How many times in the top 20 before u made a final table.

[flopquints]

around 30-40 people left, i focus on stealing blinds, and always remember that my goal is to make the final table, so i make decisions to that end. getting some good hands and flopping trips in the big blind always helps. Seriosuly, when it gets down to two tables, i try to figure out how many chips i will need to be at FT and compete for the win, and I just try to make it happen.

[PokerGoblin]

It is only once you get to the final table that finishing higher becomes paramount. Usually, the payouts go in increments of 10 places, so finishing 11th is the same as finishing 20th.

That being said, theres nothing really special about blinding your way to the final table just to say that you got there. You are better off taking risks that may cripple you or eliminate you, when the reward is a better chip position to possibly go far into the money. Generally, 10th place doesn't pay much more than 11th place anyhow.

To answer your question, I really don't know how many times it took before I broke through. I do know that tournaments are kind of like babysteps, it used to be a big deal to make it in the money, then I became more concerned with just finishing as high as possible, then I slowly developed a strategy that takes survival, chip accumulation and advancement all into account. I've had several results where I took a risk and lost where I could have placed higher had I played more weak tight. My general philosophy is, I didn't sit here for 3 hours just to win a few bucks, especially cause once you get there the real money is within reach.

Probably 10 to 15 top 20 finishes before I finally broke though, if I had to guess.

PG