I will try to give as much info as I can on this but this is my first post like this so be gentle.
$3+.30 knockout tourney at Full Tilt with 90 players starting. We are down to 13 people left with top 9 getting paid. My current position was 9th. Blinds are at $500-$1000 with a $125 ante at a full table ($2625 in pot). My stack is 10,500 with the average being around 35,000. Action folds to me when I have pocket 10's on the button. SB has 7500 left after blinds and antes and BB has 31,000. I go all in. SB folds and BB calls with A8o. What I am asking is if there was better way I could have played it. Maybe 2.5-3x raise preflop then moving in when no card higher than 10 came. By going all in, did I make it an easier call than if I had just raised then pushed on the flop? I know you are not supposed to judge by hand results, but what made me question was them hitting a flush when a heart came on turn and river. If I had min raise-push flop, he would have had to call with high card A and a runner runer flush draw.
Another situation that I run into is when I get 66-99 in early position at the final table with an average stack. Fold/Call/Raise?