How deep can the small blind shove Q9s?
Q9s 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% | +0.153 | -0.500 | 57.7% |
| 2bb | 100% | +0.307 | -0.500 | 57.7% |
| 3bb | 100% | +0.450 | -0.500 | 56.7% |
| 4bb | 100% | +0.489 | -0.500 | 53.8% |
| 5bb | 100% | +0.462 | -0.500 | 51.1% |
| 6bb | 100% | +0.394 | -0.500 | 48.8% |
| 7bb | 100% | +0.301 | -0.500 | 46.6% |
| 8bb | 100% | +0.209 | -0.500 | 45.0% |
| 9bb | 100% | +0.143 | -0.500 | 43.7% |
| 10bb | 100% | +0.049 | -0.500 | 42.2% |
| 11bb | 100% | +0.011 | -0.500 | 41.6% |
| 12bb | 100% | -0.035 | -0.500 | 41.1% |
| 13bb | 100% | -0.078 | -0.500 | 40.4% |
| 14bb | 100% | -0.131 | -0.500 | 39.7% |
| 15bb | 100% | -0.162 | -0.500 | 39.7% |
| 16bb | 100% | -0.157 | -0.500 | 39.4% |
| 17bb | 100% | -0.167 | -0.500 | 39.1% |
| 18bb | 100% | -0.165 | -0.500 | 39.2% |
| 19bb | 100% | -0.195 | -0.500 | 38.7% |
| 20bb | 100% | -0.184 | -0.500 | 38.9% |
When should the big blind call with Q9s?
Q9s calls every time as the big blind up to 16bb. At 16bb its call is worth -1.0000 big blinds against -1.0000 for folding. At 16bb a call breaks even at 46.9% equity, because the big blind has already posted a full blind that folding gives up. Past 16bb the chart folds it.
| Stack | Call frequency | Call EV | Fold EV | Equity vs shoves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1bb | 100% | +0.153 | -1.000 | 57.7% |
| 2bb | 100% | +0.253 | -1.000 | 56.3% |
| 3bb | 100% | +0.273 | -1.000 | 54.5% |
| 4bb | 100% | +0.297 | -1.000 | 53.7% |
| 5bb | 100% | +0.318 | -1.000 | 53.2% |
| 6bb | 100% | +0.297 | -1.000 | 52.5% |
| 7bb | 100% | +0.278 | -1.000 | 52.0% |
| 8bb | 100% | +0.140 | -1.000 | 50.9% |
| 9bb | 100% | +0.056 | -1.000 | 50.3% |
| 10bb | 100% | -0.028 | -1.000 | 49.9% |
| 11bb | 100% | -0.296 | -1.000 | 48.7% |
| 12bb | 100% | -0.340 | -1.000 | 48.6% |
| 13bb | 100% | -0.422 | -1.000 | 48.4% |
| 14bb | 100% | -0.681 | -1.000 | 47.6% |
| 15bb | 100% | -0.950 | -1.000 | 46.8% |
| 16bb | 100% | -1.000 | -1.000 | 46.9% |
| 17bb | 0% | -1.192 | -1.000 | 46.5% |
| 18bb | 0% | -1.359 | -1.000 | 46.2% |
| 19bb | 0% | -1.531 | -1.000 | 46.0% |
| 20bb | 0% | -1.602 | -1.000 | 46.0% |
What makes Q9s different from similar hands?
Q9s is 4 combos out of the 1,326 two-card hands and ranks number 43 of the 169 starting-hand classes by equity against a random hand. From the small blind, Q9s and Q9o both shove at every stack from 1 to 20bb. From the big blind, Q9s calls cleanly 4.5bb deeper than Q9o (16bb against 11.5bb). 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 Q9s?
The stack pages show the full shove and call charts at each depth, and the hands closest to Q9s in strength, along with Q9o, have pages of their own. The combos page counts the specific hands that make up Q9s and how card removal changes them.
How were the numbers for Q9s 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 Q9s a shove at 10bb heads-up?
- Yes. At 10bb the small blind shoves Q9s: shoving is worth +0.049 big blinds and folding -0.500.
- Should the big blind call a shove with Q9s at 15bb?
- Yes. At 15bb calling with Q9s is worth -0.950 big blinds against -1.000 for folding, so the chart calls.
- Does Q9s ever fold heads-up at 20bb or less?
- Not from the small blind: Q9s shoves at every stack from 1 to 20bb. As the big blind it calls cleanly up to 16bb and folds or mixes deeper.