Part: Part Nine - Inflection Points: M, Q & the Zones

The Orange zone: be the aggressor

Pre-flop
Blinds 400 / 800 (100 ante)Pot 2,100 (2.6 BB)Your M = 8 • Orange zoneCOK♦9♦● 16,800 (21 BB)YOUfirst to actSB● 16,800 (21 BB)posts 400 (0.5 BB)BB● 16,800 (21 BB)posts 800 (1 BB)D

Orange zone (M 8). It folds to you on the cutoff with K♦9♦.

Orange zone, folded to you on the cutoff with K♦9♦. Best?

WhyFolded to you on the cutoff, only three players can wake up behind you, and K-9 suited plays fine the times you get called. Coming in with a raise lets you take the blinds and antes uncontested most of the time - exactly what you want at M 8. Limping surrenders that fold equity; folding a hand this playable is too meek at this depth.
What happensYou raise, the blinds release, and the dead money is yours - initiative claimed without a showdown.
In the Orange zone the first-in raiser wins pots nobody contests. Enter aggressively with playable hands and let fold equity do the heavy lifting while it still exists.

Orange zone (M 6-10): the initiative is the prize - be the first raiser so the pot can be won before anyone sees a flop.