Vegas Day 2 - Part 1, Harrah's

Woke up around 11am and by 11:30 I was at Harrah's poker room. One of the cab drivers had told me that Harrah's had one of the juiciest $1/$2 NL games so I decided that it would be a good place to start the day.

When I arrived there was only one table going, lucky for me, it was pretty soft. It seemed like only a couple of the players had any real knowledge. I bought in for $300 and within a 1/2 hour I had lost 1/2 of it... Not much I could have really done about it, I was just missing flops with decent starting hands. I still had not seen AA or KK which was a little frustrating but I kept telling myself atleast when I did see them at this table I was going to make some money.

After 3 hours of play, I was stuck about $150 and had was $300 deep(I chip up anytime my stack drops below $280).

Hand #1

Im in the big blind and am dealth 4d/4h.

2 players limp and the button makes it $10. I call in the BB because the button has about $500 behind and both limpers also have me covered. Both limpers call.

Flop comes 5c/Jc/4c.

I flop my first set of the trip, unfortunetly it's on a solid board. Knowning that I will probably get action for a single big club, I bet $50 into $41. Both limpers fold and the button insta-calls.

Turn is the 5d.

Gin. I slow down a bit and bet $100. Button once again instacalls me. I din't think that the he was so bad that he would call me with only a flush draw here so I decided he must either have A/J with the Ac or preferably, A/5 with the Ac - there was also a posibility that he was holding J/J for a bigger boat but it really did not matter because im playing this hand to the felt.

River was a red 10.

I moved all in for the remaider of my chips, $140. He sighs and calls. He shows A/J with the Ac. Ship it.

Hand #2

I've managed to build my stack up to $800, im in for $450. I've been playing for 5 hours.

I'm dealth Ac/Qc on the button. There are two limpers in front of me so I make it $12 to go. The BB calls me and the two limpers fold.

Flop comes 4d/6c/3c.

The BB bests $25 and I raise to $60. He thinks for a few seconds and decided to call. I figure his range was 77-TT.

Turn was 4c.

Not the greatest club, but I was happy to see it anyway. This time the BB checked to me, I bet $100. He called. This made me very happy.

River 4s.

The worst card I could see. It kills my hand and probably won't help him fold. He checks and I check behind. He says "You have a big pair?" "Nope, I have a hopeless flush" and he erupts... he turns over 10/6o and does a victory lap around the table. "Man, I was sure you had a big pair when you bet the turn" to which someone else at the table replied "Then why did you call?"

I left Harrah's at around 5pm up $180 feeling disapointed at my inability to come out with a big win but I still haden't seen the real money making hands, could things we're going to happend, thats what I though anyway.