Barely time to warm my seat !

I have really enjoyed poker this past week. It feels like my semi regular online play in the past couple of months has improved my overall game. I still have a couple of leaks I am working on (2 that I know about - there may be more)

Today's tournament at the Venetian I busted out with the blinds only 50-100 !!! I still had $7,425 of my starting chips and was in the BB with 98o. Five players before the flop which was J107 rainbow. I led out with $300; which was folded around to a guy in late position who bumped it to $1,000. I re-raised to $2,500 as everyone got out of the way. He shoved and I called of course.

He turned over J7 suited (only runner runner makes the flush though)

But as the river was a 7, I was out real early from this tournament.

My question is this. Should I second guess my re-raise? Seems to me I want all the chips in the middle here anyway, but pros hate to get busted early - even on bad beats; so should I have simply called his raise and played conservative? My gut says no, you have to put yourself in position to amass chips and this was a pretty good position to be in.

I note that I could easily have won one (maybe two) of the first two events I played in - especially last night - I can't emphasize enough how enjoyable it was to be at a final table for almost 3 hours.

It was weird cause an English guy left the other table as soon as the bubble was burst and he had a big stack. Around $140,000. He had to catch a plane. So they blinded him down. His stack came to the final table with around $115,000 - which was like second or third stack at the time.

The supervisor would not allow any chopping while his chips were still here. He eventually finished 5th in absentia. At that time we discussed chopping based on chip count.

I had $208,000; villian had $594,000 and the two small stacks had around $60,000 each.

I would get a few hundred less than second place outright - but before I could veto, one of the small stacks vetoed cause she saw no benefit versus playing. (She was right - the OTHER short stack came second at the end of the day)

Another thing I liked was when we got down to the bubble the two tables had agreed each player would pony up $10 so that bubble person would not walk away empty handed - get like $140; and this would eliminate funky bubble play - which it did.(13players were cashing)

Maybe I should be upset - as I "lost" $800 by failing to place second; or the cards hurt me on the final hand to cost me $2,600, but I don't really mind - I am more upset at not getting the W than the $. (weird, eh!)

Must be all the years of playing bridge for no money - just for the W, that bring out that thinking in me.

Not your typical gambler's profile is it??