Check out the Chip Leader
Most online poker tournaments typically feature big swings in chip stacks over the course of the contest. Once the tournament gets underway, the stacks go up and down. As the blinds get higher, the chip stacks grow faster or completely erode down to nothing.
When you’re playing in a poker online tournament, holding your own in the middle with a medium stack, you must continually remain aware of who is the big stack at your table. If one player has accumulated a huge stack, then that individual might remain chip leader for awhile. But the chips often move around the table, and a new chip leader is established. You should recognize where the big stack is and its position in relation to your seat in the betting order.
Besides noting who is chip leader at any given moment, also make the effort to observe the play so you understand how the chip stack leader got that way. Was it a lucky call or flop? Or is this casino player pursuing an aggressive betting strategy? Were deceptive tactics used? Get a read on the big stack’s style before you go up against this player.
If you’re in a multi-table tournament that consolidates and a new big stack joins the table, then you’ll need to get a read on them too. Make a comment about the stack, and maybe a player who witnessed its growth will make a comment like, “Wow, he really got lucky on the river” that gives you a clue about how the big stack got that way.