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ICM calculator

Chips are not cash.

In a tournament the chips in front of you are not worth their face value. The Independent Chip Model converts every stack into real prize-pool money — and the gap will change how you play.

The idea

Big stacks are worth less than they look.

ICM compresses the value of a big stack and lifts a short one, because prizes are capped — doubling your chips does not double your money. That is why you cannot risk chips in a tournament the way you would risk cash one for one.

ICM calculator

The table stacks and the prize split.

Stacks (chips)

Player 1
Player 2
Player 3

Prizes

1st place
2nd place
3rd place
Player% chipsICM value% prize
Player 154.3%3974.9339.7%
Player 232.6%3415.3734.2%
Player 313.0%2609.7026.1%

Look at the gap between "% chips" and "% prize": ICM compresses the value of big stacks and lifts the short ones. That is why in a tournament you cannot risk your chips as if they were cash one for one.