On the 270/540 level do you have to commit with a hand like this?

Tournament - HORSE - 7 Card Stud High - Level IX (270/540), Ante 54, Bring-In 81 (converter)

Seat 1: 11,488
Hero: 4,402
Seat 3: 4,720
Seat 4: 3,336
Seat 5: 5,709
Seat 6: 2,963
Seat 7: 4,025
Seat 8: 2,877

3rd Street - (1.60 SB)

Seat 1: xx xx A:spade:___raises___raises
Hero: A:diamond: A:club: 6:club:___raises___calls
Seat 3: xx xx Q:club:___folds
Seat 4: xx xx 9:club:___folds
Seat 5: xx xx 2:heart:___brings-in___folds
Seat 6: xx xx 5:heart:___folds
Seat 7: xx xx 3:diamond:___calls___folds
Seat 8: xx xx 5:spade:___folds

4th Street - (8.20 SB)

Seat 1: xx xx A:spade: 7:spade:___bets___calls
Hero: A:diamond: A:club: 6:club: 4:heart:___raises

5th Street - (6.10 BB)

Seat 1: xx xx A:spade: 7:spade: Q:heart:___bets___calls
Hero: A:diamond: A:club: 6:club: 4:heart: 9:heart:___raises

6th Street - (10.10 BB)

Seat 1: xx xx A:spade: 7:spade: Q:heart: 8:diamond:___checks___raises
Hero: A:diamond: A:club: 6:club: 4:heart: 9:heart: Q:spade:___bets___calls

River - (14.10 BB)

Seat 1: xx xx A:spade: 7:spade: Q:heart: 8:diamond: xx___checks___calls
Hero: A:diamond: A:club: 6:club: 4:heart: 9:heart: Q:spade: 6:diamond:___bets

Total pot: (16.10 BB)

as i recall, i was the villain here, and i had a horrific misread on you. i was VERY sure you were drawing huge here rather than playing aces down. you can probably discern that from my line, but with that taken into account, and since i c/red sixth on an 8, you might be able to find a fold with aces and sixes on 7th, but that'd be a HUGE laydown. i probably play your hand very similarly.

Actually, I cap 3rd though. There's no reason to think we're beat here, villain has KK at MOST. But I play the rest of the hand similarly.

no fold on 7th here, especially with a donk like jamie in the hand.

i actually raise/called third because i wanted to raise fifth if he was still drawing, but he caught SO GOOD on 4th that i pussed out. i had to mix in a few lines like that since i was raise/3betting 90% of my high door cards in that tourney. cap would be std obv.

At this stage in a limit tournament I'm just looking for something to run with. Hoping to get As up or better.
Just frustrating because after playing tight and waiting, stealing blinds, one or two hands like this have to work out.

Wouldn't play it any different next time.

when villain puts in the third raise on 3rd, that puts me on alert. i could see him doing it with kings or maybe queens if he thinks you only put him on the ace and are re-raising with middle pair or something. generally i wouldn't expect a third bet on the spade draw.

when he leads out 4th, i'm now very suspicious of him having aces. again he could be betting with the flush draw, but going back to 3rd i give that a lower probability.

after you raise again on 4th and he leads out again on 5th, i'm giving him credit for aces most of the time. we're almost certainly going to need another pair to win the hand, and that's assuming he doesn't make a better aces up.

how to continue is pretty tough. having the low kickers puts us at a disadvantage. being stubborn, i probably try to check/call to the end. if he pairs the board, i'm done. i think betting on 7th might be spewing. the better play is probably dump it on 5th. this one just isn't looking good.

I'd play it the same in a tourney in a cash game i'd probably just check call down.