ICM pressure
The tournament effect where medium stacks must fold hands that would be profitable in chip terms, because busting costs them far more real money than the chips they could win. Big stacks exploit it by shoving relentlessly.
Frequently asked questions
What is ICM pressure?
The distortion the payout ladder puts on correct play. Because busting ends your tournament and the next pay jump is real money, calling with a hand that is a favourite in chips can still be a losing decision in prize equity.
When is ICM pressure strongest?
On the bubble and at every significant pay jump, and it increases the flatter the remaining stacks are. It is strongest on medium stacks — enough to lose by calling, not enough to be unable to fold — and weakest on the very short stack, which has little left to protect.
How do players use it?
A large stack opens and shoves far wider than chip equity alone would justify, because opponents facing elimination must fold hands that are mathematically ahead. The counter is to recognise which opponents are genuinely under pressure and which only think they are.