Push or fold with K8o heads-up

How deep can the small blind shove K8o?

K8o shoves every time as the small blind up to 18bb. At 18bb its shove is worth -0.4979 big blinds against -0.5000 for folding. At 18.5bb it mixes, so either choice is close to break-even at that stack. At that stack the shove is worth -0.5000 big blinds, level with the -0.5000 for folding. Past 18.5bb the chart folds it.

When should the big blind call with K8o?

K8o calls every time as the big blind up to 13.5bb. At 13.5bb its call is worth -0.8794 big blinds against -1.0000 for folding. At 13.5bb a call breaks even at 46.3% equity, because the big blind has already posted a full blind that folding gives up. At 14bb it mixes, so either choice is close to break-even at that stack. At that stack the call is worth -1.0000 big blinds, level with the -1.0000 for folding. Past 14bb the chart folds it.

What makes K8o different from similar hands?

K8o is 12 combos out of the 1,326 two-card hands and ranks number 51 of the 169 starting-hand classes by equity against a random hand. From the small blind, K8o shoves every time only up to 18bb, while K8s shoves at every stack from 1 to 20bb. From the big blind, K8o calls cleanly 4bb shallower than K8s (13.5bb against 17.5bb). The offsuit version has three times as many combos but gives up the flush equity of its suited twin.

Where can I check other hands like K8o?

The stack pages show the full shove and call charts at each depth, and the hands closest to K8o in strength, along with K8s, have pages of their own. The combos page counts the specific hands that make up K8o and how card removal changes them.

How were the numbers for K8o computed?

We solve a chips-only game for two players: small blind 0.5, big blind 1, no ante, equal stacks. Starting hands are the 169 classes, weighted so that shared cards are impossible, and equity comes from counting every five-card board. The solver plays itself with best responses, averages them, and fixes the hands on the edge so they are exactly indifferent.

Source: GeorgeLiPoker's own heads-up solver, run on its exact preflop equity table.

Questions

Is K8o a shove at 10bb heads-up?

Yes. At 10bb the small blind shoves K8o: shoving is worth +0.052 big blinds and folding -0.500.

Should the big blind call a shove with K8o at 15bb?

No. At 15bb calling with K8o is worth -1.382 big blinds against -1.000 for folding, so the chart folds.

Why does K8o change from a shove to a fold as stacks grow?

Deeper stacks put more chips at risk for the same blinds, and the big blind can afford to call a smaller share of hands. K8o shoves every time only up to 18bb.