Nash Push/Fold Charts Explained: How the Ranges Are Built
Published 2026-09-28
Short answer
A Nash push/fold chart gives the unexploitable push frequency for each of the 169 hand classes at one seat and stack — ours cover 225 seat-and-stack spots (6-max and 9-max, 1 to 25BB), and at 10BB the 9-max button shoves 38% of hands.
A Nash push/fold chart shows the shoving range that makes you unexploitable at a given stack depth and position — for every one of the 169 starting hand classes, it is the exact push frequency where shoving breaks even against a caller who is also playing optimally. It assumes chip-EV, is computed ahead of time rather than calculated live, and is the correct default everywhere except a few payout-sensitive spots near the money.
What does "Nash" actually mean here?
It's short for Nash equilibrium: a pair of strategies, one for the player shoving and one for the player deciding whether to call, where neither side can do better by changing their own strategy alone. For push/fold, that means there is one shoving range and one calling range that fit together so that if either player deviates from their half, they lose value. The chart you see on a push/fold site publishes the shoving half of that pair.
The reason this matters in practice: you don't need to know or guess your opponent's calling range to use the chart correctly. The range is built so that it holds up against the calling range that would hurt you most — that is what "equilibrium" buys you.
Why chip-EV, and not real tournament money?
Nash push/fold solvers optimize chip-EV: every chip you win or lose is worth the same number of chips, full stop. That assumption is what makes it possible to solve a complete range for every stack size, seat, and table size ahead of time — the math doesn't need to know your specific tournament's payout structure.
Real tournaments do not pay out linearly with chip count. Close to the money bubble, at a final table, or in a satellite, losing your whole stack costs more in real equity than winning the same number of chips gains you — because busting drops you from "might cash big" to zero, while doubling up doesn't double your payout. That gap between chip-EV and real dollar value is exactly what ICM (Independent Chip Model) measures, and it only overrides the Nash chart in those specific payout-sensitive spots — everywhere else, chip-EV and real value point the same direction.
How is a Nash push/fold range actually computed?
For a fixed table size, position, and stack depth, the solver searches for the push frequency on each of the 169 hand classes such that shoving and folding have equal chip-EV against the best-responding calling range — that is the equilibrium condition. Hands clearly ahead of any reasonable calling range push at 100%; hands clearly behind fold at 0%; a small band of hands sits in between, pushing at a mixed frequency because they are genuinely indifferent.
That's why a chart isn't a single hard cutoff line — it's a frequency per hand, and the interesting hands to study are the ones near 50%, since those are where a small change in stack size or position flips the decision.
Reading a chart: three worked examples
These numbers come straight from RangeMyHand's push/fold charts — no rounding for effect.
6-max, Under the Gun, 10BB
UTG at 10BB in a 6-max game shoves 14% of hands — tighter than any other seat at this stack, since five players are still left to act. That's 4% tighter than the UTG range at 8BB, with 22 and T9s sitting right at the margin. See the full 6-max UTG 10BB chart.
9-max, Cutoff, 12BB
The cutoff at 12BB, 9-max, pushes 23% of hands — 4% tighter than the cutoff's range at 10BB. Marginal hands here include KTo, QTo, QJo, and 76s. See the full 9-max cutoff 12BB chart.
6-max, Small Blind, 15BB
From the small blind at 15BB, 6-max, the push range is 48% — 8% tighter than the small blind's range at 12BB. This is already deep enough that playing a standard raise, rather than shove or fold, starts to be worth considering too. See the full 6-max small blind 15BB chart.
When should you deviate from the Nash range?
- Near a pay jump. Tighten up close to the money bubble or a final table — that's the ICM caveat above, and it's the single most important deviation to know.
- Against calling stations. If a specific opponent calls far wider than a rational caller would, tighten your shoves against them — the Nash range assumes a caller who won't punish you for over-shoving.
- Against nits. If an opponent folds far more than a rational caller would, you can widen your shoving range against them specifically — hands the chart marks as marginal become clear profit.
- Everywhere else: don't deviate. Away from a specific exploitable read or a payout-sensitive spot, the Nash range is already the best default you can play.
Common misreadings of a Nash chart
Treating the chart as a calling range, not just a shoving range, is the most frequent mix-up — the published range on most push/fold charts, including RangeMyHand's, is the shove side. Another is reading a single stack size and assuming it holds a few big blinds either way; ranges move fast at short stacks, so 8BB can be meaningfully different from the stack size one step over. For the full walk-through of when push/fold applies at all and the ICM caveat in more depth, see the push/fold basics guide.
FAQ
What does "Nash" mean on a push/fold chart?
It refers to a Nash equilibrium: a pair of strategies (a shoving range for the pusher, a calling range for the caller) where neither player can improve their result by changing their own range alone. On a push/fold chart, the shoving side of that equilibrium is what gets published — the exact set of hands where shoving breaks even or better against a rational caller, for a given stack depth and position.
Why do Nash charts use chip-EV instead of real prize money?
Chip-EV treats every chip as worth exactly the same amount, which keeps the math tractable enough to solve a full 169-hand range at every stack and position. Real tournament prize pools do not pay out linearly with chips, so very close to the money or a final table, the chip-EV-optimal shove is sometimes too loose. That gap is what ICM (Independent Chip Model) corrects for, and it only matters in specific payout-sensitive spots.
When should I deviate from the Nash push/fold range?
Away from the bubble or a final table, follow the Nash range as published — it is the unexploitable default. Deviate tighter near a pay jump when busting costs more than the chips you would win are worth, and deviate looser against opponents who call far too tight, since the Nash range assumes a rational caller, and a caller who folds too much hands you extra profit on hands the chart marks as marginal.
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