Master The Basics of ICM With 888poker’s Ian Simpson
Summary
Independent Chip Model (ICM) converts tournament chips into cash equity by accounting for all remaining players’ stacks and the payout structure. 888poker ambassador Ian Simpson breaks down practical ICM situations — including a telling satellite bubble hand where ace-queen suited should have been folded — and explains how stack size radically changes correct play near pay jumps. Simpson’s advice focuses on recognising spots where preserving your stack is more valuable than accumulating chips.
Key Points
- ICM is a tournament-specific calculation: chip counts don’t equal cash value as they do in cash games.
- Short stacks should prioritise survival and tighten up to increase the chance of cashing.
- Chip leaders can leverage pressure and blocker hands, but must still manage ICM risk.
- Medium stacks are the trickiest — losing to a short stack can drop you into a desperate spot while bigger stacks can eliminate you.
- ICM can justify folding very strong hands in specific spots; Simpson’s ace-queen example highlights this counterintuitive but important principle.
- Studying the basics of ICM is worthwhile: the situations are less frequent than other concepts, but decisive when they occur (bubbles and final tables).
Why should I read this?
Short and sharp — Simpson turns a tricky maths concept into real, table-ready advice. If you play tournaments and want to stop throwing away chips on bubbles, this will save you money and grief. Watch the video, learn the spots, and stop folding or calling on autopilot.