Play tight early and just survive. I'm not saying fold every hand but only play premium hands. You obviously want to be winning chips but don't try to do it in high risk situations.
In the middle levels I usually get more aggressive with the main goal being to accumulate as big of a chip stack as possible, steal blinds, take down pots, and don't be afraid to take risks, you're probably going to have to win a few coin flips to win a big tourney, this is the time to do it.
When I get to the later levels and the field starting dwindling down I like to combine both of these strategies. Playing tight and surviving will get you more money as people get knocked out, but playing aggressive and getting more chips is a higher risk and higher reward strategy. At this level the competition is usually pretty good so just play smart and know when to mix it up every know and then.
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"When I cut my finger, that's a tragedy. When you fall down a manhole and die, that's a comedy." -- Mel Brooks
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