Advice to tighten NL tourney game?

[bazonkers]

I still have a long way to go in learning to play NL tourneys but I've improved a bunch in the last few months. I've been studying the A-list books hard and practicing. I used to be knocked out of online tourneys in the first 1/4 of the field. Soon that became first 1/2 and now I can pretty consistantly make it to about the top 1/4 of the field. (Even today when my all-in with AA got called and cracked. Finished 27th out of 101. Winning that hand would have put me in 3rd place. See below.)

Any one have any advice what areas to best focus on to help me make it to the final table more consistantly? Are there any areas you feel working on really helped your NL game tremendously? I think I play a pretty good game, I have a good set of starting hands, not afraid to throw in a 4BB raise when the hand and position calls for it, and I'm willing to lay down big pairs etc. when I know I'm beat. Any advice you can give would be great.

I also wanted to post the hand I ended up busting out in 27th with. Any suggestions? Should I have either gone all-in pre-flop or not at all? I guess I should have been concerned about a flush draw or pocket jacks. Anyways, they called me with worse hands, no draw and I lost.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t400 (8 handed)

MP1 (t9528)
MP2 (t38590)
CO (t21315)
Button (t29400)
SB (t15705)
BB (t19770)
Hero (t9630)
UTG+1 (t12058)

Preflop: Hero is UTG with A/images/graemlins/spade.gif, A/images/graemlins/diamond.gif.
BB calls t400, <font color="CC3333">Hero raises to t1600</font>, UTG+1 calls t1600, MP1 folds, MP2 folds, CO folds, Button calls t1600, SB folds, brett66 folds, BB calls t1200.

Flop: (t6575) 8/images/graemlins/spade.gif, T/images/graemlins/spade.gif, J/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="blue">(3 players)</font>
BB checks, <font color="CC3333">Hero bets t8005 (All-In)</font>, UTG+1 calls t8005, <font color="CC3333">Button raises to t16010</font>, BB folds, UTG+1 calls t2428 (All-In).

Turn: (t41023) 4/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="blue">(2 players, 2 all-in)</font>

River: (t41023) K/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="blue">(2 players, 2 all-in)</font>

Final Pot: t41023
<font color="#990066">Main Pot: t30590 (t30590), between Button, Hero and UTG+1.</font> &gt; <font color="white">Pot won by Button (t30590).</font>
<font color="#990066">Pot 2: t4856 (t4856), between Button and UTG+1.</font> &gt; <font color="white">Pot won by Button (t4856).</font>
<font color="#990066">Pot 3: t5577 (t5577), overbet by Button.</font>

Results in white below: <font color="white">
Hero shows As Ad (one pair, aces).
UTG+1 shows Js Qd (one pair, jacks).
Button shows Ac Qs (straight, ace high).
Outcome: Button wins t41023. </font>

[ajizzle]

seems like a pretty standard play. Can't fault you for getting two callers with the best hand. In fact, you made the right play at the right time. I often see inexperienced players wait until the turn to make a move with such a coordinated flop as you had, and they get popped for it.

With no other examples however, it is very hard to give you any more advice. People often think that you should be tight as a rock in NL tourneys, and that is often times the WRONG way to play. Read Tournament Poker for Advanced Players if you haven't already.

Ajizzle