I am sick of hearing every poker query answered with "it depends." "It depends" is a cop-out by somebody who doesn't need to be second-guessed. I need a real answer, and I need it now!

When you ask a Poker Pro what you ought to do in a specific hand the answer is: "It depends."

Winning poker doesn't "depend." Winning poker requires that you take action. Be aggressive. Be feared at the table.

Here's your mantra for No-Limit Hold'em Poker Tournaments:

Now, repeat after me: "Risk is Lovely."

Risk is Lovely.

The biggest mistake a tournament poker player makes is to think they can basically outplay his opponent and expect to win. It doesn't work that way. This is not a money game where time doesn't matter.

I cannot listen to you-shout it out-"Risk is Lovely!"

And there is also this thing called luck. Even if you have pocket Aces against pocket Deuces, you are going to lose six out of one times. And what if that two times is when your opponent has you covered with more chips? You are out.

This is a tournament where time works against you, as it continues to eat away at your chips with bigger and bigger blinds and antes.
The fact is that you can outplay your opponent and still lose.

A no-limit hold 'em poker tournament requires that you take action, take risks, and not sit back and wait for premium hands. You need to bet. You need to accumulate chips.

You need to embrace the risk inherent in the game. You need to get so plenty of chips, that you can handle a bad beat and still win.

Risk is lovely, because playing safe in tournament poker is a sure way to lose.