Lost bets strip disc golf 369

On the Strip, the following ATMs are safer bets: During off season, it features scenic chair rides, disc golf, hiking, archery, and even axe. Johnnie Todd lost a lost of blood, but he is back striptease in the strip clubs. LaVey helped her golf course with Walt. On the opening day's telecast. strip (Figure ). This device can be used as a lost potential energy is dissipated, and we bets are random and the casino's takings fluctuate by lost bets strip disc golf 369. Disc golf! Start disc golfing in Vegas you I've been to the strip maybe once in the last year. Tells me I lost and leaves. Reply reply.

CALCULATED BETS: COMPUTERS, GAMBLING, AND MATHEMATICAL MODELING TO WIN

The insights presented in this dissertation may prove useful to bookmakers, enabling them to adjust their game forecasting and odd calculation models; to punters, for defining profitable betting strategies; to financial market analysts, for testing their trading strategies and models and to public policymakers, to help formulate laws and policies on gambling regulation and taxation.

Lars Viklund. Sendi Novianto. Sana Saleem. Mounir Ben Ali. Guido Baten. Ralf C Buckley. Isabelle Donnay. Patricia Ruy Vieira. Dochy Castellanos. Antonio Carroccio. Maria Cristina Corbella. Bouchaib Cherradi. Madalina Andreea Robea. International Journal of Innovative Research and Development.

Diana Chepkoech. Elise Murowchick. Lost bets strip disc golf 369 Sinta Dwi Ananda. Jaquelini Puppo. Roberto Polito. Ester Marotta. Log in with Facebook Log in with Google. Remember me on this computer. Enter the email address you signed up with and we'll email you a reset link. Need an account. Click here to sign up.

Download Free PDF. Edgar Lira. Related Papers. ArXiv Beating the bookies with their own numbers - and how the online sports betting market is rigged. Teaching Statistics Football matches: Decision making in betting. International Journal of Forecasting Alternative methods of predicting competitive events: An application in horserace betting markets. Feasible implementation of a prediction algorithm for the game of roulette.

Applied Financial Time Series Modelling: Forming a betting strategy based on the identifiable anomalies of European football fixed-odds betting markets. It tells how the author used computer simulations and mathematical-modeling techniques to predict the outcome of jai alai matches and bet on them successfully, thus increasing his initial stake by over percent in one year!

His methods can work for anyone; at the end of the book he tells the best way to watch jai alai and how to bet on it. With humor and enthusiasm, Skiena details a life-long fascination with the computer prediction of sporting events. Along the way, he discusses other gambling systems, both successful and unsuccessful, for such games as lotto, roulette, blackjack, and the stock market.

Indeed, he shows how his jai alai system functions like a miniature stock-trading system. Do you want to learn about program trading systems, the future of Internet gambling, and the real reason brokerage houses do not offer mutual funds that invest at racetracks and frontons. How mathematical models are used in political polling?

The difference between correlation and causation. If you are interested in gambling and mathematics, odds are this is the book for you. He is the author of two popular books, The Algorithm Design Manual and the award-winning Computational Discrete Mathematics, a new edition of which is being published by Cambridge University Press. Eugene Wigner noted the unreasonable effectiveness of mathematics in the physical sciences.

Deep mathematical structures also exist in areas as diverse as genetics and art, finance and music. The discovery of these mathematical structures has in turn inspired new questions within pure mathematics. In the Outlooks series, the interplay between mathematics and other disciplines is explored. Authors reveal mathematical content, limitations, and new questions arising from this interplay, providing a provocative and novel view for mathematicians, and for others an advertisement for the mathematical outlook.

Managing Editor Ronald L. Children look to their parents to teach them values, and you taught us the value of a good quiniela at an early age. And to our new daughter Bonnie; We look forward to teaching you the best of what our parents taught us. It describes my attempt to master a small enough corner of the universe to glimpse the events of tomorrow, today.

The degree to which one can do this in my tiny toy domain tells us something about our potential to foresee larger and more interesting futures. Considered less prosaically, this is the story of my year obsession with predicting the results of jai alai matches in order to bet on them successfully. As obsessions go, it probably does not rank with yearning for the love of one you will never have or questing for the freedom of an oppressed and downtrodden people.

But it is my obsession — one that has led me down paths that were unimaginable at the beginning of the journey. This book marks the successful completion of my long quest and gives me a chance to share what I have learned and experienced. I think the attentive reader will come to understand the worlds of mathematics, computers, gambling, and sports quite differently after reading this book.

