Ever since joining this forum I've been thinking harder and harder about my game, and found that in STT, when I get near the bubble with say a stack of approx. 2000 chips, and the blinds are around 100/200, I shove....and shove....and shoooooooove my chips in (probably far far too often) then I should. For one thing, it's a pretty easily exploitable strategy, someone picks up pocket Aces, they limp, I pick up some mediocre hand like KQ, and they bust me, pretty much every time on the bubble. It's happened enough and I really don't like it.
Actually, you are probably playing about 75% correctly. On the bubble, you'll find that your villans will be looking for reasons to fold, so you want to give it to them. What you need to be on the constant lookout for is 'What is the minimum number of chips that I need to bet in order for everyone to fold'. You can find that out by getting a sense of the table as the blinds increase and obviously what is working for other players. You'll likely find that a 2-3bb raise will steal the blinds. If you get playback on the bubble by a non-thinking player, give it up and get right back on that horse. With 2k chips and 100/200, I'd raise to 500. It's a non-committal raise if you get pushback, but enough that ppl won't come after you with nothing. FYI keep an eye on chip stacks, you may find the guy with 1K pushing all-in and you being forced to call..
I find that there's either no other aggressive players (leading me to accumulate chips) or theres one other guy and we kind of come up with an implicit understanding that he'll raise if I fold and he'll fold if I raise while taking the bubbles chips.
but raising puts in almost 25% of my stack!!
Oh.. ya.. When people always say "Raise 3BB + 1BB per limper" they're talking about deeper stack generic situations. You don't need to feel ashamed for raising less than that when the blinds are big.
Also, don't limp. Either open for a raise or fold. Don't go all-in if anyone limps infront of you either. You want to start the action with a raise, pick up the blinds uncontested and move on to do the same thing next hand.