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SB 15 BB Push Chart: Why Shoving Still Beats Raising

SB shoving range at 15 big blinds: 46% of hands — any ace, K6o+, Q4s+, Q8o+ and 76s. Why the shove is still better than a raise here.

Fifteen blinds in the small blind is 89 hands, 46% of combos: any ace, any pair, suited kings in full and offsuit kings from K6o, queens from Q4s and Q8o, jacks from J5s and J8o, tens from T6s and T8o, 76s and 86s.

Push from SB, 15 BB stack

AA
AKs
AQs
AJs
ATs
A9s
A8s
A7s
A6s
A5s
A4s
A3s
A2s
AKo
KK
KQs
KJs
KTs
K9s
K8s
K7s
K6s
K5s
K4s
K3s
K2s
AQo
KQo
QQ
QJs
QTs
Q9s
Q8s
Q7s
Q6s
Q5s
Q4s
Q3s
Q2s
AJo
KJo
QJo
JJ
JTs
J9s
J8s
J7s
J6s
J5s
J4s
J3s
J2s
ATo
KTo
QTo
JTo
TT
T9s
T8s
T7s
T6s
T5s
T4s
T3s
T2s
A9o
K9o
Q9o
J9o
T9o
99
98s
97s
96s
95s
94s
93s
92s
A8o
K8o
Q8o
J8o
T8o
98o
88
87s
86s
85s
84s
83s
82s
A7o
K7o
Q7o
J7o
T7o
97o
87o
77
76s
75s
74s
73s
72s
A6o
K6o
Q6o
J6o
T6o
96o
86o
76o
66
65s
64s
63s
62s
A5o
K5o
Q5o
J5o
T5o
95o
85o
75o
65o
55
54s
53s
52s
A4o
K4o
Q4o
J4o
T4o
94o
84o
74o
64o
54o
44
43s
42s
A3o
K3o
Q3o
J3o
T3o
93o
83o
73o
63o
53o
43o
33
32s
A2o
K2o
Q2o
J2o
T2o
92o
82o
72o
62o
52o
42o
32o
22
PushFold
Small blind shoving range at 15 BB (Nash equilibrium, no antes).

The SB is the only position where the shove at 15 BB remains the main line for almost half the deck. The reason is the structure of the spot: raise-folding against the big blind works poorly — he has the closing position and perfect odds for a re-shove, to which you'll fold everything you raised for. The all-in cancels that option: now he is the one making the decision with the risk attached.

It helps to see how the fifteen differs from 10 BB: K2o–K5o, Q6o–Q7o, J7o, T7o, 65s are gone — the bottom that lived off the stack being cheap. But look at what stayed: T8o, Q8o, 76s. The range is still wider than the button's at 5 BB.

Alternative strategies — limping or a small raise with balanced ranges — become justified deeper than 15–20 BB or with antes; without them, the shove is simpler, harder to get wrong and almost as profitable. Compare with 20 BB, where the choice is no longer clear-cut.

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