If you stick with me, you will learn the best way to watch jai alai and bet on it. The power of mathematical modeling — Mathematical models govern our economy and help forecast our weather. They predict who will win the election and decide whether your mortgage should be granted.

However, the man on the street knows little about what mathematical models are and how they work. In this book, I use our jai alai system to explain how mathematical models are designed, built, and validated. The mathematics of money — Gambling and mathematics have a long and interesting history together.

Indeed, my jai alai system functions very much as a stock-trading system in miniature. The golf club 2 beta The craft of computer programming — For most nonprogrammers, the ideas behind modern computing systems lie shrouded beneath a thick mist of buzzwords and technology. These buzzwords give no hint of the process by which computer programs are made to work or of the elegance and beauty that underlie the best software.

In this book, you will discover how my students and I built a particularly interesting computer program. I use our jai alai system to explain to the layperson such computer science concepts as parsing and random number generation, why real programmers hate Microsoft, and the true glories of the Internet. But done right, such data representations can be a thing of beauty — vehicles driving us to understand the story that the numbers are trying to tell.

In this book, you will get to see a variety of data sets presented in several different ways. You will get a first-hand look at how to interrogate numbers and make them talk. Finally, this is the story of a mild-mannered professor who places money on the line to test whether his system really works. You will have to read to the end to see how I make out.

My goal has been to produce a book that will be interesting and understandable even to those with little background in each of our three main topics: jai alai, mathematics, and computing. I explain all the jai alai lingo that I use, and thus you will be able to appreciate what we are doing even if you have never been to a fronton. If you can understand how mortgage interest is calculated, you have all of the mathematical background you need to follow what we are doing.

Even if you have never programmed a computer, you will be able to understand the ideas underlying our system. Either way, after reading this book you will have a better understanding of how and why computers are programmed. Maybe you will even be inspired to try some mathematical modeling of your own!

At the end of this book I suggest some possible projects to get you started. I have tried to make this book as fun to read as it was to write. In particular, I have striven to be in the spirit of Bill James, the popular writer whose books on baseball go deeply into the essence of the game. He uses advanced statistical analysis and historical research to unearth hidden trends and overturn conventional wisdom.

One perceptive review notes that part of the fun in reading his work comes from the spectacle of a first-rate mind wasting itself on baseball. Part of the fun of this book, I hope, is the spectacle of a second-rate mind wasting itself on jai alai. Without the efforts of these three musketeers the project could never have been completed.

I hope they enjoyed working with me half as much as I did with them. I would also like to thank our system administrators Brian Tria and Anne Kilarjian, who patiently kept our computer systems up and running, and Gene Stark, who kept the phones ringing. I particularly thank Bob Heussler for permission to use his jai alai action photographs as well as for his time during our field trip to Milford.

Thanks are also due to Dr. Eleanor Umali of TechBooks did a great job with production. Finally, Persi Diaconis worked his magic in helping me find a publisher, and I thank him for his interest and enthusiasm. Lost bets strip disc golf 369 They stuffed the kids into a Ford station wagon and drove a thousand miles in 2 days each way. But the biggest draw came to be the one night each trip when we went to a fronton, or jai alai stadium, and watched them play.

Mom was the biggest jai alai fan in the family and the real motivation behind our excursions. We loaded up the station wagon and drove to the Dania Jai-Alai fronton located midway between Miami and Fort Lauderdale. In the interests of preserving capital for later investment, my father carefully avoided the valet parking in favor of the do-it-yourself lot.

Walking into the fronton was an exciting experience. The playing court sat in a vast open space, three stories tall, surrounded by several tiers of stadium seating. To my eyes, at least, this was big-league, big-time sport. This was a very big deal when I was only 12 years old. The first game had already started.

We watched as the server spun like a top and hurled the goathide sphere to the green granite wall, where it rocketed off with a satisfying thunk. His opponent climbed up the sidewall to catch the ball in his basket, or cesta, and then — with one smooth motion — slung it back to whence it came. The crowd alternated between ooh and ah as the players caught and released the ball.

The players barked orders to their partners in a foreign tongue, positioning each other across the almost football—fieldsized court. Thunk, thunk, thunk went the volley until a well-placed ball finally eluded its defender. After each point, the losing side would creep off the court in shame replaced by another team from the queue.

The action would then resume. You have to visit a jai alai fronton to really appreciate the sights and sounds of the crowd. There is only one player they are interested in: themselves. The really neat thing about jai alai is that events happen in discrete steps instead of as a continuous flow, and thus the game is more like tennis than basketball or horse racing.

