18) An inexperienced player pays 5000 lire to enter a casino, where he doubles his money. Upon leaving, he pays 5000 lire for parking his car, but - since luck is on his side - he enters a second casino with free entry, where he doubles his money again. After paying another 6000 lire for parking, he realizes he has nothing left in his wallet. How much money did the player initially have?
(A) 10000
$\begin{array}{lll}\text { (B) } 12000 & \text { (C) } 15000\end{array}$
(D) the data is insufficient

(E) all the previous answers are incorrect.
18) The answer is $(\mathrm{E})$.

Let $x$ be the lire the player initially has in his wallet. After paying for parking when leaving the first casino, he has $2(x-5000)$ - 5000 lire.

Upon leaving the second casino, he has $2(2 x-15000)$ lire, and since this amount is exactly what is needed to pay for parking, we have $4 x-30000=6000$, from which $x=9000$ lire.