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Middle Position Push/Fold Range at 5 BB (9-Max)

Push 23% of hands
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The Middle Position pushes 23% of hands at 5BB (9-Max).

Marginal hands on the threshold — J9s, A5o, A6o — can go either way; the Nash solution mixes them, so a consistent default (push or fold) is fine in practice.

This range is 8 percentage points wider than at 8BB (15% → 23%).

At 5BB you have almost no post-flop game left — push or fold is the only strategically sound option every hand.

5BB means 5 big blinds behind the posted blinds. The ranges are chip-EV Nash equilibria with no antes and no ICM, solved from 1 to 25bb against the Nash calling ranges of the players left to act. How the ranges are computed

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Hand Chart

Range legendPush alwaysMixedFold

Middle Position push range at 5BB, 9-Max
AKQJT98765432
AAAAKsAQsAJsATsA9sA8sA7sA6sA5sA4sA3sA2s
KAKoKKKQsKJsKTsK9sK8sK7sK6sK5sK4sK3sK2s
QAQoKQoQQQJsQTsQ9sQ8sQ7sQ6sQ5sQ4sQ3sQ2s
JAJoKJoQJoJJJTsJ9sJ8sJ7sJ6sJ5sJ4sJ3sJ2s
TAToKToQToJToTTT9sT8sT7sT6sT5sT4sT3sT2s
9A9oK9oQ9oJ9oT9o9998s97s96s95s94s93s92s
8A8oK8oQ8oJ8oT8o98o8887s86s85s84s83s82s
7A7oK7oQ7oJ7oT7o97o87o7776s75s74s73s72s
6A6oK6oQ6oJ6oT6o96o86o76o6665s64s63s62s
5A5oK5oQ5oJ5oT5o95o85o75o65o5554s53s52s
4A4oK4oQ4oJ4oT4o94o84o74o64o54o4443s42s
3A3oK3oQ3oJ3oT3o93o83o73o63o53o43o3332s
2A2oK2oQ2oJ2oT2o92o82o72o62o52o42o32o22

Top-left = strongest hands (AA), pairs on the diagonal. Upper-right = suited, lower-left = offsuit. Brighter green = always push. Dim = fold.

Hands on the edge — every seat and stack

J9s · 47%A5o · 46%A6o · 43%All 169 hands

Nearby stacks

↑ Full 5BB chart (every position)8BB →

Other positions at 5BB (9-Max)

UTGCOBTNSB

Middle Position 5BB push/fold FAQ

What percentage of hands should the Middle Position push at 5BB (9-Max)?

The Middle Position pushes 23% of hands at 5BB (9-Max). The most marginal hands at this frequency are J9s, A5o, A6o.

Is J9s a shove from the Middle Position at 5BB?

It is a mix: the Nash solution shoves J9s 47% of the time from the Middle Position at 5BB in 9-max, so a consistent push or a consistent fold costs little. From the Middle Position, J9s is a Nash shove up to 4bb in 9-max.

What stack size does this chart assume?

5BB means 5 big blinds behind the posted blinds. The ranges are chip-EV Nash equilibria with no antes and no ICM, solved from 1 to 25bb against the Nash calling ranges of the players left to act.

Is this push/fold chart based on Nash equilibrium?

Yes — this chart is a precomputed Nash equilibrium push/fold solution (chip-EV based), not a rule of thumb. It is meant as a study tool for memorizing ranges and drilling decisions, not a live-play aid. Near the bubble or at a final table, payout pressure (ICM) makes the correct range tighter than this chart.

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