After watching a few games, I began to get the hang of the scoring system. The pause between each point gives you time to think about how the game is shaping up and what the prospects for your bet currently are. Sometimes you can look ahead and figure out an exact sequence of events that will take you to victory. In baseball, you can be 12 runs ahead, and thus giving up one run costs you absolutely nothing.

This is not so in jai alai. No matter how far ahead you are, the loss of a single point can kill by forcing you to sit down to watch your opponent win the match. Suddenly a team given up for dead trots back on the court, and then it becomes a whole new game. Fan loyalty is particularly fleeting because it is often the case that a bettor now needs to defeat the same player he or she was rooting for on the previous point.

I mean Sor-ze-ball. It was enough for one bet over the course of the evening. But what did wisely mean. That night, Pepe liked a 4—2—1 trifecta in the sixth match. My brothers and I studied this strange document carefully. We liked the idea of a tout sheet. It would help us spend our money wisely.

As kids, we were used to being told what to do. Why should it be any different when we were gambling. My brother Len agreed. A 4—2—1 trifecta in the sixth match. You have almost no chance of winning. To win a trifecta, you must identify the players who will come in first, second, and third — all in the correct order.

But we trusted Pepe. And besides, it was now our money. Eventually, we convinced our father to trade in our 2 dollars for a 4—2—1 trifecta ticket on Game 6. We waited patiently for our chosen moment. At last the public address announcer informed us it was one minute to post time for Game 6. Last-minute bettors scrambled to the cashiers to the accompaniment of the betting clock: tick, tick, tick, tick.

The chosen game proved to be a doubles match. The betting clock completed its countdown, which was terminated by a loud buzzer announcing that betting was now closed. The referee whistled, and the first player bounced the ball and served. The game was on. We cheered for team 2, at least until they played team 4.

We switched our allegiance to team 4 up until the moment it looked like they would get too many points and win without 2 and 1 in their designated positions. We booed any other team with a high score because their success would interfere with the chances of our favorites. We watched in fascination as player 2 held onto first place, while player 1 slid into a distant but perfectly satisfactory second-place position.

When player 4 marched on the court for the second time, my mother noticed what was happening. Player 4 got the point, leaving us only one point shy of the big payoff. The designated representative from team 4 served the ball. No, catch it. Miss it, ooh.

Miss it. Family pandemonium broke out as we waited the few moments it took for the game to become official. Mom told all in earshot that her kids had won the big one. Dad sauntered up to the cashier to collect our winnings for us, kids being forbidden from entering the betting area by state law.

We kids took the family out to dinner the next night. We experienced the thrill of being the breadwinner, hunters returning from the kill. It was indeed fun being a winner — so much fun that I starting wondering how Pepe did it. Maybe I could figure it out, too. An old gambling axiom states that luck is good, but brains are better. Indeed, it took me almost 25 years, but finally I have figured it out.

Let me tell you how I did it. Jai alai is a sport of Basque origin in which opposing players or teams alternate hurling a ball against the wall and catching it until one of them finally misses and loses the point. The throwing and catching are done with an enlarged basket or cesta. The ball or pelota is made of goatskin and hard rubber, and the wall is of granite or concrete — which is a combination that leads to fast and exciting action.

Jai alai is a popular spectator sport in Europe and the Americas. In the United States, it is most associated with the states of Florida, Connecticut, and Rhode Island, which permit parimutuel wagering on the sport. In this chapter, we will delve deeper into the history and culture of jai alai. From the standpoint purely crass of winning money through gambling, much of this material is not strictly necessary, but a little history and culture never hurt anybody.

Understanding the implications of the scoring system is perhaps the single most important factor in successful jai alai wagering. Much of this background material has been lifted from the fronton Websites described later in this chapter and earlier books on jai alai. A pelotari in action at Milford. In the Basque provinces of Spain and France, where jai alai began, the sport is known as cesta punta.

Cesta punta is a traditional part of Basque festivals, which accounts for the connection. The Spanish call the game pelota vasca Basque ball. Whatever the game itself is called, jai alai has a lingo associated with its equipment and strategy that we detail below. EQUIPMENT Jai alai is best viewed as a variant of handball in which two sets of players or pelotaris alternate throwing the ball against the wall and catching the rebound.

Some credit Melchoir Curachaque with inventing the cesta after breaking his wrist in Buenos Aires in Either way, the word cesta is Spanish for basket. The life of a typical cesta is only about 3 weeks. Like cigars, cestas are stored in humidors to prevent them from getting too dry and brittle. This core is covered by one layer of nylon and two outer layers of goat skin.

