Do You Always Exit Early in Tournaments?

I don't think of myself as a "great" poker player, but I've enjoyed considerable success in Online Paradise Poker NL Texas Hold'em single table, $20 buy-in tournaments. In fact, I've won the last four tournaments that I've played. In two days my $80 investment returned $400 in winnings.Is it luck, skill or a combination of both qualities? Are my opponents weak or inexperienced players? In analyzing the play at these single tables, a few thoughts partially explain my success:

1. Too many players use the all-in move as their primary weapon and eliminate themselves early-on. They gamble too much with marginal hands for small gains. Their risk/reward ratio doesn't merit such loose play. They exit early.

2. Many players are impatient and give up and push in their chips too quick when short-stacked. They don't pay attention to the blinds and how many hands they're able to play with a small amount of chips. They exit early.

3. Some get pot-committed with draws and call off their chips with poor odds. They can't bear to fold and miss seeing the next card come off the deck. They exit early.

4. Most play any Ace-offsuit from any position, hoping to catch an Ace. When it comes they're often dominated by an Ace with a higher kicker. They exit early.

5. A majority raise into pots when the flop has two overcards bigger then their hole cards. These players pay for foolish aggressiveness. They exit early.

These observations account for much of my poker success. I'm patient, I pay attention to position and I generally use the all-in move when I know that I have the best of it. In other words, I don't gamble much until the game is short-handed and only 3 or 4 players remain at the table. I then shift to a more aggressive style of play, using position as my ally. The next time you're in a NL Hold'em tournament, be patient early, maintain high starting standards, pay attention to your opponents levels of aggressiveness, value table position, and never play trashy Aces, small pairs out of position and dominated face cards. Perhaps you won't exit early and will win the tournament.

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