In a the blinds go up and your stack gets shorter. When you drop to ~10 or fewer, even a small raise commits you: the clean play is to or .
Why all-in?
Pushing adds two ways to win: your opponent folding (fold equity) and, if they call, your equity at showdown. With a short stack that's more profitable than raising small and having to decide postflop with no chips left to maneuver.
The effective stack rules
| Effective stack | Strategy |
|---|---|
| 15bb + | Raise normally; you can still fold to a 3-bet |
| 10–15bb | Push/fold zone; push wide from late position |
| 7–10bb | Push often; look for fold equity |
| < 7bb | Push almost any playable hand; survival |
The later your position, the wider you push (fewer opponents left who can wake up strong). Nash charts give the exact ranges by stack and position — but the intuition is: short + late = very wide.
💡 Clave: Stack ≤ 10bb → push or fold. More position = wider. Fold equity is your best friend.