I believe the best type of tournament player is a player who can ‘shift gears' at anytime during the course of a tournament.  One who can get a feel for the table he/she is at and adjust their play accordingly.

You can get that feeling online as well just by the way the other players bet, how long they take to act and their actions on previous hands.  That's why its important early in the match, when you are folding a lot, to keep your eyes on the table and be mindful of what is going on in pots you are not involved in.

Let me give you one example.  About a week ago I was in an 18 player sitngo and early on in the match I noticed a particular player in a lot of hands.  He almost always made a continuation bet after the flop and he always folded to a raise when he had nothing and would reraise big if he had something.  So when I had position on him and he bet I would raise him before the flop.  The 1^st time it happened he used up all his time and folded.  It was like a deer caught in the headlights, he just froze.  I did this a couple times and each time he folded.

These early reads can be put to good use once you are approaching the money.

Now I must emphasize that there are really 2 options here.  Do you want to make the money or do you want to win the tournament.  Both are admirable goals to have.  Many people play to make the money.  Sometimes I want to be sure and ‘get paid' so I will play to make the money.  I would say most of the time though I want to win the tournament.

If you want to make the money you will not want to be playing in many pots.  When you do you will be in position to make the correct play.

Your chip stack has a lot to do with it as well.  Its easy to say "don't play a lot of pots" but if you're the short stack the blinds will eat away at your stack(or whats left of it) and you will eventually be forced to play a hand you do not want to.  If you have been playing really tight and are the short stack approaching the money maybe its time to shift gears and start pushing with reasonable hands in position.  You will probably steal a few blinds as the other players will be respecting your tight image.  While you are becoming more aggressive at the bubble, others may be tightening up to make the money.  Use this to your advantage.

If you have a big or average size chip stack its easy to play super tight and wait for bubble boy to fall, hence making the money.

Most of the time though, I play to win.  If I notice most players starting to tighten up as the bubble approaches I will loosen up my starting hand requirements a bit and put in some healthy raises, in position, to take a few pots.  If I'm at a table of gamblers I'll tighten right up and wait for premium hands to double up with.  That's just what happened 2 nights ago when I was playing a 9 player tournament.  I saw quickly pots being raised and players betting with sub standard hands.  I doubled through a player early on when my full house beat his 2^nd best pair.  I waited and doubled again at the bubble when the chip leader got it all in with A 3 on a flop of 3 K 10.  Oh, I had KK !  I love being at a table of gamblers.  Patience will win you the tournament.

At the bubble you must be able to shift gears depending on your chip stack, your early play and the play at the table.  There's no doubt you will risk more if you choose to make winning the tournament your goal.  You will not make the money as often but chances are when you do you are in the chip lead or close to it.

You act based on what your goal is, to make the money or to win the tournament.