PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t4000 (8 handed) converter

UTG (t29366)
UTG+1 (t39460)
MP1 (t29191)
MP2 (t57746)
CO (t54066)
Button (t20899)
Hero (t81362)
BB (t172410)

Preflop: Hero is SB with [8h], [8c].
1 fold, Hero calls t19260.

Flop: (t79920) [Qc], [7c], [3c] (2 players)

Turn: (t79920) [Ks] (2 players)

River: (t79920) [7s] (2 players)

Final Pot: t79920

Later stages of a tourney

So pre-flop, would a better play have been to just call? His all-in re raise screamed aces or kings to me but I felt that I had to make the call at this point.

EDIT: Changed "min-raise" to "call"

You didn't min-raise you made it 5X the BB. You have to push all in preflop here. Of course you can't fold with half your money in the pot. The only thing I would do is push my money in preflop. Even if he shows you an overpair you're still close to those odds. Pull the tigger before the flop next time.

I think the 5x raise is too much. Why not make is 12,000 to go, or something that leaves you plenty of room to lay it down if you have to?

Unfortunately you priced yourself in

In tourney's 88 is a 3x raising hand at best

Pushing all in is okay too

I agree with absolute. Late in a tournament, SO many weak players will commit themselves preflop with small pocket pairs. I think the rationalization goes that they're playing pretty tight, and are playing most of the pots they play for all their chips, so they want to be in there with a hand that may not need to improve to win.

The problem with that is this: With that raise, you've announced to the other guy that you've committed yourself to calling his all in. No matter what he's holding, there's about a 95% chance you're against two overs or already behind, both of which are unfavorable situations for you. The only way he's dominated, which is what YOU want in all-ins preflop in tournaments, is if he has a smaller pocket pair, (quite unlikely, given the strength he's shown), or a hand like A-8 (in which case he's a moron).

Why not just call the big blind? You'll make the sneakiest set ever if it hits. You're in no way committed to a pot in which you don't have the lead. You can judge the texture of the flop and fire out a bet if it seems uncoordinated, and fold for an all in if you believe he's got it.

Late in a tournament, the early position limp ALONE represents some sort of strength. You don't want to mess with that for all his chips, out of position, with a tiny chance of being in a dominating position preflop. It's good that you at least had him covered... but this is a very common way weak tallstacks (not calling you one, just from what I've seen) blow their leads, especially in the home stretch, when it matters most.