ICM (Independent Chip Model) is the mathematical model that translates tournament chips into real dollar value. It's the foundation of every correct decision in bubble stages, Final Tables, and satellites. If you play tournaments without understanding ICM — you're losing money in places you don't even see. This guide gives you everything you need.
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ICM says: your chips in a tournament are not worth their face value. The 1000th chip you win is worth less than the first 1000 you won. That\'s because tournaments pay by place — not by chip count.
ICM calculates the probability of each player finishing in each prize place based on stack sizes, and converts it to expected $$. This is called the "ICM Equity" of the stack.
Say you\'re on the bubble, 5 players left, places 1-4 pay. You\'re the Chip Leader and a Short Stack shoves. AK vs JJ = 43% equity — in ChipEV terms this is a trivial call.
In ICM: if you lose this hand you drop to medium and hurt your chance of winning badly. The downside is much larger than the upside. ICM says fold AK. It seems crazy — but it\'s mathematically correct.
On ClubGG there are tournaments at every hour of the day, from satellites to big GTDs — the perfect arena to practice ICM in real conditions. Recommended tools: ICMizer, HRC (Holdem Resources Calculator). Join the club.
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