Keno is played in a similar way to the lottery or bingo. Each Keno Board or ticket features 80 numbered squares which resemble the number of balls that are featured in the glass ball or bubble. During the ball draw, 20 balls are released when a lever is pulled into the shoot or ‘rabbit ears’. Keno is traditionally played in land based casinos, but it is also available in an online slot game style version with the rules remaining the same.
History of Keno
The word Keno is derived from the French word quine, meaning 5 winning numbers, but the game has its root set in China around the 1800s. Legend has it that it was the money raised from Keno games that helped to build the Great Wall of China. The Chinese variations of this game used sheets printed with 80 Chinese characters in place of numbers. When the Chinese immigrants sailed across the Pacific Ocean they introduced Keno to the West and over the years it has become an increasingly popular game.
How to Play
Keno is not a difficult game to understand or even to play. Each player is given a score sheet or keno board which has numbered squares on it from 1 to 80 which are displayed in 10 columns and 8 rows. Before the balls are drawn each player must select up to 20 numbers, some casinos only allow 15 numbers to be chosen whilst others only allow 10 numbers to be picked. Once you have chosen your numbers it is then handed back to the house, if playing in a land based casino or simply submitted if you are playing on line. The Keno bubble will then randomly shoot out 20 balls, or if you are playing online, 20 random numbers will be generated. You win by simply having the most matched numbers on your keno board.
Betting
There are many different ways of betting that can take place during a keno game and it is very important that you understand this element before picking your numbers.
Straight Bet – for this the player can bet on single numbers. In most cases you can only choose up 15 numbers from the 20 to put a wager on.
Way Bet – this is where you can choose groups of numbers within a single keno board. This type of betting is quite complicated as it requires selecting combinations of numbers from within a preferred group.
Split Bet – in this style of betting you can choose multiple groups of numbers from a single Keno board. The groups of numbers are outlined by a line or circle.
