Help w/ No Limit Tournaments

[Power Poker 1]

I have been playing regular No-Limit (Online & Cardrooms) both ring games and Tournaments for about a year. I have read numerous No Limit books from the top pro's (Brunson, Cloutier, Helmuith, and my favorite Harrington). Although I have been having fair results I have recently been fairing much better in larger tournaments. I have had 3 recent in the monies in tourney's with over 100 people and feel confident that I can compete. Yesterday I was the chip leader all the way form start till the in the money but put my chips at risk a few times and wonder if I played them right. I was playing tight and then aggressive when I was in the hand but picked up mid pocket pairs a few times and raised 4-5 times the blinds in position. Both times I was called and raised all in by much smaller stacks and called there all ins. Both times I went up against A-K A-J type hands and eventually lost on the river both times. My mindset was that as the pack was slowly catching up with the average chip stack gorwing I need to play these. Losing both of these hurt and suddenly I was scraping with blinds with the rest. Should I have been tighter and folded, not raised and attemped to see the flop to try to get trips. I ended up getting 16th place out of 179 and bairly doubled my entry. looking for the big payout and a win??????

[ajmargarine]

Without exact chip stack totals, it's hard to say. You can't be faulted for the first one for sure. The second one is more dependent on the stack situation. Look at it this way, you had 2 players covered, and all in, and you had the better hand both times going in. That's what you want. Just a bad break that you didn't win at least one of them.

I play pocket pairs in tourneys the same way you did (especially if I have a nice stack). Raise preflop, a 3-4xBB takes the blinds right there alot. If you get played back at, it just depends on the other player(s), the stacks, where you are at in the tourney (ITM or not, bubble), etc. as to what you will do.

[Power Poker 1]

Here's the deal. I had over three times the average the first time I called the all in. Both times I called players who were fighting the blinds and had below average chip counts.