V1 ($1000, HJ): Complete LAG. Sitting to Hero's direct left (bad I know). Absolute maniac, raising every hand, cbetting huge on every board with air, showing it so that he can get paid when he hits big, etc. Mixes in limps sometimes, but plays every hand essentially.

V2 ($800, BB): Young, online-ish, TAG reg.

Hero ($500, MP+2): Quiet, nitty image. V1 is probably aware because last time I limped AA in EP, he just limped behind. V2 also knows I'm a tight player and we mostly stay out of each other's way.

Onto the hand...

Hero limps AKo in MP+2 (with original intention to limp/re-raise)
V1 makes it $25, folds to V2 who makes it $55, Hero just calls, V1 calls

Flop ($165): K23ss
V2 bets $80, Hero calls, V1 folds

Turn ($335): Qc
V2 bets $135, Hero ?

I feel like at best, I'm chopping with AK or losing to AA-QQ. Terrible spot for me.

Is your Ace a spade? Also, its probably better just to raise it up yourself.
Can't really fold now once you call preflop and hit TPTK to small bets.

Depending what the dynamics are like pre, could even argue a fold to a 18bb 3bet to a, TAG.

Did V2 limp raise? Is he a blind? Does he have position on you? I'm guessing he's a blind but it's unclear.
If he limped and then raised preflop, you may have the same hand, or he may have AA, KK or QQ. I'd strongly consider a fold here given how deep you both are. Hard to put him on hand that can limp raise pre and fire two streets and that you can beat. The flush draw changes the dynamic a bit. You'd have to make a read as to whether he puts you on a draw and is trying to bet you off it with a worse hand or whether he flopped a draw and is betting it. It's likely he puts you on a weak K or a combo draw and that he can beat a K and wants to charge draws.
If he raised from the blinds, probably consider calling.
If he has position, then you've checked, he's bet, and he might be targeting weakness, so prob lean towards calling.

He's BB.

I don't see him bluffing me ever OTT.. what do I beat that I must call? Even QQ spiked a set OTT and KQ turned a two pair. The small bet looks like a sucker bet with a set anyway.

He can't be small-3betting a maniac OOP lighter like ever to begin with.

playing the hand the way you did preflop, you are going broke with this spr on a K23board. c/c turn, c/c river
he´s blufffing here a non 0% of the time, and you are at the top of your range.

What do you think his range is after preflop?

Obviously sitting in a bad seat (deep, OOP to an aggro loose player). Seat change across the table from him ASAP, imo.

Preflop is interesting. Facing a typical $25 from aggro guy, I would like to plan to 3bet to ~$90 so that he can't set mine profitably, which is probably not too big of an 3bet for him to call. But we'll be OOP, which will suck if we miss the flop (especially if he's capable of stealing big pots postflop, which it sounds like he might be); seat change! And then before all that happens we have this BB 3bet before us; he knows what is going on, but he also knows he'll be OOP deep to the aggro guy, so I just don't think he can be getting that out-of-line here. I find this a really weird spot. We're not going to win much off of BB if A/K flops and he can't beat that, but we'll probably lose our stack if he shows up with a couple of the hands we fear. And on top of that we still have the aggro guy to deal with behind us. Can we really just flat here for 10% of our stack? That seems bad. But 3betting to like $175 to setup a shove on any flop seems perhaps a bit spewy with only $25 worth of dead money from aggro guy and up against potentially a hand from BB that ain't folding, especially for 166bbs. I might just quietly nit fold.

Postflop, if we feel we're up against AK/KK/QQ most of the time, then I think that lends even more credence to just folding preflop.

GcluelessNLnoobG

Yeah but AP, what are you doing OTT?

As played, I'm probably nit folding the turn. Some warning bells have to be going off in his head with tight nitty us limp/flatting a 3bet. Honestly, his hand looks exactly like AA/AK. If he had a monster KK/QQ I think he'd be betting more on this drawy board. If he has JJ- I think he's giving up on the turn once nitty us calls the flop with someone still to react behind us. It looks like a semi-scared AA/AK that isn't in love with possibly being up against KQ or maybe a loose set. But I don't think he's folding either (he only has $230 left to call off).

GcluelessNLnoobG

I think a fold on the turn would be very disciplined and probably is the right play here.

I probably would not cold call a 3bet preflop with AK when OOP.

Let's think about ranges. V1 is LAG and raising from HJ to punish your limp, so his range is wide (could very well be ATC). When V2 3bets OOP against V1's initial raise, he is either doing it for value or he is levelling and 3bet bluffing because he knows V1 has a wide range.

We are coin-flipping vs. a typical TAG value range of JJ+, AQ+. If his value range is a nittier QQ+, AK+, we are a 38-62 underdog.

If V2 bluffing, he may well be doing it with hands that can flop good equity vs. premium hands if called, such as AT-A8, A5s-A2s, 98s-54s, 66-22. We are a 63-37 favorite vs. this bluffing range.

If we believe V2 to be 3betting for value, we should fold. If we believe V2 to be 3betting as a bluff, we should 4bet to around $135-$140. If we get 5-bet shoved, V2's range will polarize considerably and we should probably fold (V's don't 5-bet bluff at LLSNL).

I believe calling preflop is the worst option here, because it leaves us in no-man's land -- unsure of where we stand on the flop regardless of whether we hit or miss.

Without any additional reads or history on V2, I would fold. Most LLSNL players at 1/2 or 1/3 (even the online TAGs) are not sophisticated enough to recognize a LAG raising with air in late position and 3betting the LAG light.

Yeah, fold the turn. QQ-AA = 7 combos. AK = 6. And yes, you're chopping with AK, which makes the seemingly good turn odds less good. They're also less good because you will likely face a river all-in. And like you said, it's just a terrible spot - you have incredibly little equity vs. BB.

Your plan pre-flop seems OK given the maniac, but after BB 3-bets, it's OK to fold and not tell anyone. If, however, you think BB recognizes the maniac's dynamics and is possibly 3-betting him with a wider than normal merged value rage, you could consider 4-betting and never folding. You'd have to have somewhat of a decent read to do that.

A limp/4Bet from you would look insanely strong and if neither V had KK+, I think they'd auto-fold. If there is any chance BB's min-raise is a mid-pair, AJs+, etc., I 4bet. If it is always QQ+, you can fold pre or just fold the turn.

Does anyone raise the flop?

Fold pre.

What hand do you think V2 can be small 3 betting a big V1 open with, that you are beating? AQ?
1)You are not priced in.
2)V1 is left to act behind you.
3) You are deep.

You misunderstand optimal position. LAG/Maniacs you want on your immediate left. TAGs you want on your right, or across the table. You have the god seat on V1.

As played preflop, I like your line and plan. Soon as V2 gets in the way, its either 4b or fold. I 4b like < 10% of the time in this spot, unless, I know that V2 is likely squeezing light. If that is the case, I 4b > 90% of the time. Sizing is unimportant since we're GII on 100% of flops, so call it $150-200.

As played OTF, you started the hand with 166bb, you are almost at the very top of your range, you now have TPTK on a relatively dry flop. Trivial flat, keep both Vs in the hand, and keep them putting $$$ in.

As played OTT, you now beat nothing, except AQ, which is pretty unlikely. Fold. If V has AA, he's not folding thinking you have KQ.

I disagree, but this has been discussed many times: I want the LAGs/maniacs on my right. I want the tight players to my left. (If this guy is a truly hyper-maniac, I can see sitting to his right, but average LAGs/maniacs I definitely want to be on the left of. I always want tight players to my left.)

+1 if stacks are deep, imo

Gifstacksaresmallthenreverseisfine,imoG