In most tournaments the top ten percent of finishers are paid. These people are said to have finished "in the money." As you get closer to being in the money, play tends to tighten up considerably. People with small stacks are hoping they can hang on long enough and those with medium sized stacks don't want to make a big mistake with the money so near. This is the stage where if you have the courage to make some bold moves you can move up quite a few positions.
You have to be very careful when picking your spots. You do not want to tangle with a big stack here. You should have a good sense of who is desperate to make it into the money - these are the players who will be the easiest to bluff.
Because people are playing tighter than usual, a medium-sized raise here will have a similar effect that a large raise normally would, so this is a stage of the tournament where bluffing more is a good strategy. Don't be afraid of loosing your tight image - it is far more important to accumulate chips than to worry about image. In fact once you get in the money you want that maniac image.
If you do catch a big hand, play it exactly like you are running another bluff. If you change your betting pattern your opponents will notice and will know by the size of your bets if you are bluffing or not. Do the same thing whether you have A A or 7 2.
Don't be afraid to throw your hand away if someone plays back at you. Shrug it off. Forget about it. You only bet a modest amount anyway. If you are no longer getting any respect then it is more likely your legitimate hands will get paid off.
Pick your spots (your opponents) and attack.
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