3rd Place at CPT Event (Canadian Poker Tour)

After 13 hours of slugging it out, I managed 3rd, and here are some highlights and lowlights of the $300 Edmonton tourney. Any comments or analysis would be appreciated. I will try and remember all pertinent facts, although a long night and sheer exhaustion prevent me from remembering everything.

Hand #1: Just moved to a new table mid-way through the tourney, no real good reads, except I can tell the guy 1 off the button is a very good player. He raises 2xbb from that position (wierd for his amount of chips and position, as I am sure you will agree), I look down to find AA in the SB. I decide to flat-call (not my normal play, but I do like to do this from time to time, especially from the blinds), the BB completes. Flop hits QJ3 (2 suits). I check (thinking check-raise), BB checks, 1-off checks. Turn hits A, I check, BB checks, 1-off bets (1/2 pot) - I raise 3X his bet (2/3 of my chips), BB folds, 1 - off pushes. I sit and think for a bit, only hand that has me is the K-10 so I call - he has QQ and I become a fairly large stack.

Hand #2. I am Big stack in the tourney with 3 tables left. The next biggest stack is in seat #2 Todd and I am in late position. Todd (many big hands against him) has been raising a lot and raises 3xbb in this hand. I find AKs and raise 3x his raise and everyone else gets out of the way. He pushes (Looking back on this hand - with the other big stack in the hand, calling should of been the way to go....keep the pot size small)....at this point I am getting 2.2:1 Pot odds and maybe didn't think this one through well enough and call. He holds KK and I am now a mid/small stack.

Hand #3. Final Table. I have pushed numerous times in the last 10 hands as I lost a push against a smaller stack (my stack was 5xbb). I manage to hit some cards to get a decent size stack (10xbb). Early raise - I push all in from mid position with KK. Todd (see above) calls my all in with AK - and I hold, and all of a sudden I am a force at the table again.

Hand #4. Final Table. Blinds are $15,000 - $30,000 antes - about $10,000 for the whole table per round - and I am in mid position (table has been tight - everyone has been playing not to lose, save 1 or 2 players). I raise to $70,000 with AKo and Todd (see above) pushes all in (pushing me all in for my last $140,000 in chips). I again decide to call with decent pot odds and he turns over KK. I hit my ace this time and I am huge. Would any of you guys play this hand differently than Hand #1 and why?

Hand #5. Everyone folds to me in the SB. (BB $30,000) I complete the SB with J6o. BB checks and the flop comes JQ3 rainbow. I bet $40,000 and BB pushes. I do my best Harrington impression to figure out a $60,000 call or fold. I finally decide to call (pot odds were decent, I though J or 6 was an out, and I thought there was a high level of bluffing probability on my opponents behalf) and he flips over junk....ooohhhs and ahhs from the bystanders.

Hand #6. 3 way action - The other two players have been playing to make 2nd place and have even heard them talking about the money (2nd was twice as much as third) and have been playing only pushing premium cards (unfortunately for me they have been hitting all sorts of high PP and high Ax. I have been getting junk for the most part, but have kept in by pushing junk and managing to avoid their big hands. I say push as the blinds are $25,000 - $50,000 and all three of the stacks are close to $300,000....I am on the button and push Q7o....get called by the BB with AQo. I get 3rd. Fatigue might have been part of this play (13 hours straight of poker) but at the same time, I would like to hear thoughts on this play....and maybe where would you draw the line (what cards) for a push here?

Thanks guys.