Mostly in the final stages you're just exercising the same techniques you used for the mid stages, but finer tuned and with more finesse. These techniques will often take you to the final table, but you won't always make it there. Don't feel bad if you go out betting. Atleast you won SOME money. Remember, 92% of the people in the freeroll didn't make it this far. If you make it to the final table, there will usually be a few small stacks who'll probably be out soon without some skill or luck.
If you have not already turned on the aggression, you are running out of time. Every player that gets knocked out generally means more money in everyone else's pocket, so short stacks will be playing tighter than ever. If you are short stacked yourself, look to go all in and double up with the first Ace, King, suited connectors or small pair you see.
The final table is more about chip strength than it is about card strength. Limping is too expensive unless you are looking to trap someone for all of their chips. Raise/Fold and look to limp and trap with big hands. At this point in the tournament, hands will rarely ever go to showdown, and other players will be playing very aggressively as well. Look to trap more than ever. Big cards and pairs are great hands, draw hands are rag hands. Pressure short stacks, and do not let them keep their blinds. If you get a chance to call a small stacks all in heads up, and his all in is less than 10% of your own stack, call with any two cards. The chance to put them on the rail outweighs any card advantage they have at that point.If you are fortunate enough to get down to a heads up battle for first place, look to raise almost every hand, no matter what your cards if the other player is the type who will fold on a regular basis. If he plays back you can fold your junk, but many times the opponent will practically blind themselves out, wilting under the relentless pressure. You should feel much less pressure, because you will keep in mind that you have invested nothing, you are already in the money, and aggressive play is the best method of winning heads up!
