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

The Red zone: push or fold

Pre-flop
Blinds 400 / 800 (100 ante)Pot 2,100 (2.6 BB)Your M = 4 • Red zoneHJA♣7♣● 8,400 (10.5 BB)YOUfirst to actSB● 16,000 (20 BB)posts 400 (0.5 BB)BB● 16,000 (20 BB)posts 800 (1 BB)D

Red zone (M 4). It folds to you in the hijack with A♣7♣.

Red zone, folded to you in the hijack with A♣7♣. Best?

WhyAt M 4 any raise short of all-in just pot-commits you while inviting a flop you can't navigate - so the shove is the only sane bet size. A-7 suited from the hijack clears the bar: an ace to dominate weaker aces, a suit for flushes, and enough fold equity to often just win it pre-flop.
What happensThe blinds fold and you bank the dead money - a clean pickup that grows your stack without ever showing down.
In the Red zone you won't out-play anyone after the flop, so stop trying. Jam the hands that hold up against a calling range or fold, and let the all-in collect blinds and antes.

Red zone (M 1-5): the all-in is your only tool - post-flop play is gone, so every hand is push or fold.