
EV = ( P_win*P_BTN_win_side*EQ_BTN_win_side + P_win*P_SB_win_side*EQ_SB_win_side ) - ( P_BTN_win*EQ_BTN_win + P_SB_win*EQ_SB_win )
.... Just kidding! Even I’m too lazy to do that, here’s a dodgy way to run these spots in sng wiz:
- Create a custom structure where the BB is the amount you have raised.
- Set the SB to the amount of the rest of the dead money in the pot.
- Put yourself in the BB, and a player who folds in the SB.
- Adjust stacks as necessary
And there you go:
Thanks STTF
Obv there are (still) lots of cool 2+2ers around STTF, I’m not going to list them all. But thanks AMT, Kevin8423, DevinLake, and Little John. Back when I was a noob and first found these forums you were the posters who’s advice I knew I could trust.
Hopefully some of you ICM noobs learnt something from this post.
Last edited by IFoldPktOnes; 06-15-2008 at 08:29 AM.