Down to 5... common situation

[Sidekick]

PokerStars! $5.00+$0.50 SnG.

We are down to 5 players. Two of the players were at less than 800 chips a dozen or so hands ago, but have managed to remain alive and BB has improved into being a threat again due mainly to being aggressive post flop. The two big chip stacks have been playing very weak.

I've seen all of the players playing marginal hands, so I would have to say that the table is loose, but none of the remaining players are complete goofballs either.

It has been several passes around the table since I have entered a pot, due to poor to marginal hands and waiting for the big stacks to take out the two short stacks. I figured I would be willing to play a marginal hand in order to try and bust out one or both of the short stacks since the bigger stacks didn't seem to want to play aggressively.

What I'm trying to figure out, is should I just continue to play premium hands and steal as the occasion demands or try and bust out at least one of the short stacks? Normally I'm willing to let things run their course, but some tourneys (and this one was a good example) the chip leaders don't finish off the short stack(s) when they are down and then the short stacks come back to be contenders/winners.

Here is the hand. All comments are greatly appreciated.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t100 (5 handed)

UTG (t560)
MP (t3670)
Hero (t2788)
SB (t4347)
BB (t2135)

Preflop: Hero is Button with 9[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], Q[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img].
UTG folds, MP calls t100, Hero calls t100, SB completes, BB checks.

Flop: (t400) K[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 9[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], Q[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="blue">(4 players)</font>
SB checks, BB checks, <font color="CC3333">MP bets t200</font>, <font color="CC3333">Hero raises to t600</font>, SB folds, <font color="CC3333">BB raises to t2035</font>, MP folds, <font color="CC3333">Hero ???</font>.

[tigerite]

Perfect opportunity to steal, raise to 400 preflop. If played back at from MP or either blind you can safely fold, and haven't done your position any harm. Limping is very weak/tight here, especially with a poor/marginal hand like this. UTG is out of the pot and he's your only "worry" because he may go all in to any steal if he has any kind of hand, and then you have to showdown a steal attempt, and your raises gain less respect (though, even this, you can use to your advantage).

[captZEEbo1]

preflop should've raised probably. On flop, you call...it's unlikely you are behind. If you are, oh well.

[gazarsgo]

this is an easy call for me at the $5.50 position. He's most likely playing off of KJ or a flush draw from my experience of $5.50 players -- if he's got KQ or otherwise has you beat, you're not down and out so you can't be too upset.

It's way too passive to fold here IMO, mostly because you beat any ace here. This is about the time that I see people limping AK and AQ...