A Marathon Not a Race
One of the advantages of poker tournaments is that they give you a chance to win a large sum of money for a relatively small fee. You also know in advance how much money you will put at risk. The proper strategy in tournaments differs from ring game strategy. While the object in cash games is maximizing your profits, your main objective in tournaments is not to be eliminated.
Be Prepared
Before you enter a tournament, be sure to get all the relevant information about it. Is it a freeze-out or a re-buy tournament? How many prizes are paid and how is the prize money distributed? It is also important to know the blind structure, how fast the blinds increase and how long the intervals are between each raise. All this information will affect your overall strategy.