Tournament Blues and sub-minimum wages

Not running well in tournaments lately, and cash games not much better.  Yesterday played 60 player turbo and finished in around 30th place.  I then lost a seat in omaha game and waited 2 hours to get in.  3 hours later cashed out for $11 profit.  Woo hoo.  Got stuck early about $150, so was happy to finish up, but still a bad day.  I did validate my $20 free tournament entry by plaing 2 hours so have that going for me.

Watching the play yesterday was struck by how bad people play this game.  For me the rules are simple:
1.  Don't play unless your hand can scoop the whole pot.  That means you need a strong low.  An exception is a very strong high only hand and pray for no or only one 8 or lower on the flop.
2.  Always have a back up plan.  If you have a straight it is helpful to have a draw to a flush or higher straight.  If you have a low draw it is good to have counterfeit protection.
3.  Don't jam with the nut low if only 3 players.  This is quartering protection.  I got involved with an idiot yesterday on this.  Just costs you.
4.  Avoid drawing to or betting non nut hands.  Sometimes works out, but not usually.  Took 2 pots yesterday with the dumb end of a straight and with a super weak flush.  Really a pretty rare thing.
5.  Avoid really active pots with bottom 2 pair.  There is nearly always a set out there.

Had two really bad hands against the same player yesterday.  The first was plaing K/K on a K/x/x board (Think there were 2 low cards on the flop).  The villain calls, with low draw.  Turn is a 4.  Bet, villain calls.  River is another 4, bet, villain raises my nut full house.  I call.  Runner runner quad 4s.

Later, same guy, I bet flush draw all the way, hitting 2nd nut flush on the river.  I bet, he raises (there is a low).  Call., he has a "steel wheel", 5 high straight flush.  Jeesh.  This guy owns me. Note broken rule, betting non nut draw.

Mistakes, What Would You Do?

First, my apologies to loyal followers of my blog.  It is not that I have not been playing poker that I have failed to post, but probably playing too much and other activities (will write about these soon).  I really feel my tournament play is sub par, maybe because playing more cash? Age?  Senility?  So a couple of examples from recent games and ask what you would do.

Playing a $40 morning tournament, I am chip leader early, snapping pocket aces with pocket 4's on a 4/6/6 flop.  The regular good player on my immediate right raises.  I generally respect his game but he sometimes raises a little light with suited connectors or two face cards.  I have pocket 8's.  I call as does a loose aggressive player in the blinds.  I have both covered.  The flop comes K/J/10, all hearts.  I have the 8 of hearts.  Loose bets big, other player calls.  I consider and fold.  They get them all in on the turn, river is an 8.  Neither player had a heart, regular wins with K/Q.  I would have eliminated both of them who made final table.  In retrospect the correct play for me was reraising preflop to isolate.  I think he respects my game enough to fold, if not, I win on the river anyway.  What would you Do?

The second mistake in a different tournament was basically the same thing, failing to re-raise with a strong hand.  This time a few limpers, button raise, my small blind is A/K.  I flat call, others call, the flop is small, coordinated and suited, big bet, we fold.  Again the best play in my opinion was a preflop shove re-raise.  Do you agree?

It seems like I am playing too passively, probably a result of too much Omaha where pocket aces need to see a cheap flop, and all strong hands can be destroyed on the flop.  Also it is cash vs. Tournament play, where trapping with big hands is a good line.