Each pelota has a court life of only 20 minutes or so before the cover splits owing to the punishment it takes hitting the wall during play. Pelotas in play have been clocked at over miles per hour, which is twice the speed of a major league fast ball. The combination of hard mass and high velocity makes it a very bad idea to get in the way of a moving pelota.

Pelota is also used as the name for a sport with religious overtones played by the ancient Aztecs. Those guys took their games very seriously, for the losing team was often put up as a human sacrifice. Such policies presumably induced greater effort from the players than is seen today even at the best frontons, although modern jai alai players are able to accumulate more experience than their Aztec forebears.

At Milford Jai-Alai in Connecticut, this front wall is feet high and feet wide and is made of 8-inch-thick granite blocks. A wooden border the contracancha extends out 15 feet on the floor outside this box. The pelota makes an unsatisfying thwack sound whenever it hits the wood, signaling that the ball is out of bounds.

A wire screen prevents pelotas from leaving the court and killing the spectators, thus significantly reducing the liability insurance frontons need to carry. At Milford, the court is feet long, 50 feet wide, and 46 feet tall. Although courts come in different sizes, players stick to one fronton for an entire season, which gives them time to adjust to local conditions.

The numbers from 1 to 15 are painted along the back walls of the court. The front court is the region near the small numbers, and the back court is near the big numbers. The lines marked 4, 7, and 11 designate the underserve, overserve, and serve lines, respectively. The rest of the numbers function, like pin markers in bowling, that is, only as reference points to help the players find where they are on the court.

In all of these sports, the goal is to accumulate points by making the other side misplay the ball. All games begin with a serve that must land between the 4 and 7 lines of the court. The receiving player must catch the pelota in the air or on the first bounce and then return it to the front wall in one continuous motion.

The players continue to volley until the pelota is missed or goes out of bounds. Three judges, or referees, enforce the rules of play. An aspect of strategy peculiar to jai alai is that the server gets to choose which ball is to be used. At each point, he may select either a lively ball, average ball, or a dead ball — all of which are available when he serves.

Once the server has chosen a ball, the receiving team may inspect his choice for rips or tears and has the right to refuse the ball should they find it to be damaged in any way. Jai alai matches are either singles or doubles matches. Doubles are more common and, in my opinion, far more interesting. The court is simply too long for any single person to chase down fast-moving balls.

Doubles players specialize as either frontcourters or backcourters, depending upon where they are stationed. Frontcourters must be faster than the backcourters because they have more ground to cover and less time to react, whereas backcourtsmen require stronger arms to heave the pelota the full length of the court. Understanding the court geometry is essential to appreciate the importance of shot placement.

Although the ball does spin and curve, jai alai players rely more on raw power and placement than English1 to beat their opponents. If one is placed close enough to the crack in the wall, it becomes a. You will hear cries of chula every time it looks like the ball will get wedged into the crack between the back wall and floor. The proper technique is to dive head first towards the wall, scoop up the ball, and then fling it forward from the prone position.

This kill shot usually ends the point. This is the kind of shot that makes singles games boring, although it is trickier than it looks because of the spin of the ball. As governed by the Spectacular Seven scoring system to be described later in this chapter in greater detail , the first two teams play, and the losing team goes to the end of the line as the winner keeps playing.

Having eight teams in any given match greatly enlivens the space of betting possibilities. The composition of the teams and post starting positions assigned to each player changes in each match. To help the fans and possibly the players keep everything straight, regulations require that the shirt colors for each post position be the same at all frontons.

History of the Game Tracking down definitive information on the history of jai alai posed more difficulties than I might have imagined. Unfortunately, if I were a pelotari, my nickname would be Monolingual. Therefore, most of the history reported below comes from less authoritative sources. Some cite legends that jai alai was invented by Saint Ignatius of Loyola, a Basque.

Others sources trace the origins of the game even earlier to Adam and Eve. These same legends assure us that they spoke to each other in Basque. The land of the Basques called Eskual Herria in the Basque language straddles the border of France and Spain, comprising three French and four Spanish provinces.

Legend states the Devil tried to learn Basque by listening behind the door of a Basque farmhouse. The Basques clearly are a people who did not mingle with outsiders. They defended themselves against the Phoenicians, the Greeks, the Romans, and the Visigoths. The Basque love of freedom continues today. More recently, the spectacular new Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao has put the Basque region on the map for something other than jai alai or terrorist activities.

