CO 50bb Push Fold

Overview

The CO 50bb Push Fold strategy is a theoretical approach used in poker training tools and solvers to isolate the effects of all-in decisions from complex multi-street play. It assumes the player in the cutoff (CO) position with exactly 50 big blinds must either move all-in preflop or fold, with no raising to smaller sizes or calling. While push-fold strategies are standard for short stacks (e.g., under 15bb), applying them at 50bb is uncommon in practice and typically reserved for extreme ICM (Independent Chip Model) pressure or specific tournament final table scenarios.

When It Is Used

Push-fold charts for deep stacks like 50bb appear primarily in:

• ICM-heavy tournaments: When pay jumps are severe and chip values are distorted, even large stacks may adopt push-fold ranges to avoid marginal postflop mistakes.
• Training solvers: Some advanced tools analyze push-fold as a baseline to compare against more nuanced strategies, showing the EV cost of simplifying decisions.
• Heads-up or short-handed play: In late-stage tournaments with few players, positional pressure can justify tighter all-in ranges even at 50bb.

Limitations

At 50bb, a push-fold strategy is highly suboptimal in most cash games or early/mid tournament stages. Standard play involves raising to 2-3bb, calling, and 3-betting. Push-folding at this stack depth:

• Surrenders too much equity to opponents who can call with a wide range.
• Ignores skill edges postflop, which are significant with 50bb.
• Allows opponents to exploit the strategy by calling with speculative hands that dominate all-in ranges.

Related Concepts

• Nash Push-Fold: Game-theory optimal push-fold ranges for heads-up play at any stack depth; typically valid only for shallow stacks.
• Effective Stack: The smallest stack in play determines push-fold relevance.
• ICM: A model that adjusts chip values based on tournament prize structure, often leading to tighter push-fold ranges at deeper stacks.

Example

In a solver, the CO 50bb Push Fold range against a button caller might include strong hands like TT+, AQ+ but fold medium pairs or suited connectors that would normally raise-fold. The actual range depends on opponents' calling frequencies and ICM factors.