Even the formidable AA, when played incorrectly, may lead you down a path of ruin. Here, we will attempt to explain which PP's to play, when to play them, how much to bet with them, and when to 'get out of Dodge.'

In the early stage of a tournament (levels 1-3 generally), your primary objective should be to increase your stack of chips by perhaps 50% per level. Avoidance of close decisions involving large pots should be paramount. Thus, small to medium PP's should be played cautiously. Certainly try to limp into as many hands as possible with these cards when the blinds are low in the hopes of hitting your set. Be prepared, however, to exit quickly if you don't hit, or if an apparent draw presents itself on the flop/turn. Survival is the key here. When you do make your set on a safe board, simply try to extract as many chips from your opponents as possible. Multi-way pots, and again draw possibilities may be troublesome. Always be mindful that holding bottom or mid set to the board could send you packing if the pot becomes large.

With the higher PP's (JJ-AA) you want to bring them in for a raise of 3-5 times the big blind if first into the pot. If a raiser enters before you, a re-raise may be in order holding KK or AA in order to scare off the chasers. With the field hopefully narrowed, you can punish the remaining players if a favorable flop comes. Knowledge of your opponent's styles of play is also quite important. Many times in the early stage you will be facing the maniacs and newbies who will call a raise while holding any 2 live cards. Pay attention, and adjust your betting tactics against these players as needed.

The middle stage of a tournament presents more difficult decision-making, based on your chip count. Assuming you are a small stack to the field, you must move up quickly in the standings. We suggest moving in if first to enter the pot with virtually any PP. If others have limped in ahead of you, likewise move all-in if your stack size could still damage those player's stacks. Keep in mind, however, that the very large and other low stacks will be likely to call you.

A mid-sized stack being dealt PP's becomes more problematic. Of first concern should be those players sitting to your immediate left. Are they large, or small stacks? Are they aggressive players? Do they defend their blinds readily? Try to pick on the mid/large stacks as they will be more apt to protect their chips now. In early position, we suggest entering an un-raised pot for a standard raise with only JJ-AA. Middle position should include those hands as well as 88-1010. Sitting in late position, you may open for a raise with even 22, depending on the aggressiveness of those to your left.

Many times you will simply win the pot right away without even seeing the flop, which is fine. If you do get callers though, your instincts and knowledge of the other players will be needed to guide you the rest of the way. In order to make the final table and win, you need to accumulate a fair number of chips in this stage. Understand that these hands can win you vast amounts of chips here, or they can be your worst friend if played recklessly.

The late stage of the tournament (in or near the money), is where the action becomes fast and furious. Chips are being shoved all-in seemingly every hand as players jockey for position. The low stacks will (and should) be going all-in with any PP, regardless of position or the actions of the other players. They simply don't have the luxury of waiting as the increasingly high blinds will soon eat them up.

With a middle stack, raise with your mid/high PP's in hopes of becoming a large stack. Again, try to extract chips from the middle and large stacks as they don't want to become a lower-sized stack at this point. Also, those small and very large stacks will be even more likely to call you now with any 2 decent cards. When you become the large stack, you can inflict considerable damage on the field when you are lucky enough to pick up a mid/high PP. Make a standard raise of 3-5 times the big blind so as not to tip your strength. Most of the time, you will win the hand pre-flop as the others know that they can go broke by playing with you. When you do get called though, you will usually increase your stack by a sustantial amount, ensuring an even better chance at winning the tournament!

Considering the frequency with which you'll be dealt Pocket Pairs, prudent strategy and play of these cards can make the difference in a high final-table finish, or an early exit!

Nick McFadden has been an avid poker player and student of the game for more than 20 years. He is a contributor to the website "Global Poker" (http://www.global-poker.net), which offers tips, strategy, and resources for poker players.