2-1 chip lead at final table...and finished 10th!!

[greenbuckets]

Playing in a PP $20 NL tourney with approx 650 players. I make it to the final table with a 2-1 chip lead over the next closest player. I was already counting the $2800 first place prize money...then I was dealt pocket Aces. My aces were cracked with two pair. The next hand, my King high flush was beat by and Ace high flush, and the next hand (my final hand), my top two pair was beat by a straight. None of them were bad beats, but it was frustrating to go from a dominating chip leader to being ousted in three hands! Should I have played a little tighter and let the other players weed themselves out at that point? I had good hands each time but was beat by better hands.