[holy32]

Just a quick comment on C).

You're asking "why should I risk my stack now if I can get it in better later". This is where I can see you missed the whole point of ICM.

If you assign ranges correctly (for the sake of this example let's say perfectly) you will make the equivalant of real money dollars when you make a +EV push/call. There is no disputing this point.

If a guy bet the river in a cash game and you can see his cards and know you have him beat, you wouldnt fold either, right ? Right, because it's throwing away money. Same thing is true for +EV situations. If you know a push/call is +EV, you are going to make money in the long run by pushing/calling instead of folding/waiting.

Of course there are situations in which pushing/folding are close. Here is where the "edge" comes into play (sngwiz uses the term, you can call it whatever you want). B/c none of us can assign ranges perfectly and there is always the chance of someone to act behind you busting without you pushing (which is +EV for you), you will sometimes pass up on marginal situations as it is possible they are -EV (if you assigned wrong ranges) or someone might get busted which is more +EV than your push.