Agree with most I should shove and in most circumstances i would but here decided not too reasons being,
1:chip leader was never folding so was a flip at best.
2: the other 2 players were folding to shoves or resolves so I was getting chips and had pulled back to possibly get 3rd an extra $800. I also understand giving myself the chance to win the lot but I thought the chipleader had such an advantage that 2 or 3rd was the best I was going to get unless I got really lucky.
3: I am a nit there you go said it.
I finally went out when I pushed AK and chipleader took an age to call with A5, the 5 binked.
I ran the hand through sng wiz as a matter of interest and it advised fold and it recommended Shoves with JJ+ only.
Folding is tough in the heat of the moment (especially when you"re already in shove/fold mentality), but seriously good fold. It"s so easy to "not be on your game" and auto-shove spots like these - I probably do!
The stack size dynamic is really weird here, and a fold is definitely correct. You literally gain nothing from tangling with the chipleader here - even more so given the reads and dynamic you"ve described where you"re successfully chipping up by attacking the shorter stacks.
Equity - Before the hand, after the hand if folded, after the hand if doubled
Seat 2: erimus14 (228729 in chips) - $3,257, $3,171, $3,725
Seat 3: Guillem B (166783 in chips) - $3,035, $3,065, $2,893
Seat 6: S3calhar (2325618 in chips) - $5,313, $5,357, $5,157
Seat 9: randy6904 (641870 in chips) - $4,123, $4,136, $3,954
You stand to lose $784 in equity if you call and lose (difference between 4th place and your equity had you folded), but only gain $554 if you call and win. If he"s never folding you need to be around 59% to win just to break even and 66 clearly doesn"t cut it. Even without any reads it"s hard to assume you have any FE here anyway given his overwhelming chip position.
Having short stacks isn"t really an issue here, you"ll find enough spots to get it in first, you"ve got enough to knock on rival out, and seriously hurt another - that"s all that matters. Agree with you in that you should forget the chipleader, your game is against the other two.