Final Table Strategy: Every Elimination Pays the Players Left
Final table strategy follows the pay jumps. Six-handed with stacks of 30,000, 20,000, 15,000, 15,000, 10,000 and 10,000 and prizes of 35, 22, 15, 11, 9 and 8, the chip leader has 30% of the chips but 21.4% of the prize pool. Every elimination lifts the others, and the 20,000 stack has to win 57.3% of the time to call a 15,000 stack's all‑in.
Work out your final table
The calculator opens on this six-handed final table. Change the stacks or the prizes to see the shares move.
Chips and prize pool six-handed
| Player | Share of the chips | Share of the prize pool |
|---|---|---|
| 30,000 chips | 30% | 21.4% |
| 20,000 chips | 20% | 18.2% |
| 15,000 chips | 15% | 16.3% |
| 15,000 chips | 15% | 16.3% |
| 10,000 chips | 10% | 13.9% |
| 10,000 chips | 10% | 13.9% |
Stacks above 15,000 are worth less than their chips and the others more: even the shortest stack is already sure of 8.
Every elimination pays the players left
Player 6 (10,000) loses their stack to player 1 and leaves with the 6th prize, 8. Each player's share of the prize pool:
| Player | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Player 1 (30,000 → 40,000) | 21.4% | 24.4% |
| Player 2 (20,000) | 18.2% | 18.9% |
| Player 3 (15,000) | 16.3% | 17% |
| Player 4 (15,000) | 16.3% | 17% |
| Player 5 (10,000) | 13.9% | 14.7% |
Players 2 to 5 were not in the hand and all gain: one player fewer is one more pay jump for each of them.
Calling an all‑in at the final table
Player 3 (15,000) moves all‑in and player 2 (20,000) calls. The win probability needed, blinds left aside:
| Player | In chips | At the final table (ICM) |
|---|---|---|
| Player 2, who calls | 50% | 57.3% |
| Player 3, who moves all‑in and gets called | 50% | 60.1% |
For player 2, split pots aside (a split leaves both stacks where they were): 9♠9♦ wins 55.7% of the time against A♥K♣ and becomes a fold; A♠K♦ wins 64.4% of the time against Q♥J♣ and stays a call.
How much the payout structure weighs
Same stacks, three ways to pay:
| Prizes (1st to 6th) | Chip leader (30,000) | Short stack (10,000) |
|---|---|---|
| 50, 25, 13, 7, 3 and 2 | 25% | 11.9% |
| 35, 22, 15, 11, 9 and 8 | 21.4% | 13.9% |
| 20, 18, 17, 16, 15 and 14 | 17.7% | 16% |
The heavier the top prizes, the more the chip leader is worth; the flatter the prizes, the closer the short stack gets to the others.
Keep going
- The calculation behind these numbers: ICM poker explained.
- The same logic before the money: bubble strategy.
- The last heads-up: heads-up poker strategy.
- The coinflips of an all‑in: pair vs overcards.
- The value of a decision: expected value.
- One spot every day: the daily poker puzzle.
- Chips and money, format by format: cash game vs tournament.
- When every seat pays the same: satellite poker strategy.
For a practice plan covering every stage of a tournament, see our MTT poker trainer.
Sources
- The prize pool shares are computed with the Malmuth-Harville model by the app's ICM module, and the equities by exact enumeration with its equity module, checked on October 11, 2026.