Here is just one example:

I'm playing in the $180 $20k guarantee tournament at Foxwoods. Top 20 pay, and we are down to the Final 19. Unfortunately it's getting to the point where it's push/fold poker.

Blinds are 4000/8000
My stack ~ 170,000
Villain (BB) Stack ~ 70,000

I'm UTG and dealt 7-7. I always find it tough / weird spots to try and play middle pocket pairs from UTG in later stages of the tournament. Was this the correct line or is it better to fold preflop?

Most of everyone else at the table was ~ 100K average in chips and they were all playing extremely tight / nitty.

I raise UTG to 18,000. Folds to the BB who tanks and then calls.

Board 9-2-2 rainbow and the BB open shoves for his remaining 50K.

Here was my thinking. If he had any pocket pair let's say 10's and above he probably would have reshipped it over the top preflop. It's extremely unlikely he has 9-9 with open shoving this flop. If he has 2 over cards (no flush draws out there) then I'm in pretty good shape. If I'm up against any PP 7's - 3's then I'm in a commanding lead. The only thing I can think is that he either has 8's or I'm in the lead.

I end up calling and he shows 8-8. Anyhow my question is not a results oriented one. Playing a mid pocket pair from UTG is continuing to give me some trouble. Any advice on the line that I took or what could I have done differently?

wp

Ya nh.
If the table is calling a lot you can just openfold.

Edit:
Just saw avg stack, open shove pre

what is BB?

shove pre obv
opening is terrible

If the table is aggro 3betting or loose stationery fold pre. It's the bottom
Of my range pre here. Wp snapppp

shove pre

Yeah with everyone having around 12BB just open shove pre. It's hard to tell that live sometimes though since they don't have their chipstack count above their head...so otherwise well played imo.

I tend to play my middle pairs a little stronger at FW than I would in general because I find that people will fold surprisingly big hands to all-in bets. I have seen people dump 99, AJ, etc. in similar spots --- sometimes even after opening with them. The shove pre-flop advice here is what I would go with up against mostly <12 BB stacks. Especially given your sense of how tight everybody has been playing.

you can open fold there.

but I guess if all stacks are short shove is good.

yea if stacks are deeper at a more aggressive table this is a clear open fold...but at this table you'll find some silly folds with a shove

shove pre, call now nh.

midpairs are awkward. I think like 50% of my threads are on them