How to play a short table?

I've been playing $5.50 1-table SnGs on Stars, and out of 36 so far my finishes look like:

1. 6 times
2. 3 times
3. 4 times
4. 5 times
5. 7 times

What I'd like to do is improve my play at short tables, but I'm just not getting my late game the way I want it. The best I've been able to do was at the last table I was at (3 handed) where the button folded, SB gave a standard raise, and I called with K2. Flop came AKQ, he bet big, and I reraised him all in. When asked why I didn't give him credit for the ace, I told him my reads were so weak and unreliable late, and the tendency to bluff (esp from short stacks like him) so high, that I was willing to risk 2nd best pair.

I think I need to do better than that, and until I can the blinds will be my worst enemy and I'll keep seeing too many 4th and 5th place finishes.

So, how do you play at a short table? What do you use for reads?

And how can you tell whether the short stack is pushing all-in preflop with TT or 63o? Is there some rule of thumb for when you should call with a hand like AJ or 66, versus just letting the blinds get stolen?