The Rules and Game Play of Keno
Keno may be a game that we can find in any casino but it isn't a game of modern invention. Keno has its origins a few centuries back though the history of this game isn't really that clear. What we have though is that the game of Keno was played in the land of ancient China. It appears that a type of this game was played there in the Han Dynasty.
Several Chinese scrolls show that the game was used to fund the Chinese army at Cheung Leung's city during several years of war. The game that they played then was similar to today's Keno and it became very popular then.
At first glance Keno may seem to be like a lottery or a bingo game. Like both similar games, players are given the option to bet on a number or several numbers they wish to choose. In most Keno games, players are allowed to select from one up to twenty numbers to wager on. Players indicate their desired numbers on a ticket, which actually has eighty numbers on it.
Once all the players have made their bets the winning numbers will be drawn. Today the numbers are drawn using a computer. After all the winning numbers are drawn. The players with winning numbers are then awarded their prizes. The winnings are paid in proportion to the wager made by each player and will be based on how many numbers turn up on the player's ticket.
That means if a player can match a lot of the numbers that were drawn with that on the ticket the prize would be larger. Does Keno sound fair enough to dare you to play it? There's more to this game so we advise you to make up your mind if this game is for you.
The house edge on Keno is quite dramatic. At its lowest the house advantage for this game will be as low as four or five percent. At its worst, the house edge for Keno will be a high 66%. This is also one reason why there has been a lot of negative feedback regarding the game of Keno.
We know that the more numbers you pick the bigger should be your payoff. Unfortunately, this aspect of Keno is also a double-edged sword wherein if you choose a whole lot of numbers the chances are that getting them all correct (or at least most of them correct) will be reduced.
Keno is an interesting casino game with really ancient roots. Players should understand the game before jumping in and risking their money.