How to play - KENO
Keno is similar to Lotto. It was first introduced in China many years ago. The game was brought
to the USA in the mid 1800's by the Chinese immigrants who came to work in the mines and on the railroad. It is a
very popular game and very easy to play. It is an exciting pastime and, most importantly, it offers the possibility
of winning large payouts on relatively small wagers.
Keno is usually played in Casino lounges specifically allocated for the game, but there are
so called 'Keno runners' who will collect your ticket and deliver the winnings if the player wants to play from
outside the lounge area. There are many television monitors spread all over the Casino halls to keep players
informed of the winning numbers.
There is also the video version of Keno. These are slots-like coin operated machines. It
plays using the same principle with similar rules of the regular Keno, but you get the results much
faster.
To play Keno, you select a minimum of 4 but no more than 10 numbers between 1 and 80. Each
selection is called a 'Spot', so if you select 10 numbers you are playing a 10 Spot game.
Keno tickets are located at tables throughout the Casino and in the Casino's Keno lounge. The
Casino provides a 'Keno crayon' for this purpose.
Simply mark a blank Keno ticket with the numbers of your selection. Then present your ticket
to the Keno desk with your wager and the clerk will give you a duplicate ticket. In a few minutes, twenty numbered
Keno balls will be drawn at random from a barrel containing 80 numbered balls, and if enough of your selected
numbers are drawn, you are a winner. The results are displayed on screens, called Keno boards, throughout the
Casino.
Minimum bets can be as low as 5 cents, although some Casinos only accept bets of $1 or more.
The house's Keno brochures give you information about payoffs and various tickets you can play.
The amount of money you win is dependent upon the type of ticket you play and the number of
'spots' caught. You may play as many tickets as you wish. You could win as much as $50,000 on a $1 wager in some
Casinos.
The round of a Keno game is called a Keno race. In many Casinos, 'multi-race' Keno is
featured, where you can play a number of consecutive Keno races at one time.
The house advantage on Keno varies according to the Keno game played. It is always around 30%
or more. The chances of hitting one number in 80 is 0.25%, making Keno among the worst bets you can
make.
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