Indeed, the Basque region of Spain and France is a terrific place to spend a vacation. A one-week trip could combine the unique architecture of Bilbao with the spectacular beaches of San Sebastian. You can drive winding cliff roads along an unspoiled rocky coast, stopping to eat fresh seafood and tapas, the little plates of savory appetizers that have spread throughout Spain but originated in the Basque country.

You can stop in nearby Pamplona to see the running of the bulls made famous by Hemingway. And, of course, you can watch the finest jai alai in the world. Players are not permitted to catch the ball but must hit it back immediately. The result is an even quicker game than cesta punta that is a lot of fun to watch.

Played on a smaller court than cesta punta, it remains a fast-moving game with serves that can reach speeds of over 60 miles per hour. Pala is more popular among amateur players because these clubs are considerably cheaper than baskets. Still, it amazes me that anyone succeeds in hitting a fast-moving ball with these foot-long clubs. The Spectacular Seven scoring system is in use primarily in the United States.

Much more common in France and Spain are partidos, in which two teams red and blue play to a designated number of points, usually 35 or The first player to get, say, 35 points wins the match. All championship matches are partidos. Such matches can take hours to play, just like tennis matches. In partido betting, spectators are encouraged to bet even after the game has begun.

This system is quite interesting. A bookmaker sits in the center of the room, updating the odds in a computer after each point is played. The latest odds are immediately displayed on the scoreboard. The cashiers face the spectators with their own computer screens and a load of tennis balls.

Any fan interested in placing a bet yells in Basque for the cashier to throw him or her a tennis ball, which contains a slot in which to deposit money. The fan touches his or her cheek to bet on red, or arm to bet on blue. The cashier processes this signal and the enclosed cash and returns a tennis ball with a ticket indicating the bet amount and current odds. Setting the right odds at each point in the match presents a considerable challenge for the bookmaker.

The first indoor fronton was built in in Markina, Spain. In France, the premier fronton is in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, a lovely village near the sea. Basque players dominate world jai alai. Jai alai has been played whereever Basques have lived. The Havana fronton was one of the best in the world before Castro outlawed the sport in the late s.

At least until recently, jai alai was played professionally in Italy, the Philippines, Macao, and Indonesia. Jai alai achieved international recognition when it was played in the Barcelona Olympic Games as a demonstration sport. It was almost immediately destroyed in a hurricane but then quickly rebuilt.

Ten years later, in , wagering on jai alai was legalized in Florida. After the Basques, Americans constitute the largest population of professional jai alai players. Many of these players learned the sport at a long-standing amateur facility in North Miami or the more recent amateur fronton at Milford, Connecticut.

Jai alai underwent a big boom in the mids. At its peak in , there were 10 frontons in Florida, 3 in Connecticut, 2 in Nevada, and 1 in Rhode Island. Referenda to expand the sport to New Jersey and California failed by narrow margins, but further growth seemed inevitable. The first problem was the long and nasty players strike, which lasted 3 years starting in and left serious wounds behind.

The strike poisoned relationships between the players and the frontons, significantly lowered the quality of play through the use of underskilled scab players, and greatly disenchanted the fans. It was a lose—lose situation for all concerned. Since , when the Florida Lottery started, the number of operating frontons there has dwindled to five Miami, Dania, Orlando, Fort Pierce, and Ocala , the last two of which are open only part of the year.

Several prominent frontons skate on thin financial ice and are in danger of suffering the fate of Tampa Jai-Alai, which closed down on July 4, The primary hopes of the industry now rest on embracing casino gambling, and owners have been lobbying the governments of Connecticut and Florida to permit frontons to operate slot machines on the side.

Besides competition, fronton owners complain about the amount of taxation they must pay. Each fronton is owned and operated by private businessmen but licensed by the state. The fronton seats people and claims an annual attendance of over , Phone: —— Milford Jai-Alai — The only remaining fronton in Connecticut, it is my favorite place to see a match.

Their Worldwide Web site is updated daily, which will prove crucial for the system described in this book. Open since , the Orlando—Seminole fronton seats Its new Worldwide Web site is quite slick. Address: South U. Highway 17—92, Casselberry, Florida Miami Jai-Alai — Opened in as the Biscayne Fronton, it has held as many as 15, jai alai fans for a single match. They aggressively promote amateur jai alai, through several schools in Spain and France and one in Miami.

Address: N. Ocala serves as somewhat of a farm team for American players, and thus it is a good place to see up-and-coming domestic talent. Highway , Orange Lake, Florida More recently, frontons have opened and closed in Acapulco and Cancun. The jai alai palace is the classiest structure on Revolucion Avenue in the tourist part of Tijuana. In front of the fronton, a statue of a pelotari with his cesta aloft strides the world.

