Questions about when to use ICM.

[Fermion5]

Hello. I've been using the trial version of sngwiz and practicing quizzes. I get the gist of ICM that your decisions should be based on equity of prize pool when near the bubble or ITM in STTs.

Do you use ICM when ITM of a large MTT? ...or when near the final table of a MTT? When does the transition from chip equity to prize pool equity happen in different sized tournaments, from 9 to 2000+ entrants.

I've been using pot odds when deciding to call all in situations preflop in tournaments. For example, I'll call an allin with any ace if I'm last to act and pot odds are 3:1 or better since any ace is at worst ~23% against any hand other than aces. Is this invalid in ICM situations since the pot odds only factors in chip equity and not prize pool equity? Is it a major error to use pot odds when calling shoves in ICM situations?

Also, how does shortstack strategy differ, if at all, in the following situations.
1) early in a large MTT when you are nowhere near the bubble.
2) final table of 45person SNG where top 7 payout.
2) normal ICM such as 4 players left in STT.

Seems like these programs train you how to play in push/fold shortstack situations. Is it correct to apply the training in all shortstack situations listed in 1,2,3?

I apologize if this is OT. Figured this would be the place with the ICM knowledge. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[Insty]

You have not received any answers, because you asked too many general questions.

[Fermion5]

I guess I don't know the proper questions to ask. Am I way off base here?

[Slim Pickens]

Well, some sort of tournament equity model always applies to some degree in a tournament. ICM works well in tournament situations where the differences between chip equity and prize pool equity are significant. It probably applies in any tournament situation, but using a prize pool equity model to make decisions early in a large-field MTT is like applying the principles of Special Relativity to a baseball game.