Big Stack Play in MTT's

Once Down to the last few tables of a multi tournament, often the big chip leaders make many fundamental mistakes with regard to chip management.
I myself have more than once made the error of being over-aggressive and attempting to be the table captain/bully, when with the assembly of the table, the best tactics would be to pick your spots and attempt to go in at least 60/40 against the low stacks.

Often players get blinkered when chip leader two tables out, thinking of victory before it has happened and counting your money. With the size of blinds in most of the tribbeca tourneys I play, it only takes a couple of bungled attempts at a steal making value calls when pot commited, can lead to the players you double up posing a problem in later stages and will make your likleyhood of getting another raise through highly unlikely.

I do a lot of homework on tourneys that i am not involved in often as sad as it sounds, i watch table 1 all the way to the final, in order to make notes on how players play two tables out with a small/big/and large stack.

This may seem a bit anorakish but i am always looking for anything that will give me an edge over my opponents, and i believe that this has given me an idea of how to play my stack against these players if they show up on my table with 18 to go.

Big stack strategy in the latter stages of an mtt is undoubtably more awkward than short stack play,
I believe that you need to give yourself a goal, ie do you want to place top 3, win it, or make final and see what happens. My usual strategy when in a chip lead is to play hands like i had the average stack, maybe loosen up on your raising hands a little, but NOT on your calling hands, put pressure on the blinds occasionaly, but dont take the piss, and try at all times to keep a tight aggressive image even when you are stealing a little.

I havent covered all aspects of Big stack play 2 tables out in an mtt, but hopefully it may help the 3 avid readers of the blog i have got.
I always love discussing any aspects of the game and analysing hands, so if anyone wants a chin wag or has got any good gags up their kipper sleeves

Ping me on msn ricktrigg18@hotmail.com
best regards
tHE clAIMEr