Play to Win?

To play to win or to play to cash, that is the question. I keep hearing about playing tournaments to finish in the top three places. My problem is everytime I play to win I get coolered right outside the money. I guess it is different in B&M tournaments from Online tournaments. Being that people actually tighten up close to the money in B&M tournaments. Three times this week I have been within ten spots of cashing and have ran into a monster or been called by garbage only to be sucked out on. Last week I played with my old style, play carefully until into the money then open up my game. Cashed in 3 of 4 big MTT tournaments in 4 days. Problem is the cashes were only for around two times my buy ins. At least I felt good about cashing. Instead yesterday I finished eight out of the money when I had enough chips to cash for sure. Played a deep stack $22 No Limit on Stars yesterday. Had 5000T chips left around 40 out of the money. This was a decent position to be in being 1320 players started it and 180 places were being paid. Then this hand happened. I get Jacks from late position and bring it in for three times the big blind. The small blind calls me and the big folds. Flop comes 2-3-7 with two spades. He insta-pushes and I go into the tank. It really felt like a flush draw or A-7 to me. I thought and thought about it, could have folded and still had 3800T left. I decided to play to win the tournament and made the call. He had Kings which he played in a very odd manor. He didn’t raise me pre-flop and then he pushed into me instead of check-raising me. This totally confused me, thought I was ahead when I called. These tournaments are so frustrating! Last week I would have laid that down and snuck into the money. I don’t know how these tournament pros deal with the everyday frustrations of playing these and getting no money for long periods of time. Maybe I will go back to my old style of play. Problem is I want to make the “Big Score” in one of these badly. Oh well I will keep trying. Good luck at the tables. Tony