Bad play?

[rolonrolon]

I was close to making the money in a MTT yesterday on Empire but screwed it up.
It was a $5000 Guarenteed with 200 people. We were down to 34 people and top 30 pay. 9 people at the table and a pretty big stack to my left at about 9000 chips.. Blinds at 300-600. I have 5000 chips and I've folded to most of his steals when I just call.
I'm SB. Dealt 10-4o. Everybody folds to me. I try to steal, raise to 1200. He calls. 6 Q 5 on the flop. I raise 1000, he calls. 8 on the turn. I raise another 2000 and he doubles. I'm down to 180 chips or so.. and I really want to make the money. The only thing that can save me, I think, is the 7, he has to have a 10 high beat. So I fold. Was that the right move?
Natually, I got pocket 5's two hands later, went all in and lost.
Blah, so close to the money and I made a dumb play but did I make it wrose?

[gabe]

just fold preflop. that move works well against short stacks on the bubble but not against big stacks.

[Theeggman]

I'm not an expert, but the blind level probably made you pot committed if you were gonna play this hand at all. You should've probably pushed preflop if you wanted to steal or else push the flop regardless of the cards. Your minraise preflop was probably easily read as a weak steal attempt. He probably hit top pair and figured he'd call you down. Either that or he had a real hand and a steal was impossible. If you had put him to a decision for most of his chips I think your chances are better that he'd lay down his hand (and you ended up there anyway). I hate getting myself into these situations - especially so close to the money/FT. I feel your pain as I've done it too many times (even as the big stack).