NOVICE VIEW - Playing A Little Looser

In the last few days I have been focusing on my discipline, I still find at times that I tend to make stupid calls, especially towards the end of the tournament. Perhaps the most frequent one is "You can`t possibly have a better hand than mine - all in - take that!". From doing some reading, and playing more often, I can sense that this is a major problem for a novice, i.e. when to lay down a good hand. So I have really been concentrating on this.

I am stilling playing very tight, but I have discovered that this strategy is obviously flawed if you just don`t get the cards. So after consulting with Marc a couple of days back, we discussed a strategy of playing a little more "loose", if the situation calls for it.

In essence, I have been betting aggressively with good cards only (e.g. pairs, high connectors and, to a lesser extent, high suited connectors). I have played a couple of games where I`ve relaxed this requirement a little. For instance, playing A9 in late position if these haven`t been any bets, or very small bets. I have followed the same strategy with slightly lower suited connectors, e.g. 9 T suited. This has already made a difference, as I am getting into a few more hands that in the past (last night, I drew two flushes that I would never have had an opportunity to get in the past). I finished up in the money in my last two tournaments, and I felt I was very unlucky to get knocked out in heads up (once with JJ and once with AQ).

I am, on the odd occasion, calling with unsuited connectors (only with a face card), but I am only doing this if I already have a nice sized stack. Is this good?

Two more things that are starting to bug me are loosening up my play towards the bubble and after. It`s quite tricky if you use a tight strategy. The other is size of bet (at any time). The latter I find especially hard to judge.

The final question I have is ho in fact to play suited connectors before the flop, and how to bet, depending on position.