Thoughts about whether I should be stealing/restealing would be really welcome here.

I basically blinded myself down from 3rd place to 2xBB with 6 people still left - there is no way that can be right!

Again, an R indicates the pot's raised before I act. I've put "steal?" where I wonder if I should have raised.

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Level 12 continued: 1000/2000

Final table now. One big stack with 87K. Tight BB when I'm on the button has 55K.
I'm in third with 38K. Fairly uniform between 20K short stack and me.

Hand 218 (T38300): I raise from button with A5o and take the blinds.

45o, QJo (R), 89o,

Hand 222 (41450): I raise from UTG+1 with 77 to 7K. Short stack (17K) reraises all in.

I'm going to call (?), but the chip leader then reraises. I fold and Short Stack more than doubles through with QQ vs TT.

Around this time, the chip leader goes ballistic, open raising at every opportunity.
He also calls the two times he's played back at, including with T6s.
Most of the raises come from the 2 biggest stack at whatever time.

23o,

Level 13: 1500/3000

3To, 87o (BB, R), T7o, A5o (MP, steal?), KJo (R), K9o (R), A8o (MP, steal?),
K5o, 69o, 36o, K7o (BB, R), 76o (R), 36o, K8o, T2o (R), J2o (R), T9o (UTG),

Around here, the chip leader, who I'd thought was excellent gets his chips in
in a multiway stack against other big stacks, and is down to 50K (6 left, lost 2 on that hand).

The eventual winner is now a chip leader with 110K. Some chap I've seen at the 400NL tables has 90K.

J3s (BB, R), A5o (R), K7o (R), Q5s (MP, steal?),
QTo (EP, steal? Down to 20K chips),
78s (UTG),

Level 14: 2000/4000

8Ts (BB, ground skimmer), 3To (R), 5To (R) , 83o (R) , 54o (R),
K3o (UTG), 9Jo (R), J5o (R), J8o (R), 26s (R), 73o (R),
6To (UTG, down to 14K chips now but ex chip leader is down to 12K, then 25K, 75K, 90K, 130K),
T3o (R), 72s (L, MP), 47o.

Hand 261 (T8450): My proud stack is in ruins. I open push with Q9o from MP, and double through against 54o from BB.

Hand 262 (T18900): Chip leader raises to 14K, I fold A7o (?). 2nd leader calls
and wins a big pot with AJo.

53o (UTG), 76s (R), 24o (R, other short stack doubles through)
45o (button, steal?),

Hand 267 (T12900): I open-push with A5o from cut-off and steal.

Q2o (UTG+1), J8o (UTG), Q2o (R),

Hand 271 (T14900, last place): open raise from SB and steal blinds.

Q2o (R), 63o (R), 78o (UTG+1, steal?),

Hand 275 (T18900, 2nd last): I raise to 14K from UTG with K9o. Short stack calls as does chip leader.
They have AT and KT, but I suck out (K5A...9...K) to get to 53K and knock out short stack.

So, stacks: 140K, 79K, 57K, 53K (me), 19K.

Hand 276: 57K gets busted by 79K with 44 vs KJo??? 4 to go.

K5o, 59o (R), 76o (R), J7o, Q4o (R), 92o, K6s,

Hand 284: 2nd chip leader gets it in against chip leader with KQ?? Chip leader has JJ and busts him.

A few hands later, chip leader busts 3rd place (shortish stack).

I have 27K he has 320K! Not much more to say...

I get back up to 80K when the following hand occurs: I have J2, he limps.
Flop A8Jr, I bet 12K, he min raises. I think for ages and fold. He shows 8To. Ugh!

I work my way back up to 100K (I fancied my chances at this point, he was being too passive), then get caught stealing a few times, and eventually get trapped with KK vs K9.

i don't see much you could have done to steal or resteal the blinds there. You got some crappy cards and every pot was raise. Good job getting second. I think you played pretty well overall with some exceptions that you've already noted with ughs!