Newbie to tournaments still- Q: how common is it to sp tp on flop...

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It seems that almost everyone except me slowplays top pair on the flop. Is this standard? They then seem to bet very light on the turn if it gets checked around. I understand the value of tp and the importance of conserving chips and see the positive aspects of this but are there books that recommend this way of playing or is it something that developed naturally? Is it only in the smaller stakes tournaments, and is there no way to take advantage of this play in a meaningful way without risking ones stack? They seem to call bets and raises but then, maybe they're just calling mine when I steal attempt from last position.

thanks for any comments