Listen closely as students file into room 106 of UNLV's Beam Hall, and you'll detect a distinct undercurrent flowing through the routine chatter, a steady thrum like the clacking of chips in a poker room.
Gambling talk.
A couple of guys debate how many favorites covered the point spread in the National Football League over the weekend. Others have an animated conversation about college football wagering. Someone else sets odds on whether the evening's guest speaker will show up, given that there's a big baseball game on television.
Sure, this is Las Vegas, where it's common for betting phraseology to seep into the vernacular, but still ... it's pretty thick tonight for a college lecture hall.
