I think the focus on the money is a real issue. When playing ANY tourney, you should not be thinking about what you paid to get in - you paid your money, now it's time for poker. If you paid a small sum, you're likely to play far too loose because, hell, it's only 5 dollars. If you paid a bigger sum, you're going to play too tight because you see it as 1/4 of your deposit. You have GOT to work on ignoring the investment amount during the tourney, and play each hand appropriately, regardless of what you bought in for.