Now we can look in detail at how to adjust to each stage of play.
The value of your chips stays linear in a shootout, as you need to win all the chips to progress, so if you feel you have a skill edge you should get in as many pots with playable hands as possible in the early stages. This is especially relevant against very weak players who are likely to lose their chips to other players. If you can successfully build up an early lead this will give you some insurance against later bad beats and allow you a chance to come back unless you lose several big hands.
When the stacks are deep you want to be playing all of the usual speculative hands like suited connectors and small pairs, as well as looking for spots to three-bet other players, either for value or as a bluff depending on the situation. In the early levels you want to be somewhat cautious about playing big pots with marginal hands, as losing a significant portion of your chips will make it very difficult to stage a comeback. However, if you do get out in front early you should aim to increase your aggression in an attempt to build an even more dominating lead. Losing a few chips in this situation has less impact since you will still cover most of the other players.
Flopping big hands
When you flop a strong draw or a draw with second or third pair you should play the hand aggressively, as doing so will ensure you either pick up chips without a showdown or end up all-in with decent equity and the chance of winning a big pot. Playing this way also makes it more likely you'll get paid off when fast-playing strong hands like sets and overpairs.
In short, don’t be afraid to gamble with a small chunk of your chips in the early stages where you can win big pots for a small outlay. And if you do win a chunk of chips, ramp up the aggression and try to steamroll the table. If you feel your table hasn’t got many weak players or if you lose a few chips at the start, it’s fine to hang back, wait for the blinds to rise, then start playing 'all-in or fold' poker. If you can find situations to reraise other players and knock them off their hands preflop you may just find yourself coming back to win the tournament.