In Las Vegas, each 2-person team plays for a team score on each hole. But it's not a normal team score. The team members' scores are not combined; rather, they are paired: Player A gets a 4, Player B gets a 5. The team score is not 9, it's 45 (the lower number goes first).
If both players get 4s, that's 44; if one gets an 8 and the other gets a 3, that's 38.
The team score represents the number of points each team earns per hole. Points are tracked throughout the round and the differential is paid off at the end of the round. A single-hole example: Team A scores 4 and 5 for a 45; Team B scores 5 and 6 for a 56; the difference is 11 points.
Points can be worth any amount. Low-rollers should only play for nickels and dimes. Las Vegas is often played for a dollar per point, and it adds up quickly at that level.
And if your foursome is "flipping the bird," the money can really start to change hands. When employing this rule, a team that makes a birdie and wins the hole can flip the other team's score for that hole. So instead of the low number going first, the high number goes first. The opponent's 5 and 6 wouldn't be 56, but 65.
One safeguard: If one player scores 10 or more, that team's score uses the high number first. So a 3 and a 10 is 103, not 310.
