Keno History

The history of can be a little bit confusing because of the multitude of different stories concerning its origin. It is believed that Keno started in China around 200 BC. Interestingly, according to the legend Keno saved an ancient Chinese city during the war and the game popularity helped to raise funds for the Great Wall. Keno was also used to help the Chinese children learn easier and faster. This game was introduced in the United States by Chinese immigrants. They came to the West in the purpose of building the railroads and mines in the US in the 19th century. During this period gambling was illegal in China so players had to hide from the police when they wanted to play. Nowadays, Keno is a very popular game and players can find many types of tickets. There are also various options and different house edges to contend with.

Keno Rules

Keno is the game which is very similar to bingo and lottery. From a circular glass enclosure containing 80 numbered (from 1 to 80) balls 20 are drawn randomly. Players use a blank Keno form containing 80 selection boxes and mark numbers to make a wager. There are different types of tickets depending on the payout the player can gain. In most online Keno games you can set a five cent bet, however in the land based casino the player is obligated to bet a dollar for a ticket. The house edge in Keno is around 30%, while the chance of getting one number to win on the ticket is very low and equals 0.25%.

Keno Strategy

Keno depends mostly on luck so there is no any successful strategy. In this game the player cannot predict the winning numbers in the given round because the result is a truly random process. When player chooses five numbers on a ticket, they have the same chances of winning any of the five prizes, for every number has the same possibility of being drawn. However, if the player bets at least 10 numbers, it is more likely that at least one of these numbers will be correct. The strategy can be based only on the player’s ability to predict.

Keno Glossary

Aggregate Limit - A casino is going to be responsible for a certain amount of money when Keno is being played - the aggregate limit.

Balls - Like bingo you have numbered round objects printed with the winning numbers. They are labeled 1 through 80.

Bankroll - the funds a player will wager during the Keno or any other game.

Bet - the funds taken from the bankroll that the player will make on a round of Keno.

Combination Ticket - This ticket has more than one type of wager you can place on it.

Draw - numbers that will result during one Keno round.

Free Play - Keno normally requires some form of a wager, but in free play you are able to try the game and learn the rules before you play for real money.

Hit – when a number you selected appears on one or more of the numbered balls drawn during the game.

House Edge - This is the probability of the house winning. In other words, through statistics a numerical value is given to tell you how often the house wins and the advantage they have. In Keno it is usually twenty to thirty percent.

Payoff - your winnings in the Keno game.

Progressive Jackpot - Some Keno games have a jackpot that increases progressively as you play until it is won by a player with the right numbers.

Random Number Generator - the tool used to pick the numbers during the Keno round. It guarantees all results to be truly random and as similar to the land based casino as possible.

Split Ticket - This is another type of ticket in which you need to play a group of numbers in a separate area.

Ticket - A form on which you choose the numbers to bet on.

Wager - another term for bet.

Way Ticket - This ticket allows for more than one bet.