Just how bad was this play?

[RobMay]

I played a careful game to get into the money, but 2 mates were watching me play so for some reason I go and do this:

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t150 (3 handed) converter

Hero (t2315)
Button (t4820)
SB (t6365)

Preflop: Hero is BB with 9[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 9[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img].
<font color="#CC3333">Button raises to t400</font>, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, Hero calls t250.

Flop: (t875) T[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], 2[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 7[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
Hero checks, <font color="#CC3333">Button bets t300</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to t1915</font>, Button calls t1615.

Turn: (t4705) 3[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>

River: (t4705) K[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>

Final Pot: t4705

Results in white below: <font color="#FFFFFF">
Hero has 9h 9s (one pair, nines).
Button has Kc Tc (two pair, kings and tens).
Outcome: Button wins t4705. </font>

Obviously I got a load of stick from the guys watching. I tried half-heartedly to justify it - something about wanting to see a flop so I could push if it look safe, or get out if it looked bad.

Was this an plain awful play, or merely ill-advised?