[davidross]

I play all 3 hands pre-flop the same way as you. I don't like limping with AJs, I only like limping with pairs which are much easier to play post-flop as far as I'm concerned.

On the first (AQ) hand, you have to fold to the re-raise. Everything about your play says AK and he still comes over the top. My preferred line early in tournaments is to just call the underbet and treatit like a free card. I'm not looking to steal pots until the blinds are more significant and my tight/cautious image is more established, butof course you may want to cultivate a different image.

THe AK hand is trickier, but I can't see betting that flop with 2 opponents and a J and a T on the flop, so you have to fold when it comes back to you.

Hand 3 I'd hate, but I think youhave to fold again. You still have 12 BB's and a glimmer of hope.

FWIW, I played a 10K at EMpire the other night and had AK or AQ in EP 4 times, open raised all of them, and check folded when I missed all of them and saw my chips get down to 500 in the first hour, and came back and won the rtournament, so it can happen. Don't let the frustration of good starting hands and bad flops cloud your thinking.