Independent Chip Model Part 3 – ICM Calculators
This is part 3 of a 3 part series detailing the specifics of the ICM model. The 3rd part of this series will show you the many tools available at your disposal to make ICM calculations in mere seconds. Please read part 1 – Understanding the ICM Model, and part 2 – Using the ICM Model if you are not familiar with the ICM concept.
As you have seen in the previous parts of this series the mathematical calculations on which the Independent Chip model is based are not particularly complex but they are painfully long to complete and impossible to complete in the average time you are giving on most online poker sites. It helps to have a sit and go odds calculator to make these calculations for you.
There are several calculators available that will help you to crunch the numbers to allow you to make the best decision of whether to push/call/fold. Although the software can calculate the numbers very quickly often times you will not have time to enter the data before the clock runs out. Therefore ICM calculators are best used to analyze your post game history to determine whether you made the right calls. This will in turn improve your skills of putting opponents on a range and making the best call or fold.
Free ICM Calculators
There are several free ICM calculators offered on the internet. While these don’t include the more advanced functions of the paid version they offer several functions which can help you better understand ICM and decide whether it is worth investing in a more sophisticated software.
1. Chillin411
Very simple to use, simply enter the prize pool distribution percentage and the amount of chips each player has. The script automatically calculates the percentage chance of each player finishing in the money. This is a very basic ICM odds calculator and it will require some quick mental calculations in order to use during a tournament.
2. ICM Poker
Similar to Chillin411’s ICM calculator, ICM Poker adds a few extra features including the option to display the prize pool % or the place %. Again however this type of calculator is best used to analyze your post game stats and not to be used during a tournament.
Paid ICM Calculators
The SitNGo Wizard (The Best ICM Calculator Available)
The most complete ICM calculator available, SitNGo wizard can analyze post game history from nearly every online poker room. Once the data is loaded it will give you a full hand by hand analysis based and determine the equity of each possible outcome.Additionally you can re-create situations and modify the variables, for example if you folded your QJ on the flop it can show you the possible outcomes in terms of equity gained or loss if you had called.
SitNGo Wizard also features a Quiz Mode. This feature recreates a tournament game and you must determine the best course of action based on the information you are given. It’s a great way to improve your decision making skills in push or fold situations in S&G tournaments.
SitNGo Wizard can also be used during a tournament, simply enter the number of players, chip stacks, and you can either have SitNGo wizard determine a range of hands or you can manually enter it. Entering this information shouldn’t take more than 10 seconds and the software will show you the possible equity outcomes.
Click here to get your free 30 day trial of SitNGo Wizard.
Some may argue that ICM calculators give players an unfair advantage, well at least that’s the way Poker Stars sees it. Poker Stars recently announced that they do not allow ICM calculators to be run simultaneously during a live tournament. Whether the other online poker sites follow suit remains to be seen. In the mean time learn as much as you can with SitNGo Wizard and continue to analyze your post history stats to justify your decisions and see where you made mistakes.
