At the beginning of a tournament the blinds are often very small and you can play at your full potential i.e your game play is not affected by the size of the blinds (much like in a cash game). As the tournament continues you will however have to consider the size of the blinds. They will undoubtedly become a larger and larger and in the end they might consume your entire stack….hopefully it won´t come to that.

Depending on how many chips you have left (in comparison to the blinds) you will want to adjust your game play. This is called zone play.   

Zone Play is divided into a set of zones where each zone is defined by how many chips you have relative the blinds. By dividing your chip count with the blinds you can calculate you’re so called M value. The M value shows you how many rounds you can play before the blinds “eat your stack”. This M value is also used to define what zone you’re in. If you have 10 dollars in your stack and the blinds total 1 dollar you have an M value of 10 and can survive another ten rounds of game play. 

There are five different zones. These are as follows:

• The green zone. Your M is bigger than 20.
• The yellow zone. Your M is between 11 and 20.
• The orange zone. Your M is between 7 and 11.
• The red zone. Your M is between 7 and 1.
• The dead zone. Your M is less than 1.

Generally speaking you strive to stay in the green zone (naturally). 

The green zone

This is the place to be during most of the tournament. If you are in the green zone the blinds are relatively small and you can raise without crippling your entire stack.

The yellow zone

Since the blinds are now increasing in size (relative to your stack) you have to play more hands and be more aggressive. You will be involved in more hands. In other words you can´t keep playing conservatively as many do in this zone. You have to start playing more hands or slowly bleed to death. One thing to notice in the yellow zone is that small pairs and suited connectors become unplayable. The implied odds for playing these hands are simple not there anymore and therefore these hands should be avoided. (Your stack is not big enough compared to the blinds so playing these hands won´t pay of). At the same time high cards now increase in value. For example AJ unsuited can now be played from middle position. Generally speaking you should play more starting hands avoiding small pairs and small suited connectors. 

The orange zone

In the orange zone game play is much like the yellow zone. Even so you now must get involved in even more pots. Hands with high cards go up in value while small pairs and suited connectors are still unplayable. Another concept now becomes vitally important “First in- Raise”. If your first in a pot you should in principal always raise. This gives you the chance to win the pot straight away and since blinds are large this has become very important. This concept is also applicable in the yellow zone but even more so as your stack dwindles. 

The red zone

You are now in a critical situation and you risk to be eliminated. You can´t raise without putting almost all your chips in the pot. In other words all-in is probably the only reasonable move and probably the only way to take down the pot without being called. Pairs and suited connectors now become playable. Since you are now so desperate “First in – Raise” is the only reasonable play. This will maximize your chances of winning the pot straight away. Position also becomes important. If you are in late position and no one has opened than you might take any two cards and go all-in. The chance of winning the hand straight away (by going all-in) surpasses the chances of picking up a good hand.   

The dead zone

Last but not least. Pick any hand and if it is at least mildly mediocre then play it.

As we mentioned earlier try staying in the green zone. When you approach the other zones start opening up and play more hands aggressively. You have to survive to win!

Pokerbeginner your pokerguide.

ENGLISH

SWEDISH