Jeff Haney on how Barbaro is making Triple Crown futures bettors nervous

Friday, May 19, 2006 | 7:25 a.m.

Gamblers who bet there would be no Triple Crown winner this year must be feeling intimidated by Barbaro, who bolted to the head of the 3-year-old class with an impressive Kentucky Derby victory.

Before the Derby, bettors who wagered against any horse winning the Triple Crown had to risk about $10 for each $1 they were trying to win in Las Vegas race and sports books.

That kind of bet - risking a lot to win a little on a proposition that seems close to a sure thing - is called a "bridge jumper" in gambling slang, probably because making it is like taking a plunge.

Current odds on props involving Barbaro and the Triple Crown heading into Saturday's Preakness Stakes indicate this year's bridge jumpers might go splat.

Barbaro is listed as a heavy favorite of minus-160 (risk $1.60 to win $1) at Wynn Las Vegas to win the Preakness, having been bet up from an opening line of minus-110. Gamblers can also bet against Barbaro, getting a price of plus-140 on the rest of the field, which is expected to include nine starters.

Also at Wynn, Barbaro is listed at plus-170 to win the Triple Crown. Before the Kentucky Derby, gamblers could get about 7-1 on their money that any horse would win the Triple Crown.

It's minus-200 that Barbaro will not become the first thoroughbred since Affirmed in 1978 to win the Preakness and Belmont along with the Kentucky Derby.

A comparison to the opening line posted after the Derby indicates bettors believe in Barbaro. The "No," Barbaro will not win the Triple Crown, opened at minus-320, with the "Yes" side at plus-260.

Other Las Vegas books have similar odds on Barbaro to win the Triple Crown. At the Las Vegas Hilton, it's minus-220 he won't and plus-190 he will. Caesars Palace and related properties have it minus-250/plus-200, and at the Palms it's minus-230/plus-205.

Oddsmakers at the Hilton are touting the fact that they are using a competitive 20-cent betting line on their NFL team season win over/unders.

With a 20-cent line - which can also be found at the Palms on NFL season win over/under wagering - bettors risk $1.10 for each $1 they're trying to win on an even proposition. If the price on one side is minus-150 (risk $1.50 to win $1), for example, the price on the other side would be plus-130 (win $1.30 for each $1 risked) with a 20-cent line.

Bookies often use a less competitive 30-cent line - or sometimes even worse - on specialized wagers such as season win over/unders, so these 20-cent lines represent good news for bettors.

With the WNBA's regular season set to begin this weekend, Las Vegas-based RME Sports has published its annual WNBA workbook for bettors to track result and point-spread trends.

The workbook is $10 and available at the Gambler's Book Shop (630 S. 11th St.) or online at rmesports.com.

Betting lines on WNBA games are readily available in Las Vegas sports books, with major properties also offering future-book wagering on the season champion.

Both Caesars and MGM-Mirage properties rank the Connecticut Sun, the Sacramento Monarchs and the Seattle Storm as the three favorites to win the WNBA title in their opening odds.

Connecticut is listed as a 3-1 favorite at Caesars, 4-1 at the Mirage. Sacramento is 3-1 at the Mirage, 7-2 at Caesars. Seattle is 7-2 at the Mirage, 5-1 at Caesars.

The Monarchs beat the Sun, three games to one, in last year's championship series.

Not long ago, it was considered a novelty when poker programming outdrew (other?) sporting events in the TV ratings books.

By now it has become routine.

The fifth installment of the six-week National Heads-Up Poker Championship series notched a 1.3 rating Sunday in an overnight average of 55 TV markets, according to spokesman Steve Griffith, which compares favorably with other weekend afternoon sports programming.

The series, filmed in Las Vegas in March, is averaging about 4 million viewers an episode on NBC.

This coming Sunday's final installment (do not read the rest of this item if you want to be surprised) will feature two semifinal matches - Chris Ferguson against Huck Seed, and Ted Forrest against Shawn Sheikhan - followed by Forrest's victory against Ferguson in the championship.