Bookies Taking A Beating On World Series Long Shots

The bookies in Las Vegas laughed all year at the suckers who bet on the Minnesota Twins and Atlanta Braves to go all the way.

"Now we're all crying," said Mike Roth, an assistant manager at Leroy's Horse & Sports Palace in Las Vegas.

When Atlanta defeated Pittsburgh 4-0 Thursday night, it meant that Las Vegas would have to pay off hundreds of thousands of dollars on long-shot World Series bets placed earlier this year on the Twins and the Braves.

"The books are going to get carried out in this town," Roth said. "It's a no-win situation. We're in big trouble."

To be sure, the unprecedented worst-to-first run for both teams won't break Nevada casinos and bookmakers, who collected millions of dollars over the summer on major-league baseball bets.

But the hefty payoff on a pair of former last-place ballclubs won't be easy for bookmakers to digest, either, and will make the 1991 World Series one of the biggest losers for Nevada sports books in recent years.

"It's going to cost the legal books in the state millions," Roth said. "I don't have the figures, and I don't even want to ask what the figures are. It's not going to be good."

Published reports have some sports books losing more than $1 million on future book bets made on the Braves and Twins winning the pennants.

When odds for the World Series were first set at the end of the 1990 season, the Braves and the Twins were at the bottom of the list in their respective leagues. The odds against Atlanta, which finished last in the NL West last season, were 250-1 to win the World Series and 100-1 to win the pennant.

The odds against the Twins were 100-1 to win the Series and 50-1 to win the American League flag. By April, the odds on the Twins' winning the Series had improved to 75-1 because of the signings of Jack Morris, Chili Davis and Mike Pagliarulo.

Still, Vegas bookmakers were eager to take bets on Minnesota.

"I wouldn't have given the Twins a shot," Roth said. "And most people in here wouldn't give you anything on the Braves. Heck, we were happy to get money on the Twins and the Braves."

The happy folks now are those who placed the money when the odds were so high.

Dan Larson, an assistant to a Minnesota state senator, won $400 last week when the Twins beat the Toronto Blue Jays for the American League title.

Larson placed $10 on the Twins in March to win the pennant. The odds at that time were 40-1.

Jim Thompson of Eagan, Minn., put $10 on the Twins to win the World Series when he was visiting Las Vegas in April. Thompson got 75-1 odds, meaning if the Twins beat the Braves, he wins $750.

"It's just a bonus," Thompson said. "If the Twins win it, I win it. But if they don't, I don't look at it as losing $750."

Thompson's brother, Dave, and a co-worker, Ray Dehler of Minneapolis, both stand to win $1,000 if the Twins win the Series. Both placed $10 on the Twins at 100-1.

For what it's worth, Las Vegas seems to be pulling for the Twins.

Oddsmakers have established the Twins as a 6-5 favorite in the Series, meaning that a bettor would have to place $6 on the Twins to win an additional $5.

"It might be better if the Twins win," Roth said. "I think more people have money on Atlanta. I guess the only thing we can hope for now is that Atlanta loses a few balls in the Metrodome lights."

BUCKS 'N BASEBALL

A LOOK AT THE FALL CLASSIC OVER THE YEARS.

ATTENDANCE 1903 series; 100,429 . 1959 series: 420,784 . 1990 series: 208,544 .

TOTAL: 22.7 MILLION . Game average: 44,262 .

NOTE: NO SERIES HELD IN 1904.

GAME RECEIPTS

1969 series: $2.86 million . 1990 series: $9.04 millioin .

NUMBER OF GAMES Since 1903: total games: 513 .

GAMES IN SERIES TIMES Four 13 . Five 22 . Six 17 . Seven 31 . Eight 4 .

WINNERS' SHARE 1969 series: $18,338.18 . 1990 series: $112,533.70 .

LOSERS' SHARE 1969 series: $14,904.21 . 1990 series: $86,960.54 .