Poker ICM calculator
At a final table, chips aren't dollars. Enter each stack and the payouts to see everyone's real money equity under the Independent Chip Model — and how it differs from a simple chip chop.
Payouts (1st, 2nd…)
1.$
2.$
3.$
Players & chip stacks
- P1$384chip chop $500
- P2$328chip chop $300
- P3$289chip chop $200
ICM converts chips to real money value. Notice the chip leader's ICM equity is lower than a naive chip chop — chips you win are worth less than chips you can lose. This is why short stacks fold less and big stacks pressure more.
Frequently asked questions
- What is ICM in poker?
- The Independent Chip Model (ICM) converts tournament chip stacks into real money value based on the remaining payouts. Because you can't cash out chips directly, a chip you might win is worth less than a chip you could lose — so ICM equity is always more compressed than your raw chip share.
- Why is the chip leader's ICM equity lower than their chip share?
- Tournament prizes are flatter than chip counts. Doubling your stack doesn't double your prize, so the big stack's real-money equity sits below a naive 'chips × prize pool' chop. This is the math behind playing tighter as a short stack and applying pressure as a big stack.
- How is ICM calculated?
- This calculator uses the standard Malmuth–Harville model: your chance of finishing in each paid spot is proportional to your share of the remaining chips, summed across all finishing orders.
Splitting a prize pool to start with? See the payout calculator.