2 - What Is Jai Alai?

Summary

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. Be my guest if you want to skip ahead to the more mercenary or technical parts of the book, but don't neglect to review the basic types of bets in jai alai and the Spectacular Seven scoring system. 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.