ICM Calculator

Calculate Independent Chip Model equity for tournament situations. See the real dollar value of your chip stack based on payout structure.

Players Remaining

Total Prize Pool ($)

Stack Sizes (Chips)

Player 1

Player 2

Player 3

Payout Structure (%)

1st Place

2nd Place

3rd Place

ICM Equity Results

Player	Chips	Chip %	Chip Equity	ICM Equity ($)	ICM Equity (%)	Difference
Player 1Chip Leader	6,000	50.00%	$500.00	$385.00	38.50%	-$115.00
Player 2	4,000	33.33%	$333.33	$340.00	34.00%	+$6.67
Player 3Short Stack	2,000	16.67%	$166.67	$275.00	27.50%	+$108.33

ICM Insights

Chip leader premium: The chip leader's ICM equity is lower than their chip equity. Big stacks are worth less per chip than small stacks in ICM because doubling your stack does not double your equity.

Short stack squeeze: Short stacks have higher ICM equity than their chip share suggests. Even a small stack guarantees some probability of laddering up into a prize spot.

Understanding ICM

The Independent Chip Model (ICM) converts tournament chip stacks into real-money equity based on the payout structure. Unlike cash games where every chip is worth the same dollar amount, tournament chips have a non-linear relationship to prize money.

Why chip equity does not equal dollar equity: In a tournament, the first chip you lose is worth more than the last chip you gain. If you have half the chips in play, your equity is more than half the remaining prize pool because you are guaranteed at least some probability of finishing in every position. Conversely, the chip leader's chips are worth less per unit than average because accumulating more chips has diminishing returns.

When ICM matters most: ICM pressure is highest on the bubble (the last spot before the money), at final tables with significant pay jumps, and in satellite tournaments where multiple players win the same prize. In these spots, survival is worth more than chip accumulation, and correct ICM play often means folding hands that would be profitable in a chip-EV vacuum.

Note: This calculator uses the Malmuth-Harville model, which is the standard simplified ICM approach. It calculates finish probabilities for up to 3 prize spots for performance reasons. Real-world ICM may differ due to skill edges and positional factors.