[Black Aces 518]

I've been a little confused on where I should draw the line on accumulating chips vs avoiding confrontations with other big stacks when I have a big stack already. Here are a couple of hands from a recent tournament I played where I wasn't sure (and still am not sure) what the appropriate lines would be.

The tourney is live, 34 runners, $50 buyin with $10 bounty for each knockout. Structure is WSOP ME blinds/antes with 20 minute rounds. Top 6 are paid: $680, $390, $230, $170, $130, $100.

HAND I
Blinds are 200/400/a50. I have 24K and am the chip leader, approximately 18 players remain. The stacks at my table range from 2K to 21K. The table has been generally tight, and I have played aggressively to take advantage. I just suffered a 6K hit a few hands back.

I get K [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]9 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] in the CO and it's folded to me. I raise to 800 and the BB calls. BB has the 21K stack. Flop comes K96 with one club. The BB checks, and here is my first decision point. I decide that the flop is pretty harmless and slowplaying headsup is the best way to get lots of chips here, and so I check. Agree/disagree?

Turn is the 7 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]. BB checks, and I am not willing to check again, if he has nothing so be it. I bet 2500. BB check/raises to 6000. I have 3 options here, fold, call, push. Folding seems awful, especially given the club draw. Calling and pushing are close to me. I think that the check behind on the flop is going to induce this type of betting from several hands that I beat. If I am beat right now, I should have 7-9 outs at minimum, and as many as 13. Thoughts? If you advocate a call, what is your line on a blank river and he checks? He pushes? Obviously on a K, 9 or club, I'm getting the $$ in the middle.

HAND II
Final table, 7 remaining (6 pay). Blinds 1500/3000/a 300, raising the next hand to 2000/4000/a500. I am chip leader at 70K. The other stacks range from 65K down to about 15K. The next highest after the 65K is around 40K. I have been very active lately. The orbit before this one, I had back to back hands where I raised and laid down to all-in ( I had QT suited on the button, folded to me, followed by 33 in the cutoff folded to me.) The previous hand, I raised to 10K with AK and won uncontested.

I pick up TT UTG and raise to 10K. UTG+1 (the other big stack) calls. Everyone else folds. Flop is 776 rainbow. Here was my thought process, feel free to deconstruct as needed. I almost surely have the best hand. JJ-AA would likely reraise, esp vs the other big stack with 5 players yet to act. The hands I'm beat by right now are 77, 66, and maybe A7, but I think this player would fold here 75% of the time with A7 suited.

Here were my options as I saw them. 1) Bet 10-15K. If I do this, what is my reaction to a coldcall? A push? 2) Check, with the intention of raising. This seemed to be the best way to get money in the pot with what almost surely is the best hand right now. If he pushes, this just clarifies that I have the best hand, and I should call, yes? 3) Open push. This has the detriment of getting no more $$ from hands like AK or AQ, but may possibly induce a fold from JJ and maybe (but probably not) QQ. Slight chance of call from 88 or 99.

I ultimately decided to checkraise. I check, he bets 10K, I push. Thoughts?