2/3 live game in San Jose. Hero (UTG) has $175 behind at the start of the hand and picks up AQd.

Hero raises to $10

UTG+1 calls.

Villain 1 (UTG+3 nit) shoves all in for $63. Played about 3 hours with him, only played 2 hands (AA went to showdown, both shoved preflop). Strongly feels like QQ+, AK. He has been short stacked the entire game.

Villain 2 (BB with $240 behind) flats the 63. He sees at least 95% of flops for any price, stacks off with any pair, super degen.

Hero flats.

UTG+1 mucks.

Flop is 9s8c6s. Villain 2 shoves for $137, Hero mucks. Turn Qh, river Jc. Villain 2 takes it down with TcTd. Villain 1 had AcKh.

I did consider jamming pf, since AQd has ok equity against nitty short stack shoves, and I was way ahead of Villain 2's flatting range in that spot. What ultimately stopped me was the thought that I was likely behind for the main pot already, and perhaps only flipping or just a little ahead of Villain 2. Also Villain 1's range removed my outs. Since Villain 2 was regularly calling off his stack with any pair, and never bluffing with draws or air, I thought it would be better to act after the flop. Even if he whiffed I figured I could lure him along with small enough bets to get sufficient value. Naturally, The Qh on the turn made me want to kick myself after folding, but this might be too results oriented.

Thoughts?

With the nit in the hand you should fold preflop. V1's range has you beat badly and having V2 come along doesn't help much. V2 is committed to this hand and calling is committing too much money when your fishing for a favorable flop.

If V1 was much wider and you wanted to play this then shove. You want to see all 5 cards for a better chance of beating lower pairs. V1 and V2 would both have to be loose and bad before this is a good idea with AQ though.

With only $175 stacks (which I would consider shortstacked), I raise way more preflop to setup a trivial stack off situation postflop with TP. So I'd make it ~$20.

Fairly certain after the big raise and call that this is a clear shove vs fold situation. The nitty guy is nitty but even he is going to go to war with JJ/TT with this lol stack. Does he with AJ? 99? The other guy has ATC, right? I think I shove, hoping I'm flipping against the nit getting 2+:1 and should be doing fine against the other guy if he decides to call (which should offset our losses if we run into the top part of nit's range).

There is simply no way we should be putting in 1/3rd of our stack hoping to hit TP on the flop. Either get it in preflop, or get out, imo.

GcluelessNLnoobG

Fold or shove pre.
If V2 is really as loose as you say, then I think it's a shove.
Otherwise it's a fold.