How deep can the small blind shove Q5s?
Q5s shoves every time as the small blind up to 19bb. At 19bb its shove is worth -0.4949 big blinds against -0.5000 for folding. Between 19.5bb and 20bb it mixes, so either choice is close to break-even there. In that zone the shove is worth -0.5000 big blinds, level with the -0.5000 for folding.
| Stack | Shove frequency | Shove EV | Fold EV | Equity when called |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1bb | 100% | +0.055 | -0.500 | 52.8% |
| 2bb | 100% | +0.111 | -0.500 | 52.8% |
| 3bb | 100% | +0.165 | -0.500 | 51.5% |
| 4bb | 100% | +0.137 | -0.500 | 47.9% |
| 5bb | 100% | +0.066 | -0.500 | 44.8% |
| 6bb | 100% | -0.030 | -0.500 | 42.4% |
| 7bb | 100% | -0.124 | -0.500 | 40.6% |
| 8bb | 100% | -0.199 | -0.500 | 39.6% |
| 9bb | 100% | -0.242 | -0.500 | 38.6% |
| 10bb | 100% | -0.290 | -0.500 | 37.8% |
| 11bb | 100% | -0.307 | -0.500 | 37.7% |
| 12bb | 100% | -0.331 | -0.500 | 37.6% |
| 13bb | 100% | -0.375 | -0.500 | 36.9% |
| 14bb | 100% | -0.402 | -0.500 | 36.6% |
| 15bb | 100% | -0.444 | -0.500 | 36.6% |
| 16bb | 100% | -0.442 | -0.500 | 36.3% |
| 17bb | 100% | -0.446 | -0.500 | 35.9% |
| 18bb | 100% | -0.463 | -0.500 | 35.7% |
| 19bb | 100% | -0.495 | -0.500 | 35.2% |
| 20bb | 89% | -0.500 | -0.500 | 35.4% |
When should the big blind call with Q5s?
Q5s calls every time as the big blind up to 8.5bb. At 8.5bb its call is worth -0.8737 big blinds against -1.0000 for folding. At 8.5bb a call breaks even at 44.1% equity, because the big blind has already posted a full blind that folding gives up. Past 8.5bb the chart folds it.
| Stack | Call frequency | Call EV | Fold EV | Equity vs shoves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1bb | 100% | +0.055 | -1.000 | 52.8% |
| 2bb | 100% | +0.042 | -1.000 | 51.0% |
| 3bb | 100% | -0.068 | -1.000 | 48.9% |
| 4bb | 100% | -0.176 | -1.000 | 47.8% |
| 5bb | 100% | -0.280 | -1.000 | 47.2% |
| 6bb | 100% | -0.438 | -1.000 | 46.4% |
| 7bb | 100% | -0.596 | -1.000 | 45.7% |
| 8bb | 100% | -0.832 | -1.000 | 44.8% |
| 9bb | 0% | -1.000 | -1.000 | 44.4% |
| 10bb | 0% | -1.148 | -1.000 | 44.3% |
| 11bb | 0% | -1.453 | -1.000 | 43.4% |
| 12bb | 0% | -1.622 | -1.000 | 43.2% |
| 13bb | 0% | -1.821 | -1.000 | 43.0% |
| 14bb | 0% | -2.077 | -1.000 | 42.6% |
| 15bb | 0% | -2.387 | -1.000 | 42.0% |
| 16bb | 0% | -2.529 | -1.000 | 42.1% |
| 17bb | 0% | -2.794 | -1.000 | 41.8% |
| 18bb | 0% | -3.045 | -1.000 | 41.5% |
| 19bb | 0% | -3.314 | -1.000 | 41.3% |
| 20bb | 0% | -3.491 | -1.000 | 41.3% |
What makes Q5s different from similar hands?
Q5s is 4 combos out of the 1,326 two-card hands and ranks number 72 of the 169 starting-hand classes by equity against a random hand. From the small blind, Q5s shoves cleanly 10.5bb deeper than Q5o (19bb against 8.5bb). From the big blind, Q5s calls cleanly 2bb deeper than Q5o (8.5bb against 6.5bb). Suited hands win more often because of flushes, which is why the suited version is the more playable of the pair.
Where can I check other hands like Q5s?
The stack pages show the full shove and call charts at each depth, and the hands closest to Q5s in strength, along with Q5o, have pages of their own. The combos page counts the specific hands that make up Q5s and how card removal changes them.
How were the numbers for Q5s computed?
Both players hold one of the 169 starting-hand classes, weighted by the pairs of specific hands that share no card, so blockers count. Blinds are 0.5 and 1 with no ante and equal stacks. Each pair of classes is scored with its exact equity over every five-card board, and the solver repeats best responses against the other side's running average until the hands on the edge are made exactly indifferent.
Source: GeorgeLiPoker's own heads-up solver, run on its exact preflop equity table.
Questions
- Is Q5s a shove at 10bb heads-up?
- Yes. At 10bb the small blind shoves Q5s: shoving is worth -0.290 big blinds and folding -0.500.
- Should the big blind call a shove with Q5s at 15bb?
- No. At 15bb calling with Q5s is worth -2.387 big blinds against -1.000 for folding, so the chart folds.
- Why does Q5s 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. Q5s shoves every time only up to 19bb.