Aggression w/ Big Stack in Mid-MTT

Hi everyone,

So until recently I'd been playing mostly NLHE 1-table SNGs at micro stakes on Full Tilt. Then I played in a $1 rebuy and added-on at the break, and eventually I finished in 3rd for a nice $260 payday. Since then I've tried my hand at many more MTTs-- especially rebuys-- in hopes of another (relatively) big payday.

I have no problems getting past the early parts of these tournaments. Especially in deep stack tournaments, I can usually sit back and wait for a pretty good hand to get paid off-- some of these micro players will call you down for most/ all of their stacks with top pair bad kicker, or even 2nd pair. So after about the first hour, I'll typically be sitting at least at avg. stack, excited about another potential money.

It's after this point that I start to run into problems. The antes kick in and the blinds start to increase, and my tight style that worked in the first hour is worthless. My stack starts to dwindle, and I find myself either limping into the money (which is just about as bad as busting in my mind) or getting frustrated and looking to go all-in in bad situations.

I know I can't expect a big payday in every tournament I play, but what can I do to improve my mid MTT play? Should I play more speculative hands in hopes of winning a big pot? Should I go for more steals, especially with antes and larger blinds? How can I be more aggressive to put myself in a better position to cash big?

when i played those tournaments, i whas TIGHT AS HELL. I only played top hands. But when the blinds are getting to everybody i start pushing. Position is the key there. Try start stealing every once in a while, bet the flop 1/2 2/3's of the pot. Most likely you take the pot down there.

I always try to adapt my play to how big my stack, and opponents stacks are in relation to the big blind.
Once I get shortstacked I will look for a chance to steal blinds.
If I have a big stack and someone else have a big stack as well I will play tighter. But if everyone else is short stacked and very tight I will start raising just about every hand. (I will usally fold hands like AJo and A10 though.)
If someone re-raises all in I will always call if there is more dead money already in the pot, than it cost me to call.
I mean taking the raise going in as a dog is just the bonus, the real gain is all the blinds you steal.
The problem is when you have a middle size stack. Then you have to play carefull, but risky at the same time.

Oh, I wrote steal blinds when short stacked. I mean push all in.