$1/3 NL:

Villain 1: Stack $300; Older male who has been playing tight and has only raised pre-flop with premium pocket pairs/Big suited connecters so far that I've seen. Demeanor has displayed obvious tilt having just rebought after losing his $800+ stack in a matter of 45 minutes to a bigger set and then running 6s making a full house for another player busting his JJ. Has raised his first 2 hands $20 pre flop since rebuying, this being his 3rd hand after re buy.

Villain 2: Stack $200; Another older male, who has been playing tight only showing down and calling/betting pre flop with JJ+ and AK-AJ suited and unsuited.

Hero's stack $240. Male in 20s who has only shown down strong hands throughout the night, been playing fairly tight but also aggressive. Believed to be perceived as somewhat aggressive but not necessarily tight by the rest of the table.

Been playing with villains for past 4 hours

Hand: Villian 1 opens action UTG +1 with 3rd consecutive $20 pre flop raise.
Villain 2 to his immediate left calls $20
Folds to Hero in SB who calls $20, BB folds.

Three handed with $63 in the pot; Flop K 9 4 rainbow.
Hero checks, Villain 1 bets out $100, Villain 2 folds.......Hero?

Hero's Plan: Pre flop hero's plan on any flop with no K or A is to bet out 2/3 pot. As hero believes a K or A may likely hit either Villain's hand. Wants to take advantage of tilted Villain, but also concerned about Villain 2 even moreso.

Once villain 2 folds, thought is to either shove over villain 1 or fold?

What's the best line/play for hero to take here both Pre-flop and post flop given actions and villains?

My first instinct is that this is an auto-raise pre. After thinking about it more, I think it's still a raise, but there are some things to think about.

With the conditions you described old man's range is probably ATC or close to it. So we have to figure out how to get the most money in while our hand massacres his range.

How do we think he will react to a 3bet? If he is likely to spaz out and 4bet shove 90% of his range, we clearly need to 3bet so we can snap the shove.

Or is he the type to aggro tilt raise preflop until he faces resistance? If that is the case we should flat to keep his garbage range in.

As played, I would check call him down on pretty much all turn and rivers, only giving thought if an ace falls. If he binked a king on the flop, good for him, but we crush his range and he is likely to tilt-barrel off post flop here.

Raise pre to around 70-75, don't fold. You have a monster, and Villain 1 seems to be steaming (though he might also just have gotten AA 3 times in a row).

Wouldn't worry too much about Villain 2. He'll fold plenty.

Also, since you have Villain 2 on a range of maybe JJ+ and AK-AJ suited and unsuited, you're doing pretty well. KK + AA = 12 combinations of hands. AJo-AKo = 56 combinations (considering you have 2 of the queens). You're close to a 60/40 favorite against that range.

I also expect Villain 2's range is going to be quite a bit wider than you're guessing... like is he really not playing TT? 99? 88? Start adding in some of those, and you're crushing.

3-bet pre all day. If we are thinking about calling 100 after a K high flop and playing for stacks, then why aren't we making it 80 to go with the intention of shoving for 160 on all flops?

As played I probably just fold and move along.

Thank you all for the responses.

MaxRhino he had been the type to slow down on all streets after being aggressive and getting resistance (even tried to check hands down), except for when he had a hand he believed to be a big favorite. However, this was the first hand where he was tilt raising pre and was faced with resistance. I was not expecting him to really make a big bet on the flop with 2 players in the hand still (based on his play all night).

Willyoman, I agree villain 2 may have been playing TT-88 and his line folding to a large bet on the flop would fit his play with any of those hands (including JJ)

peck, I agree with your thoughts. I was mostly cautious with playing for stacks post flop after a K turns up while only having a pair and villain still displaying interest. Pre flop raise would've put me in a better position with the way the flop turned out.

Looking back and analyzing the situation more, I agree, 3-bet pre seems to have been the best way to play this.

We're only playing with 70bbs, looks like V1 is tilted and doesn't necessarily need to have his usual premium hands, plus a shortish 66bb stack V2 already has dead money in the middle. I'm 3betting to $75, which will create a HU pot of $170 where we can simply shove any flop for about a ~PSB. If V1 really is tilting, he might get that money in pretty easy preflop, but be less inclined to do so postflop against two tighter players once the cards come out.

As played, I probably check/fold the flop and kick myself for not 3betting preflop.

GcluelessNLnoobG