Strategy for 2 Table Freezeout Limit Holdem Tournament?

[DanTheMan]

I'm playing in the Finals of a Limit Holdem Tournament this weekend.

It is down to two final tables and everyone is in the money at this point. First place gets $25K, second place is $5K, third place is $2.5K and 11th-20th get $200. It will be a day and night tournament which leads me to believe there should be plenty of time to accumulate chips. Everyone that made it to the Finals will start the final day with the same number of chips (T10,000).

I am at least better than the average player in this tounrament and I very may well be top 5. What sort of strategy should I use in order to go after the top spot in this tournament? The prizes are very top heavy so I want to maximize my potential to win. Do I grind it out to make the Top 10 or should I be playing loose from the get go to try and get a huge stack?

[SossMan]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm playing in the Finals of a Limit Holdem Tournament this weekend.

It is down to two final tables and everyone is in the money at this point. First place gets $25K, second place is $5K, third place is $2.5K and 11th-20th get $200. It will be a day and night tournament which leads me to believe there should be plenty of time to accumulate chips. Everyone that made it to the Finals will start the final day with the same number of chips (T10,000).

I am at least better than the average player in this tounrament and I very may well be top 5. What sort of strategy should I use in order to go after the top spot in this tournament? The prizes are very top heavy so I want to maximize my potential to win. Do I grind it out to make the Top 10 or should I be playing loose from the get go to try and get a huge stack?

[/ QUOTE ]

Damn...that's a very, very top heavy prize structure. It would make me want to push my small edges hard. Raising and capping w/ 4 players or more in with a nut flush draw...stuff like that. I would be pretty aggressive trying to build a stack for first place.
It's pretty rare that 1st is 5x 2nd place. I would also be trying to make a deal if I got in the final 5 or so. There will usually be lots of variance at that point, and I think deal making skill could come more into play than poker skill at that point.