Going in for the kill in a game of chance also requires a well thought out strategy. This might depend on the following factors:

1.The size of your chip stack with regards to that of your opponent’s
2.The size of the blind with regards to the size of your chip stack and
3.How keenly you observe the game and assess the situations and gauge the appropriate reaction.

Be that as it may, there is still no telling of what approach one should adopt, as there are no set rules and each case needs a different treatment, generalizing in a game of chance can never help. Also, it is not necessary that a particular trick that you have been employing takes you to the final stages of the game, it will help you win. On the contrary, you might end up poker faced thanks to this very trick. So a particular style of play which saves your face in one situation might blow up in your face in another situation or with another set of players.

When you reach that crucial stage where there are only two players left on the table, every hand dealt can seal your fate in the game depending on whether it is above average or below average, the higher up it is above this mean, the better your chance at winning and vice versa. Most of the hands dealt are decided either before the flop or right after the flop. Remember, stealing your opponent’s blind is very crucial to your game.

Observation

Observing your chief opponent on close quarters for a considerable time should give you a good idea of what their playing style is seeing as you have spent the last few minutes, almost an hour observing them. This insight that you have gained will come in very helpful in deciding what course you should take in the final stages of the game but also remember that your opponent might have a trick or two saved for this stage and banking solely on your observation may not entirely be the best option. Some superficial gestures like abusive language might change into coy behavior when the stakes change, but basic style of play remains the same.

The initial stages of the game with the first three to five hands should provide you with ample time to make all the observations that will help you later, also try to remember any new techniques any of the players use which you can leverage to your advantage later.

Planning is crucial – I

Having a heads up in any tourney is a very similar scenario. It happens all of a sudden and the action is fast and furious. But playing safe and analyzing the game will help you along the way.
Your decisions will always be made depending on the draw of your cards, there are no two ways about it and as there is no guarantee that you are going to be above average or if they do, then that your opponent will want to mix them up when they and the blinds are so high by now that you will not have the extravagance of folding continually as you wait for the sharks.