The Revenge of the Sleepy Lion.

I uber-overslept yesterday, so I decided to stay up all night to get back on schedule. Of course, I played some poker. Specifically 25 NL at Stars and FTP. Some observations:

1. The aggression level of the regulars: much higher preflop at FTP, much higher postflop at stars.
   
2. It is much easier to valuetown for stacks at FTP, but much harder to get to a flop in position with the best kind of hands. Much easier to avoid valuetowning at Stars: the regulars are so very fit or fold.
   
3. I have acquired new insight into the nature of my "losing play" at micro-NLH.

• I typically lose focus on the toughest parts of multi-street no limit play: position, hand range, and table image.
  
• I start using the HUD data to justify wreckless decision making.
• I make one really bad decision and this either:
• (1) cascades into multiple bad decisions, OR
  
• (2) forces me to shut down my session.

I lost two really brutal pots through no major error of my own.

1. I open on the button with Qh2h for 3 BB, awful player in the big blind with 50 BB calls.

The flop comes Kh7h3s. The villain has been check-raising or folding most of the past few times we have confronted each other. I doubt my hand stands up to his check-raising range but has many ways to improve. I check.

The turn is the 3h. The villain leads out for 4 BB. I mistakenly interpret this for a small bluff or a bet with 3 of a kind. When the villain's hand improves greatly, he generally bets a large amount. Because I see him as weak, I raise slightly- 6BB. Villain calls.

The river is the Ah. Villain leads for 4BB again. I view his hand now as a mediocre flush. I expect him to pay off any bet I make. I shove all-in.

Villain calls with two black aces in the hole.

2. A forgettable semiTAG player, recently won a big pot from me when I check raise shoved with the nut heart draw on an As9s9c board. He called and showed 9d7s. I improved to a flush and he rivered a boat. Now we are 150 BB deep. He opens in the hijack for 3.5 BB. I reraise to about 12 BB with Ks4s hoping he'll just fold. He tanks a little, then calls.

Flop is Qs8s4h. Villain checks to me and I bet 20 BB. He insta-minraises me to 40 BB straight. I insta-call (mistakenly) without tanking.

The turn brings the Js. This is a great card for me, completing my flush. The villain checks, indicating a desire to show the hand down. I put him on an overpair, set, or AQ. There is room for one heart in his hand. I bet 65 BB, hoping to induce the villain to shove the rest. Villain just calls with ~40 BB behind.

The river is the 6s. The villain thinks for a little bit, then puts the rest of his chips in. I reluctantly call.

The reality is, we were both committed on the turn. He cannot fold if a non-spade comes, or he has allowed me to run an incredibly profitable 2-street bluff (think about it: if I did this move with the Ks4c and he folded when a Tc came off, he'd be a huge dork).

But shit, this guy was kind of clumsy and I considered that his hand was very likely live. I should have put his money in way ahead.