I'm very use to guys calling, trying to catch bluffs. That's typical in high buyin games, just at much smarter times, and that's the reason I value bet the river, because it looked like a bluff that could possibly be picked off by calling.

However, even in $100 SNGs, guys aren't raising bets like these with an 8. In limit, this type of raise may make sense (especially to a fish who doesn't care much since worst case scenario they're only losing 2 big bets by raising and then being reraised) . It doesn't in NL, when that reraise can cost you the pot or your stack if they come right back over the top of you. Its standard NL play at any semi-high buyin game to just call with an 8 here, and these step winners basically play by the book, word for word.