There are several different types of poker players. There are aggressive poker players who consistently make strong bets, there are passive poker players who consistently make weak bets, there tight players who consistently play only strong hands, and then there are loose poker players who play just about anything. There are advantages and disadvantages to each of these player types. For the loose player the advantages are that they sometimes get lucky, especially in the early rounds when most of the other players are playing tightly. They can use their looseness to claim a lot of small pots, blinds, and antes. However, eventually this playing strategy, if not tempered with some self control, will cause the player to be eliminated from a poker tournament. To maximize the benefits of playing loosely in a poker tournament the player needs to know when to use this playing style and when they should not.
Generally speaking it is not a good idea to consistently play loosely during the early rounds of a poker tournament. However, if the player has position and the opportunity to steal a pot because the other players are playing too tightly then they should go for it. The most important unspoken rule in poker is to take advantage of opportunities missed by your opponents. This means steal the blinds when you are in position, resteal the blinds when those in position to steal dont, and steal any pot that is abandoned by others.
During the middle rounds of the poker tournament most of the player in the tournament will begin to loosen up. If you are a player who is a consistently loose player, and you have survived to the middle rounds of the tournament, you can use your expertise in loose playing to claim more pots and to out play your opponents. However, you will now face more competition for the antes, blinds, and pots then you did in the early rounds. To compensate for your increased competition it is a good idea to become more aggressive when you have a strong hand. Try to intimidate the opponents that thought you would be eliminated because of your loose playing. Let them know that you know how to play the game, and that you are in it to win.
During the final rounds of the poker tournament all of the remaining players will be playing loose and aggressive. This means that you too will need to dial things up to stay alive. Targeting short stacks, taking advantage of strong starting hands, bluffing, semi-bluffing, and out posturing your opponents are the tools and strategies that you will need to use to win a poker tournament, especially if you are up against one or more of the worlds top poker players. It is also important that you dont allow your excitement or terror during the final round impair your game or judgement. Again you dont want to go all in with a weak had, nor do you want to fold out of a moderately strong hand. Find a way to balance your plays and hope for your nut hand to come through.