I haven't used HEM long enough to get representative figures of my finishing position, but I play $22 SnG's on Full Tilt, and have an ROI of 10% across 189 games (only been playing regularly since exams finished a month ago). My cash stats look like this
1st ($90): 29
2nd ($54): 26
3rd ($36): 14
While not a massive sample, it is very reflective of my approach, and I think helps me to profit, my reasoning being, with the rake, finishing 3rd, earning $36 for a $22 buy in is not really a great ROI in the long run if you aim solely to cash, it will hamper your chances of 1st and 2nd place finishes, imo -ve over time.
I play like a nit most of the time, obviously dependant on table until it goes 5 handed, at this stage, my VPIP very often is < 10%. I now open up, and when it goes 4 handed, even though I often have the lowest stack, the players that have played loose and grinded/lucked their stacks at the lower level blinds now tighten up into nits themselves, and I use my tight image and any lucky cards I run into to steal several blinds, and I happily take a flip, I get very good fold
equity on the bubble against most players, I will fold to a shove depending on the player, but I'd rather take a flip and get into a chip lead, where I can then persue heads up, I think if you scrape through into 3rd place with the lowest stack, it is very difficult to get into heads up. I don't particularly mind busting on the bubble, if where the times I win I am guaranteed a shot at the $90 1st prize. I only use OPR, if there are any scopers that can find out how many times I finish 4th, I'd be interested to find out!
Then Heads Up is another different battle completely, even at $22 SnG level, many players are clueless heads up, so even if I enter a dog, I'm confident enough in my tournament HU play to take a shot at the win, and I find you are more likely to win a HU going in with the lowest stack, than you are to jump from 3rd to 2nd. So my main strategy is to get through the first few levels unscathed, playing premium hands only, then loosen up and aim to get Heads Up, not to cash, I believe 3rd place is a phantom bubble