I don't play a lot of these, but was just in one. The question here also would apply to double ups in the same situation.

4 left, so we are on the bubble. Stacks are about SB4100, BB4100, UTG1400 and I have 2800. I have AK. Small stack shoves.

In a normal STT, the best play is to shove. That is what I did, blinds folded, I won, so this is not a "oh my I got unlucky" thread.

With the action on me I started thinking that maybe in this instance a call is better. If one of the blinds just decides to come along, it gives us a better chance to knock out the short stack and we all win. If they have a hand like AA or KK it doesn't really bother me whether I shove or call a shove, because one of us will likely knock out shortie, and since I started with more I would win. So is the smart play to simply call and hope someone else gives us a better chance of winning - or do I go ahead and isolate with my AK figuring I'm way ahead?

there is no reason to isolate on a bubble of don/tripleup/satties, always flat and increase chances of someone calling and checking it down 3way

Shoving is bad because you want someone else to call so the small stack will have tiny possibilities to win. Propably you are ahead of the small stack but i like calling and let another player call or reshove (ofc you call then) over you