Opening Level Help of MTT

I've been screwing around with some $1-$5 MTT at PStars, just going to the cash games winning a quick couple of hands and then going into these tourneys. When I enter these things I win 90% of the hands I get in and play good position poker. However, I end up at the first break with just a little more than the chip average (around 4,000 after starting with 1,500).

I'm playing all pocket pairs, raising to steal blinds, which has been working, and calling with hands like KQ s and AJ suited when I have position.

It just doesn't seem like I'm accumulating enough chips to beat these big fields.

I have turned $20 into $220 so I'm afraid of falling back down again, but is that what I should do?

Should I call raises with suited connectors out of position? What do I do?

It seems I put my 4,000-5,000 tournament life on a coinflip 1 hr 30 mins in.

[pfkaok]

1. Read Harrington on Holdem vol 1 for sound advice on early stages of MTT's.

2. There's tons of short term luck in these things, so you'll rarely go really deep without winning a coinflip or 2 somewhere along the line.

[ QUOTE ]
1. Read Harrington on Holdem vol 1 for sound advice on early stages of MTT's.

2. There's tons of short term luck in these things, so you'll rarely go really deep without winning a coinflip or 2 somewhere along the line.

[/ QUOTE ]

I have the book and read it, I will re-read it but I feel like I've showed sound advice. I have followed his raise/position breakdown. It seems to work a little but when I get cards he says not to play to raises (which occur so often) I guess I have to fold.

I need to play some more hands somehow.

[pfkaok]

Well, he does say in there that against very loose raisers, you don't need to apply the "gap concept".

Also, if you haven't read volume 2, that helps a lot if you're having trouble when it gets to be bubble time, or when you start to get short stacked.