As we all know, the skills required for being a successful poker tournament player are completely different from those required to be a winner at a regular ring table. I once heard the two types of games likened to a short distance sprint and a marathon, respectively.

Comparing tournament play to a marathon makes a lot of sense to say the least, from several perspectives. During the course of a marathon, there's a critical point called the "wall". That is the point where those who stand a chance for victory or a top position are separated from those who don't. In much the same way, tournaments feature a turning point, too.

Following the quagmire in the beginning of the tournament, players who don't belong over the wall are soon eliminated. If you make it to around the 7th level, I think you can rest assured you made it over the wall.

There are a few types of players you can come across in a tourney. First off, at the beginning there are reasonable players and there are the maniacs. Maniacs are of two types. Raving lunatics and calculated maniacs. The first type is most frequent in freerolls.

Their only goal is to make it tough for someone to progress or to ruin someone altogether. They have no intention of finishing ITM, they are just there to get their cheap kicks. These guys stand no chance to get to the wall, let alone progress over it. The other type of maniac pulls some extreme moves early on, in order to attempt to build a bankroll. They figure that if they get lucky they'll become serious contenders, and if not it's better for them to leave the tourney early than struggle through 3-4 hours of play and end up with the same result.Once they get their fill, these guys settle down, and start taking things seriously.

Then, there are the players who take it all seriously from the start.This category can be divided into those who like to hang on to what they have and those who go after what others have. Let's call them harvesters and robbers. The main difference between these two groups is - obviously - in their style of play, but also in their goals: harvesters aim to get ITM, robbers aim to win. Right up at the "wall" the percentage of harvesters is higher compare to that of the robbers, however this percentage will soon shift, as play goes on beyond the wall.

This is the point beyond which the action will favor the robbers more than the other guys, so much so that by the time they reach ITM, there will be about 50% robbers and 50% harvesters. It is generally accepted that by the time the tourney is down to its last 4 players, 3 of them are robbers. The question here is, which one would you rather be? The robber or the peasant? Given the fact that the robber stands a better chance to win a tourney, obviously, that's what you should be. In order to be able to act robber though, you'll need to have a bankroll of at least three and a half big bets.

Don't let confrontation scare you. Remember, you're on the prowl and you're actually looking for the confrontation. If it scares you, you're not robber material. Also, do not be scared of position. If a harvester decides to raise in an early position though, keep your chips out of that hand or you'll get fried. Having played the harvester several times myself, even as I was reaching ITM regularly I could just feel I was not in control of the game, and deep down inside I always knew I never stood a chance to win a tourney. Over the "wall" is where the true essence of poker is showcased in all its splendor.

Poker is a betting game and those who master the betting will prevail over those who don't. It's simple as that. At this stage, things have little to do with starting hand selection and all that baloney. Any hand can win. You only need to make sure that it is your hand that wins.

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