Poker ICM Calculator
Enter the remaining chip stacks and the payouts, and see what each stack is really worth in dollars — plus an ICM chop next to a chip chop for making a deal. Computed live in your browser.
How to use the ICM calculator
Enter the stacks. One chip count per player still in the tournament or sit & go.
Enter the payouts. The prize for each paid place — 1st, 2nd, and so on.
Read the equity. Each stack's real-money value, plus an ICM chop vs a chip chop for deals.
The calculator turns chips into cash. Type each remaining player's stack and the prize for every paid place, then hit Calculate ICM. You get every stack's dollar equity, its share of the remaining prize pool, and — for deal-making — what each player would receive under a fair ICM chop compared with a naive chip chop.
How ICM works
The Independent Chip Model assumes your chance of finishing first equals your share of all the chips in play. From there it works down the ladder: your chance of finishing second is the probability that some other player finishes first and then you finish first among everyone who is left, and so on for each paid position. Multiplying each finish probability by the prize for that place and adding them up gives your stack's dollar equity. This is the standard Malmuth-Harville method used by every serious ICM tool.
The key consequence: chips you can win are worth less than chips you can lose. Doubling your stack does not double your equity, because the payout jumps are fixed. That asymmetry is why correct tournament play near the money is tighter than raw chip math suggests.
ICM chop vs chip chop
When players agree to end a tournament early and split the money, a chip chop divides the remaining pool in proportion to chips — which systematically overpays the chip leader. An ICM chop pays each player their true equity, reserving more for the short stacks because they are still guaranteed to ladder up when others bust. ICM is the fairer default for a deal, and this tool shows both figures so you can see the difference before you agree to anything.
A worked example
Three players are left for prizes of $500 / $300 / $200 (a $1,000 pool) with stacks of 5,000, 3,000 and 2,000. A chip chop would pay the leader 50% of the pool — $500 — but ICM values that stack at only about $384, because holding half the chips does not guarantee first place. The two shorter stacks are each worth more than their chip share (about $328 and $289). That gap is exactly what ICM protects, and why the chip leader should usually want a deal while the short stacks should be wary of one.
When ICM matters
ICM pressure is highest on the bubble and at the final table, where adjacent payouts are far apart relative to the blinds. In those spots you need much more equity to stack off than chip-EV implies. Learn the theory in what is ICM in poker and how ICM is calculated, and see the bubble in bubble factor.
Frequently asked questions
What is an ICM calculator?
An ICM (Independent Chip Model) calculator converts each player's chip stack into a real-money equity — the dollar amount their stack is worth on average given the remaining prizes. It's the standard way to value stacks near the money in tournaments and sit & gos, because chips don't translate one-to-one into cash.
How does the ICM model work?
ICM treats each player's chance of finishing first as their share of the chips in play. It then works down the payouts: the probability of finishing second is the chance someone else finishes first and you finish first among the rest, and so on for each paid place. Summing those finish probabilities times the prizes gives each stack's dollar equity. This is the Malmuth-Harville method.
What is the difference between an ICM chop and a chip chop?
A chip chop splits the remaining prize pool in direct proportion to chips, which overpays the big stack. An ICM chop uses each stack's true equity, which reserves more for the short stacks because they are still guaranteed to move up if others bust. ICM is the fairer basis for a deal; this tool shows both side by side.
When does ICM matter most?
On the bubble and at the final table, where the gap between adjacent payouts is large relative to the blinds. In those spots a chip is worth less than its face value, so calling off your stack needs far more equity than raw chip-EV suggests — the core reason ICM changes correct play.
How many players and payouts can I enter?
Up to nine players and nine paid places. Enter each remaining player's chip count and the prize for each paid position; the calculator returns every stack's ICM dollar value and percentage of the remaining prize pool.
Is anything saved or sent anywhere?
No. The whole calculation runs in your browser. Nothing you type is stored on a server or uploaded.