Keno is a fun and exciting game much like the lottery. It has a long and rich history dating back to ancient China. During the Han Dynasty, General Cheung Leung needed to fund a lengthy war and created the game that came to be known as the Chinese Lottery. It is believed that the general took the first 120 characters of a children’s nursery rhyme, “The Thousand Character Classic”, and created the betting system. The Chinese Lottery was introduced to North America by Chinese immigrants. They were drawn to America because of the gold rush, but instead were used a laborers on the railroad or in coal mines. To simplify the game, the Chinese characters were replaced with numbers. As the games popularity grew, Nevada, already a gambling state, presented this game as a horse race since the lottery was not a form of legalized gambling. Today Keno is sometimes still referred to as a race.
Rules and how to play
Land-based casinos offer players a keno lounge where paper keno tickets and crayons are available to choose their numbers. A booklet is also provided with payment schedules for all combination of numbers picked, explaining the different types of bets available and all rules for the game of Keno. A keno ticket has numbers from 1 to 80. Players select their numbers and the amount of their bet and take their ticket to the counter where they will receive a duplicate copy ticket from the keno writer. The minimum bet is usually one dollar. When the game is closed, the casino randomly draws 20 numbers. The way numbers are drawn vary from casino to casino, but can be done much like bingo with a “bubble” with 80 balls released by pressing a lever. Payouts are based on the amount of numbers a player selects and the amount of numbers “hit”. Land-based casinos also have “keno runners” throughout the casino who take your bets to the keno lounge, return with your duplicate copy ticket and even collect your winnings.
Keno slot machines
Land-based casinos also offer video keno slot machines. The payout schedule is on the video screen and players deposit coins or use a paper voucher, pick their numbers and hit the draw button. Betting amounts can vary from machine to machine and players can bet as little as five cents. Numbers are picked by a random number generator and players have the results within seconds. Players can change their numbers at any time or hit the quick pick button and have the computer choose their numbers. The keno slot machine is the choice of many players as the result of each game is immediate and there is no waiting time between each draw. Online casinos also offer the game of Keno and it is played much like the video slot machines at land-based casinos. The payout schedule for your specific bet is on the video screen and game results are instantaneous.
Summary
Keno is an inexpensive game and this is the attraction for many players, the chance to win a huge amount of cash for a small wager. If you decide to be a consistent player of Keno, it has statistically been proven that the best bet is from four to six numbers. New players make the mistake of betting the most numbers allowed to hit the giant payout, but usually end up with a losing ticket. Learn the game of Keno and select the amount of numbers you play. Many players have their own tips or strategies for the game of Keno, but always keep in mind that Keno is a game of chance and should be enjoyed.
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