How Low Can You Go? or Where is Your Red Zone?

I am generally a tight aggressive player and I don't have a significant MTT record yet since I only started playing them regularly about a month ago. I have had great success recently, however, finishing with deals at two final tables in low buy in Pokerstars tourneys after having been short stacked on the bubble. I state these results fully realizing that my sample size is very small, but because I'm on a good streak, I don't intend to change my strategy much in the near future. If I'm card dead, my strategy is to generally play tight until I hit 8-10 BBs at which point I go into all-in or fold mode. With an average stack, I rarely make big bluffs (although I have) and tend to wait for a proper starting hand in the "correct" situation. After observing a well-known player bust out of the $200 buy in PS MTT last Sunday on a complete bluff, I have recently begun wondering whether making moves a little earlier, say with about 20 big blinds, might be a good idea rather than folding down into the red zone if I don't pick up any cards. It seems to me that the play is so loose and so aggressive, and more importantly reckless, in the low buy in tourneys that you're better off waiting for better cards (fold equity is too low to bluff the calling stations absent a good read that someone is playing tight) and folding down into the red zone if you don't catch cards. Perhaps you're better off attempting to maintain a somewhat larger chip stack with a few bluffs in the higher buy in tourneys where the players with average stacks are not as likely to call off their whole stack with weak holdings and your fold equity is much better.

Do you generally prefer to wait for a good hand and blind down to the red zone if you're card dead or do you start making moves before you get short stacked and what factors influence your decision? How low is your own personal red zone?

Holdemphile

[oaktoon]

in general, I move before the red zone, however that's defined, and i prefer Harrington's "M" designation. Too much chance of getting called when you're actually in it; too many times where I've won a couple of hands that are simply blinds, and then when I go the third time, someone has woken up to a real hand against me.

Table style does affect this, however-- if it's a hard table to push, then I may be a bit more conservative. But basically if I see a premium hand down to AJ, and there are no raises in front of me, I'm gonna go way before the red zone.

[nath]

I make a move for the blinds and antes whenever I sense they can be picked up.
I'm looking to steal blinds once I go "yellow zone", and even more so as my stack drops.

I think in terms of M, because I envision the amount I add to my stack as another chance to go around as well as greater folding equity.

When I'm in the red zone I'm going all-in because I want to get out as soon as possible. The closer to the top I can stay, the better, so that when I am called, if I double up I'll have enough chips to avoid a sketchy all-in situation and can steal blinds to stay afloat.

If you find yourself frequently short stacked, you are playing your cards too much and not playing poker enough.

[betgo]

As the author of the infamous red zone theory, I don't mind winding up down there. With 20xBB, I would look to steal blinds, but even more to resteal with a reraise allin. You might also be able to limp into some pots. If the table is real loose, I would wait as long as I needed to for a real hand.