poker audiobook - Independent Chip Model (ICM) - Bully Strategies for Tournament Chip Leaders скачать в хорошем качестве

poker audiobook - Independent Chip Model (ICM) - Bully Strategies for Tournament Chip Leaders

You just became the WSOP final table chip leader. What will you do now? 1. Understand What ICM Pressure Means In a tournament, players don’t just care about chips—they care about finishing higher on the payout ladder. Medium and short stacks often avoid risk because busting out costs them real money in prize equity. As chip leader, you can threaten their survival, forcing folds even from hands that might be strong under normal conditions. 2. Target the Middle Stacks Who’s under the most pressure? It’s not the shortest stack—they often have little to lose and will gamble. The medium stacks, however, stand to lose the most in ICM terms. Exploit this by: Opening wider from late position. Three-betting them light, especially if they’re folding too much. Putting them to difficult decisions for their tournament life. These players will fold hands they might otherwise play, like Ace-Queen or pocket pairs, if they fear elimination. 3. Abuse Position Relentlessly Open a wide range of hands in position, especially on tight blinds. Continuation bet often—especially if opponents are ICM-aware and passive. Example: You’re on the button with Q-7 offsuit. The small and big blinds have 15 big blinds each. You can open confidently, knowing they must fold many hands unless they’re willing to risk busting before someone else. 4. Avoid ICM Disasters Yourself Even as chip leader, don’t punt your stack lightly. If you double up a short or medium stack, your power to apply ICM pressure drops dramatically. Don’t call light when a short stack jams, especially when the next pay jump is significant. Remember: your ICM advantage is most valuable when you can threaten others, not when you’re just another average stack. 5. Apply Maximum Pressure on Bubble Situations When one player is about to bust and others are just trying to survive: Open every hand you can when acting before them. Attack their blinds and antes. Use the fact that they’re folding tighter to build your stack risk-free. This is peak ICM exploitation, and good players capitalize ruthlessly. 6. Watch for ICM-Aware Opponents Some players understand ICM and will push back with non-premium hands if they suspect you’re bullying them too hard. Balance your aggression: Don’t three-bet bluff the same players too often. Slow down if you start getting played back at. Adapt based on how opponents adjust to your pressure. 7. Final Table Deal Making You can use your ICM equity advantage as leverage in deal negotiations. If you hold the chip lead: Your ICM share is the highest. You can argue for a larger share of the prize pool, even if others have a skill advantage.