How deep can the small blind shove Q8s?
Q8s shoves at every stack from 1 to 20 big blinds as the small blind. Its shove EV stays above the -0.5000 big blinds it earns by folding at each of them.
| Stack | Shove frequency | Shove EV | Fold EV | Equity when called |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1bb | 100% | +0.120 | -0.500 | 56.0% |
| 2bb | 100% | +0.241 | -0.500 | 56.0% |
| 3bb | 100% | +0.347 | -0.500 | 54.9% |
| 4bb | 100% | +0.374 | -0.500 | 51.8% |
| 5bb | 100% | +0.328 | -0.500 | 48.9% |
| 6bb | 100% | +0.252 | -0.500 | 46.6% |
| 7bb | 100% | +0.138 | -0.500 | 44.3% |
| 8bb | 100% | +0.026 | -0.500 | 42.6% |
| 9bb | 100% | -0.037 | -0.500 | 41.2% |
| 10bb | 100% | -0.105 | -0.500 | 40.2% |
| 11bb | 100% | -0.155 | -0.500 | 39.6% |
| 12bb | 100% | -0.172 | -0.500 | 39.4% |
| 13bb | 100% | -0.219 | -0.500 | 38.7% |
| 14bb | 100% | -0.243 | -0.500 | 38.5% |
| 15bb | 100% | -0.275 | -0.500 | 38.5% |
| 16bb | 100% | -0.272 | -0.500 | 38.2% |
| 17bb | 100% | -0.274 | -0.500 | 37.9% |
| 18bb | 100% | -0.279 | -0.500 | 37.9% |
| 19bb | 100% | -0.311 | -0.500 | 37.4% |
| 20bb | 100% | -0.305 | -0.500 | 37.6% |
When should the big blind call with Q8s?
Q8s calls every time as the big blind up to 13bb. At 13bb its call is worth -0.9824 big blinds against -1.0000 for folding. At 13bb a call breaks even at 46.2% equity, because the big blind has already posted a full blind that folding gives up. Past 13bb the chart folds it.
| Stack | Call frequency | Call EV | Fold EV | Equity vs shoves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1bb | 100% | +0.120 | -1.000 | 56.0% |
| 2bb | 100% | +0.179 | -1.000 | 54.5% |
| 3bb | 100% | +0.156 | -1.000 | 52.6% |
| 4bb | 100% | +0.140 | -1.000 | 51.7% |
| 5bb | 100% | +0.124 | -1.000 | 51.2% |
| 6bb | 100% | +0.060 | -1.000 | 50.5% |
| 7bb | 100% | -0.004 | -1.000 | 50.0% |
| 8bb | 100% | -0.188 | -1.000 | 48.8% |
| 9bb | 100% | -0.314 | -1.000 | 48.3% |
| 10bb | 100% | -0.441 | -1.000 | 47.8% |
| 11bb | 100% | -0.754 | -1.000 | 46.6% |
| 12bb | 100% | -0.847 | -1.000 | 46.5% |
| 13bb | 100% | -0.982 | -1.000 | 46.2% |
| 14bb | 0% | -1.225 | -1.000 | 45.6% |
| 15bb | 0% | -1.554 | -1.000 | 44.8% |
| 16bb | 0% | -1.650 | -1.000 | 44.8% |
| 17bb | 0% | -1.899 | -1.000 | 44.4% |
| 18bb | 0% | -2.124 | -1.000 | 44.1% |
| 19bb | 0% | -2.259 | -1.000 | 44.1% |
| 20bb | 0% | -2.374 | -1.000 | 44.1% |
What makes Q8s different from similar hands?
Q8s is 4 combos out of the 1,326 two-card hands and ranks number 52 of the 169 starting-hand classes by equity against a random hand. From the small blind, Q8s shoves at every stack from 1 to 20bb, while Q8o shoves every time only up to 13bb. From the big blind, Q8s calls cleanly 3.5bb deeper than Q8o (13bb against 9.5bb). 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 Q8s?
The stack pages show the full shove and call charts at each depth, and the hands closest to Q8s in strength, along with Q8o, have pages of their own. The combos page counts the specific hands that make up Q8s and how card removal changes them.
How were the numbers for Q8s 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 Q8s a shove at 10bb heads-up?
- Yes. At 10bb the small blind shoves Q8s: shoving is worth -0.105 big blinds and folding -0.500.
- Should the big blind call a shove with Q8s at 15bb?
- No. At 15bb calling with Q8s is worth -1.554 big blinds against -1.000 for folding, so the chart folds.
- Does Q8s ever fold heads-up at 20bb or less?
- Not from the small blind: Q8s shoves at every stack from 1 to 20bb. As the big blind it calls cleanly up to 13bb and folds or mixes deeper.