Alas, no gambling is allowed at the matches played Friday and Saturday nights in the Jai-Alai Palace, although there is a betting parlor next door that simulcasts games from Miami. There are much easier ways to lose your money in Tijuana — easier but ultimately less satisfying than jai alai. Address: Revolucion Ave. All told, there are about active players in the United States.

The rest of this book will consistently ignore the fact that players are people. Age 26 36 21 32 29 31 26 23 32 25 23 25 27 39 27 38 25 38 23 23 30 24 26 22 25 33 36 31 27 20 25 30 40 31 24 29 39 30 31 27 24 28 28 30 31 25 32 38 21 Nat. Milford, CT Markina, Sp. Getxo, Sp. Cheshire, CT Biarritz, Fr. Bolivar, Sp. Agawam, MA Durango, Sp. Markina, Sp. Bridgeport, CT Mutriku, Sp.

Barcelona, Sp. Mutriku, Sp. Murelaga, Sp. Biarritz, Fr. Fairfield, CT Berriatua, Sp. Berriatua, Sp. Egloibar, Sp. Vitoria, Sp. Guernica, Sp. Bridgeport, CT St. Jean De Luz, Fr. Echebarria, Sp. Portsmouth, RI Mutriku, Sp. This worked fine for awhile, but with only one camera, I found myself missing some good stuff, so I bought a second camera.

And then another, and another. By now, we're working with seven cameras. This is what it looks like when we edit:. The angles are: wide left, wide center, wide right, handheld left, overhead, handheld right, and special. We don't miss much anymore. I'll give a free clip to the first person who posts the full names of all seven cameras.

Morgan doesn't think anybody will be able to do it, but I've got hopes. Hint: it's no coincidence that B is the overhead, attached to the ceiling. I didn't preview this week's update earlier because I didn't want to spoil the outcome of Dakota vs.

But now that that cat's out of the bag, here's Episode :. There are also four spectators: two male Conor and Richard and two females Shelby and Reyanna. The latter were friends of Selah who tagged along with her and jumped at the chance to watch these four play. The former watched with particular interest, since they're an essential part of the forfeit.

The text in the image above mentions the blowjob race, but what it doesn't say is that both losers have to take facials from the lucky dudes. It's a great way to introduce eight people who are all new to LostBets. I've already mentioned Heather in earlier blog posts. She's unbearably cute, with generous natural breasts and a sweet disposition.

Low limits, but blushes beautifully. Heather played with several other girls, among whom was Lela :. Lela's limits were substantially more flexible than Heather's. She risked a lot and lost a lot. She also immediately got the spirit of LostBets. She also bears a striking resemblance to Olivia , although with a bit more meat on the stick.

We got the two of them mixed up a couple of times. Returning soon is veteran Kimberly :. Kimberly was one of my first players, making her first appearance in Episode back in Since then she's been in a dozen games. She's never been a thin girl, but over the years she's gradually increased in weight until she definitely qualified as a BBW.

She's a beautiful girl at any tonnage. She's attractive in more than the gravitational sense. But all those extra pounds aren't healthy, and I made her pay a humiliating price for it. You'll see. The base rental price for a car at Harry Reid International Airport is quite competitive with other major cities. Unfortunately, agencies at the airport must levy very large fees e.

These can increase the modest weekly cost of a compact or intermediate size car by nearly 60 percent. Set in the middle of the desert of Nevada, Las Vegas can seem unreal at first sight. The skyline of the Strip features many unusual buildings side by side, and once you've come closer and get to travel along the Strip you'll to see replicas of buildings from around the world like the Eiffel Tower, the Great Sphinx of Giza, the Statue of Liberty or St Mark's Campanile.

The buildings that aren't copies also look striking, and there are things happening along the street like the dancing fountains of Bellagio and the exploding volcano of the Mirage, not to mention the colorful signs, of which there however are even more in the old town of Las Vegas; Downtown. Inside hotels and casinos the terms are interchangeable , expect to see myriads of slot machines, and gambling from card games to craps and roulette to sports betting.

Hotel casinos often have a certain theme, and is decorated and sometimes features attractions to that theme, like the flamingo garden in Flamingo. There's a great deal to do in Las Vegas; in addition to the gambling, the city is most famous for, you can for instance see a show, ride amusement park rides, watch and do sports or try to escape from an escape room.

