Tips from the best: Phil Hellmuth said to play small pots when you have a lot of chips. When you get near the money bubble or other significant points (such as the redraw at one and two tables), recognize who is playing tight to just get there and who is taking advantage of the situation by playing loose.
John Chan said, one big difference in the 1980s (when I won two titles) and today is that back then I knew and had played with every player, while today I have known no one at my starting table the past few years. In the 2010 Main Event I was moved to my second table and the very first hand was faced with an all-in from a player I had never seen. I pick up pocket kings and call. He turns over pocket aces and my tournament is over. This went against my basic tournament philosophy of not risking my tournament life with less than the “nuts”(early in a tournament). Another major difference today is the players are mostly under 30 and the players used to mostly be over 30.
Joe Navarro (a former FBI agent who specializes in tells), said pursed lips equals a big hand, and crossing and uncrossing legs also means the player has a big hand. Opponent bets and looks away with seeming little interest means the player probably has a big hand. Opponent bets on the end with a shaky hand – although many players think this tell shows weakness, it actually shows strength since the player betting is releasing tension and has a big hand.
