Doors opened at the Hilton sportsbook at 8 am on Thursday for the beginning of the NCAA tournament, and I was sure to be there as the windows opened. A sea of basketball fans and bettors flooded the rooms almost instantly. As the first games tipped off, there was a murmuring throughout the crowd. I moved into the theater when it opened, a 5,000 seat theater with wrap-around screens, simultaneously showing all the action. The audio was great, and the spectators reacted to every play in every game. As the day went on, it became more and more lively. I took my one tough loss in the Temple game, in which I was laying 2.5. Other then that, the day went well, and it was a blast hanging out with so many equally invested ball fans. Today was no different. One of the great things is the 3 hour time difference from the east coast. Games start at 9 am here, and are done 12 hours later, which leaves plenty of time to do the traditional Vegas nightlife thing, which I am off to do now. Tonight heading out with some locals to their favorite hangouts and get off the strip for a while. Then back in the book by 9 for tomorrow’s games! Nonstop action and no better way to enjoy the tournament!!
