Win! Win! Win?

I suppose the way you're going to digest this installment depends to a certain extent on your personality, your mindset and your objectives.

Why are you entering a tournament? Is it to be one of those people who lands "in the money"? Is it just for the experience? The fun of it? Or is the goal to win?

No one here is going to tell you in a black-and-white fashion what the right or wrong approach is. As we stated, it all depends on what you're looking to get out of the whole experience. But if you are looking to make a profit out of tournament play, you have to win or come pretty close.

And if that's what you've resolved yourself to doing, you have to approach the tournament accordingly. That means you're carrying a certain attitude into play. That's the attitude that you are going to commit to being more aggressive than in a normal table game; take more chances, and what may be most important - you are not going to be afraid to lose. There is a liberating aspect to that, because if you're not afraid of losing, you're going to feel more freedom to put yourself out on a limb. And generally, if you are successful in doing that, you are going to stand a bigger chance of coming home with the big prize.

So playing "not to lose" might just afford you a better chance to win.