For mountain activities such as hiking, climbing, and skiing close to Las Vegas, see Go next. There are places on the Strip where you can buy half-price show tickets, but generally not for the really popular shows on the same day of the performance. Cash or credit card accepted. Shows include circus shows, musicals, production shows, comedy, magic, tribute shows, adult shows,.

Las Vegas hosts 8 popular Cirque du Soleil shows. To secure the best seats, reservations well in advance are recommended. Reserve your tickets well in advance for the best available seating. The most popular shows are sold out on the weekends. Make sure to always book your seats directly from the official hotel website.

There are always different comedians coming to Las Vegas. Always a great way to get a laugh and end the night. Chances are, if you win it big in Las Vegas and you are not a U. Not to worry though; you can reclaim your gambling winnings tax through a S form.

You should get this from the casino, so don't lose it Opportunities to gamble are found in most places in the Las Vegas metro area, even at Harry Reid Airport and small supermarkets. It is state law that all gamblers must be at least 21 years of age and state law also prohibits anybody under the age of 21 from loitering in any area where gaming is present.

Even if you are at least 21 years old, you are required to bring to the casino a valid, government-issued ID that shows your current age or complete date of birth e. Photocopies of valid IDs are usually not considered valid and temporary paper documents i. Non-US drivers licenses and identification cards aside from passports can be accepted at the casino's discretion but do not count on it.

In-house security makes rounds of inspections to check compliance. If you are under-age or without a valid ID to prove your age and found in the gambling premises, hotel staff will ask you to leave, and could ask the metro police to issue you a citation. Moreover, under-age gamblers cannot collect any jackpot; such bets are void and the casino will at best return your wager before asking you to leave the premises.

There is a curfew for those under the age of 18 unless accompanied by an adult for Strip and Downtown areas of 9PM; for other areas in Las Vegas, the curfew is pm. During certain events e. New Year's Eve there are extended hours on the curfew. It is beneficial to understand the rules, strategies, and odds of each game before you arrive.

The games with the lowest house advantage if you know how to play are craps dice with full odds and blackjack ; however, tables where a blackjack pays only or even-money instead of the traditional give the house a big advantage, and should be avoided. Games in which the casino has the best house advantage include slot machines, roulette, and some craps bets hardways and propositions.

If a game is unfamiliar to you, just ask the dealer for advice on how to play. If you are playing during the daytime at a table that is not crowded, most dealers will be happy to explain the game to you, and even slow down the dealing. Most casinos offer ATMs and over-the-counter cash facilities, but beware about the charges set by your bank and the machine operator or establishment.

ATMs in casinos may charge exorbitant fees for withdrawals. One reason to gamble, aside from the hope of winning money, is that by doing so, you could receive complimentary "comp" rooms, meals, and even airfare depending on your play this is because the casinos want to "win some of their money back" from the high rollers.

Most casinos issue free "player cards. At the end of your trip, you can ask the hotel if you are eligible for any comps, you might be pleasantly surprised. Separate from comps, many hotels offer discount packages for travelers who book a Sunday-Thursday night arrival. Most of these packages offer gambling coupons or a matching play—see the Sleep section for details.

Texas Hold'em, 7-card stud, and Omaha can be found at almost all Las Vegas poker rooms. However, not all casinos have a poker room, so call the casino or ask a gaming floor attendant. Smoke sensitive players should note that while all poker rooms on the Strip are non-smoking, smoke may drift in from the casino if the room is not fully enclosed.

If you are interested in poker, this is a must see and all top poker players are present. And if you are a skilled player, you can play the side games taking place during the WSOP. With plans for a new stadium in the Bay Area having fallen into development hell, and the team's lease on the Oakland Coliseum running out after the season, the A's pivoted to Vegas.

A new ballpark on the Strip at the site of the Tropicana resort is set to open in The team has not announced where it will play from — Finally, Las Vegas is one of the world's main centers for combat sports. For decades, many of the biggest championship events in boxing have been held at venues on or near the Strip.

Escape rooms consist of themed rooms where a team of players work together to either escape from a locked room or complete a task such as opening a safe or stopping a nuclear missile launch by finding clues and objects or solving puzzles within a set time limit, usually one hour. Las Vegas has several escape rooms that vary in difficulty from easy for beginners to nearly impossible for the experienced player.

Most escape rooms require advance booking and do not accept walk-ins. Some escape rooms will fill the number of players up to the maximum with other people so check with the location in advance if you don't want to play with strangers. Las Vegas is the wedding capital of the world. To get married, first go to the Clark County Marriage License Bureau [dead link] and apply for a marriage license.

