In regards to tournament play, it depends on what part of the tournament I'm in. If the blinds are low, I can handle the swings of calling stations because at that point I would rather win big pots than slowly chip away. Going broke early in the tournament doesn't bother me. If it allows me to double up or triple up before the blinds escalate then I will happily accept the beats which occasionally send me packing early. Being a big stack in a tournament is a tremendous advantage.

However, as the blinds escalate I would much rather have my opponents fold and just chip away to build my stack. Chipping away and avoiding showdowns quickly adds up in relation to the blinds. Also, any big pots lost at this poing can be crippling.