Need advice on a tricky hand

[KSakuraba]

50+10 live tournament, ~40 players,down to 11, top 8 or so get paid. My table is six handed and i am an average stack of ~4500. In my table sits also the overall chip leader with about ~15000 chips and he had been bullying around pretty much lately.
Blinds are 150/300, i'm just right of the button, everyone folds to me and i see Ac8c in the hole.
I had been pretty quiet lately and was thinking that this could be a great place for blinds steal and made it 900 to go,everyone else folds, Chip leader calls from the bb.
Flop:
8s7d2s
Villain bets 500
I make it to 2000
Villain hesitates a while and calls.
Turn:
Js
Villain puts all-in
I fold. /images/graemlins/frown.gif

So i ended up with just above 1000 with blinds coming up and got busted few rounds later with KQ vs 22...sad ending to a nice tourney...

How bad was the preflop raise? I havent been as mad about that than not pushing on the flop, would that have made more sense? Im lost, help me!

Thanks...

[E-Fantastic]

I think the problem was your play on the flop. When he raises to 500, you can't raise to 2000 unless you are willing to put all in on the turn. You've basically committed yourself. If you are playing another average stack you can make the 2K bet, but against the big stack his cards are irrelevent. With the big raise pre-flop, he's putting you on overcards most likely, and thus thinks his cards are probably good and doesn't might pushing you on the turn.

[Rushmore]

One thing that might help:

Forget the bubble entirely. Play for the top five spots only.

That way, when he bets at you on the flop next time, you'll just push, giving yourself that much more of a chance to push him off his hand. You said he thought a bit before calling the $2K. He might well fold to a bigger raise then, right?

[kenstall]

Why re-raise to 2K on the flop? That leaves you with ~1600 and the villan has 3:1 odds to call and he'll be getting 5:1 to put you all in on any turn card. If you push on the flop, he has 2:1 and you may take it down right there.

On the turn you must call.

[jojobinks]

agreed about pot-committedness. i want to second pushing the flop, if you think you're best.

[Bernas]

If you were willing to raise to 2000, then you probably thought you had the best hand. If that is the case you should have pushed.

Cheers,
Brad

[fnord_too]

Pre flop is fine. Push the flop, betting 2k, as pointed out, is the same as pushing since you HAVE to see a showdown here since you have a hand and the pot is so much bigger than your stack. The way you played it, you have to call the turn. The, you are getting over 4:1 there, but more importantly you have 3BB if you fold. You have second pair best kicker, you have to call.