Please explain this ICM result

[Jonathan]

Hi.

Blinds 200/400/25
Button: 3760
SB: 6075
BB: 3640

SB should be pushing a very wide range here. But BB only calls a small range.
For example, If the SB pushes 60% of his range, then the cutoff point for
calling in the BB is 22%. (I experimented with various pushing ranges using
both SNGPT and SNG Wizard and not surprisingly got comparable results).

But it seems to me that if the SB is pushing such a wide range, then
BB should be calling more lightly than this. Especially since he is the small
stack.

Can someone please give me an intuitive explanation for this very
counterintuitive result?

Thanks,
Jonathan

[wiggs73]

If BB calls and wins, it's still 3 handed.
If BB calls and loses, it's 2 handed and he finishes 3rd.

So to call profitably, BB needs to win the hand much more often than he loses.


Switch the stack sizes in whatever ICM calculator you're using and see how the results change.

[taipan168]

The ICM effect still applies when we're ITM. If BB doubles up his chip stack he doesn't double his share of the prize pool:
- If BB folds, his chip stack is worth 30.3% of the prize pool
- If BB calls and wins his chip stack is worth 39.5% of the prize pool
- If BB calls and loses his chip stack is worth 20% of the prize pool.

Therefore, BB needs to be at least 52.8% to win against SB's range to make this a good call, hence the ~22% call range if SB is shoving 60%.

[rakemeplz]

Gap concept: you'd rather be the pusher than the folder.

ICM: You're up against the big stack, meaning that if you win you could still finish in 3rd place like wiggs said.

Pot Odds: you have 9x the big blind so a call is not justified due to pot odds.

[Jonathan]

Thanks for the nice explnation. Got it.