I haven't really played too much tournament poker (or any poker really, I've got about 150 hours in and so far I'm just about break even in cash). I had an interesting run today and I was hoping for some critique.

First hand is the one where I busted. I start out the hand with about 60K (I had just won a large pot and did not have an exact count). I think I'm perceived as tight, but fairly aggressive as I've been mostly card dead until recently. Blinds are 1600/800 Ante 200.

Hero has AQ from UTG+2.

Villain UTG+1 (LAG) has hero covered and raises to 3500.

Hero (UTG+2) reraises 9000. (Looking back, I'm not sure I like this sizing, maybe it's a bit big. Also: Is folding an option here in tournament poker? Against a LAG, I don't think so.)

Folds around to villain who makes it 22,700.

Hero tanks and calls (I'm thinking he has a range of 99+, plus a wide range of large suited broadway type hands, maybe KQo/ATo+ plus maybe A5 suited).

Flop: 865 rainbow.

Villain bets 13000 into the pot.

Hero thinks for a little bit and decided to shove for my remaining ~40K or so thinking I don't really have enough of a hand to call him down and he'll probably just take my stack anyway with this line, but I still have an edge on his range incorporating fold equity. He instacalls and has pocket 6s for a set, I'm out, he gets my stack, nice hand. This meant he had a much wider range for 4 betting in that spot than I thought.

Looking back, my only possible mistake, even given my slightly bad read (I did not think he was that loose), is the preflop call. I essentially committed myself to the pot with a little bit more than a 50% edge on his perceived range. Looking back, I think I should have either folded or shoved. Both have some merit, especially given my blockers to pocket aces and queens. I'd have been really happy if he'd have folded sixes (not sure how he could have called given my range at that point) against my AQo and if he called, I'm getting a little worse than a coin flip. Then again, I'm not sure I like putting my tournament life on the line with ~37.5 BB and AQo. This is probably why I enjoy cash games more often.

Another earlier hand I had about 35 BB on the button and picked up pocket queens. Having been card dead, I'm pretty happy with this situation. Until the pot is 3 bet to about 15 BB. I tanked and decided to fold as both the 3 better and initial raiser were relatively tight. I might have called with 100BB plus hoping to set mine queens or see a cheap showdown on a tolerable run out. I'm honestly not sure I like this fold: Should I have been willing to shove here and flip with what was likely another premium hand (though, I don't think Jacks or TT were entirely out of his range there)?

You didn't say the stake, but the stakes I play $100-$300, even the LAGys are rarely wide with 4 bets. Unless you've seen him 4 bet a lot and/or you've been 3 betting a lot, I think a more realistic range might be JJ+, AQs+. Reg players 4 bets at this level are highly skewed to AA/KK.

True. For a little more context: This was a $580 tourney and quite a few of the guys there were pros. This guy seemed to have other people's number and I had seen him 4 bet a bit, though usually from later positions and his hands did not make it to showdown in those cases. He had by far the largest stack at the table (at least twice the next guy's stack). His play might have been an exploit directed at me as I had made some pretty tight folds, especially preflop.

As far as the first hand goes, I think flatting or 3-betting AQo are both reasonable, if you are 3-betting you should be prepared to get it in. I do agree with hitchens97 that your range assessment with regards to the villain's 4-bet range is too wide, it's most likely TT+, AQ+ with some occasional bluffs. So versus that range if you are 5-bet shoving AQ you are almost certainly doing it as a bluff, and I would suggest never calling there. (either shove or fold)

As played on the flop I'm ambivalent to the shove, you may actually be getting the right price based on the pot size, but AQo should be one of if not your worst 4-bet call. It's hard for me to know because I'm not sure I'd ever have gotten into that situation in the first place.

With regards to the QQ hand, if you think your opponent can have TT/JJ/AK a reasonable amount, you need to get your stack in. If you believe your opponent is only making that 3-bet with QQ+ and AK then folding is ok.

Yeah, I put myself in a bad situation postflop with that preflop mistake. I mainly 3 bet because I was out of position and with (what I hope) was a tight image, I figured only a premium (or close enough to it) hand would get involved behind and if someone behind woke up with, that would have been an easier fold as I did not want to be OOP against a third person with this particular villain. I did not expect the 4 bet play and it took me a while to go through and decide just how wide I thought his range would be.

I agree. I was at a very awkward stack size I was not really comfortable playing, honestly. Too big I felt to go push/fold, too small to really play after the flop in a three bet pot. I did end up in better positions later with less premium hands, so I think that was a less bad mistake than the flatting a four bet with AQo, which feels worse each time I think about it.

OP, Don't post the results so quickly.

So given that I know the results, I think preflop you have to fold or shove. You are calling more than 33% of your stack preflop.

In regards to the 3 bet preflop, I think it's fine. I also think your sizing is fine. You can't go smaller. If you make it 8,000 preflop then it is only 4,500 more for the villain to see the flop. You aren't going to get them to fold much. You can go bigger if you want.

Given that it's an UTG raise, I think flatting is fine here too.

I think the 4 bet by the villain is a bit spewy, but it worked out for them. You should have jammed preflop (But I think you are close to the bottom of your range that you should be doing that with). Most players (as someone else already stated) aren't 4 betting wide UTG with these stack sizes.

Not a fan of play. If you plan to jam aq on a flop like that, why not
Just 4bet rip pre? Not a fan of 3betting an ep raiser without an obvious read that he’s super aggro here.

I’m prolly flatting pre (not sure if this is correct). 37.5 bbs not a lot. Also I prolly 3bet small to like 7700-8500. 37.5 bbs is fairly shallow stack so you can 3 bet smaller.

flat pre, fold flop