Andrew Ferguson

Vegas Baby?

So, I’ve been offered a trip to Vegas: airfare and hotel and some food covered. It’s the result of a barter whereas I did some work for a friend. Said friend offered to pay me or “…given that you’re about to turn 21, would you take a Vegas vacation…?”

Oh man. Vegas. What an offer. The first thing I thought of was gambling, remembering of course that gambling is a game that you pay for.
Richard Feynman wrote in Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman!:

The first time I was in Las Vegas I sat down and figured out the odds for everything, and I discovered that the odds for the crap table were something like .493. If I bet a dollar, it would only cost me 1.4 cents. So I thought to myself, “Why am I so reluctant to bet? It hardly costs anything!”

So I started betting, and right away I lost five dollars in succession — one, two, three, four, five. I was supposed to be out only seven cents;
instead, I was five dollars behind! I’ve never gambled since then (with my own money, that is). I’m very lucky that I started off losing.

So maybe go gamble a little bit, lose some money, maybe get lucky. Cirque de Soleil would be cool to see (“O” and Love are two I’d be interested in), maybe some other shows. Avenue Q is playing in Vegas as well. Of course, there’s also Star Trek: The Experience, which Wil says that every Trekkie should visit at least once. And then there are are lights. The wonderful neon lights. What kind of cool photos could I take? Pretty much the only time that works for me is sometime between March 10^th and 18^th. I also have room for one at the hotel (although nothing else would be comped), anybody want to join me?

If I were to take money, it would be less than than the actual cost for me to go to Vegas at a later date.

So now I think it comes down to opportunity cost. I’ve been presented with a opportunity with a value. I could take it or I could forgo that opportunity and take the cash. If I take the cash, I’m free to do whatever I want, whenever I want.