I don't think I'll be surprising anyone when I say "David Sklansky is a genius." Sklansky, along with the folks at 2 plus 2 publishing, have put out some of the best all-time books on poker. In one of them, Sklansky reveals something called the "gap concept." He explains that the gap concept governs decision-making in tournament poker based on whether or not your opponent is wearing a smart blazer over top three-quarter length khakis, or a graphic tee with machine washed board shorts. Oh, no, sorry that's The Gap concept.
The gap concept deals with the size of your chip stack versus the size of your opponent's chip stacks, your relative position, and how early in the tournament you are. At its most simple, the gap concept works like this: the better your position, the earlier in the tournament, and the larger your chip stack, the looser you can play. As any of these three factors worsen, you should tighten up.
If you would normally play pocket queens but you are out of position and you are one of the short stacks at the table, you should probably pass. If it was still early in the game and the blinds were low, and your chip stack was one of the largest of the table, then you should probably play. The gap concept itself is not 100% new, is just Sklansky's way of simplifying a number of different factors in making tournament decisions an easier process.