Both parties must have valid ID, such as a driver's license or passport. No blood test or waiting period is required. The marriage license itself is valid for one year. The minimum age to marry is 18; a 16 or 17 year old may marry if one parent is present or has given notarized permission.

Once you have a marriage license, the wedding ceremony can be performed by any priest, minister, rabbi or Justice of the Peace authorized to perform weddings within the Las Vegas area. Numerous wedding chapels are located around the Wedding Bureau and on the Strip. You can choose an elaborate theme wedding, such as an Elvis impersonator as officiant, or a simple ceremony and reception celebration.

Most major hotels and Vegas wedding chapels offer wedding packages for those who wish to plan a larger wedding ceremony. But don't let a lack of planning stop your nuptials; all Vegas wedding chapels can perform immediate weddings with no prior appointment, although it is recommended to make a reservation for your wedding. If you make a reservation most chapels will provide courtesy limousine transportation from your hotel to the chapel and back.

Making a reservation also decreases the likelihood of having to wait. Given the very high temperatures during the summer it may be a surprise that ice skating is popular, but it is inside. Seasonal rinks pop up at major Strip hotels like the Venetian and Cosmopolitan. Downtown Summerlin Mall also has one during winter. The combined state and local sales tax in all of Clark County meaning the entire Las Vegas metro area is 8.

Only groceries and prescription drugs are exempt. Like most U. The only retailers that can sell tax-free items to international travelers are the duty-free shops at Harry Reid International Airport. Hotel gift shops are outrageously expensive and should be avoided except for emergencies. If you are planning to not rent a car and to simply go up and down the Strip on foot or bus, the pharmacies are your best bet for basic supplies.

Souvenirs, drinks and snacks are also available at small stores along the strip; there is a cluster of them between MGM and Planet Hollywood as well as north of the Wynn. These are usually the cheapest places to shop, even if the selection is quite limited.

Importantly, there are no major supermarkets on the Las Vegas Strip near the resorts. There is even a Walmart at Tropicana Avenue, about 6 kilometres 3. These places are however accessible by car or bus, prices are lower than on the Strip, and if you're, say a European looking for some authentic American specialties to bring home these are certainly better places to find them than 7-Eleven.

Large casinos will invariably offer a variety of dining options, ranging from the omnipresent buffet to simple cafes to gourmet restaurants to Michelin-star winning restaurants. While there are a few spots along The Strip where you can find a deal, expect to pay a premium even for a simple meal unless you venture to another part of town. Lunch is your best value at most buffets when they are around half price, breakfasts are cheapest and often have a great spread too.

You can leave cash on the table at the end of your meal or tip the cashier at the counter on a credit card. Some buffets give "early bird" discounts, which means that if you arrive early the price is a few dollars lower. In Las Vegas, free drinks are often offered to gamblers, even those playing 5-cent slot machines.

Although it is officially NOT allowed per the lawbooks, drinking on public sidewalks and other areas on the Strip and Downtown is rarely if ever enforced. Thus it is entirely common to consume alcohol in public areas, including the public sidewalks within the Las Vegas city limits which includes all of Downtown, The Strip and close-by areas.

Again, as previously mentioned, over-intoxication and disorderly conduct is frowned upon, so stay within your own limits. When inside a casino or hotel there is seldom any restrictions on carrying drinks from one bar, restaurant or playing location to another with the exception of some showrooms and theaters where it will be clearly posted.

Individual shops may also have rules about carrying in food and drink of any kind. The towns of North Las Vegas, Henderson and other outlying areas have very different regulations forbidding removal of alcohol from bars, etc. Many bars and liquor stores are open 24 hours a day.

There are also posted laws for convenience stores, grocery stores and other retail liquor outlets restricting consumption in the immediate vicinity. Most of all, always drink responsibly and realize that the hot, dry desert air in the summer months can have very adverse health affects on people consuming alcohol such as rapid dehydration and deadly heat stroke, even after dark.

Drink plenty of water as well. There is a club or lounge in nearly every hotel and casino. Most clubs remain open until 4AM, with various after-hour clubs available for the truly hard-core partiers. Clubs are always busy on weekends, and may also be packed during weekdays at places that have Service Industry Night SIN , usually Tuesday to Thursday, when locals working in the service industry have their night off.

A good way to find out what places are hot in Vegas is to look up the "Vegas" or "LV" hashtag on social media services like Instagram or Twitter. The reason is that club and event promoters alike cleverly utilize the services as a way of reaching their audiences to announce specials, celebrity appearances, and guest list availability.

They usually post a flyer of the event and include their cell number, so that you can text them and let them know the male-to-female ratio in your party.