Keno is an ancient Chinese game, and has become very popular in America and other nations over the past 100 years or so.
It is said to have originated in China roughly 2,000 years ago, but the exact details of its creation are fuzzy. Some people say the game was invented to help fundraise for the building of China’s Great Wall, while others have a completely different idea of the game’s origin.
The game did not reach the West until the 19th century, when Chinese workers traveled abroad to help build the American Transcontinental Railroad.
Keno is similar to the lotto game, and is almost all luck-based. In order to win, you must match at least 5 numbers to the selected numbers.
When playing, you will buy your ticket and then choose your lucky numbers. The ticket you have will have 15 slots, each with a number from 1-15. You mark a specific amount of numbers, then wait for the results to come up.
The amount of numbers you mark is completely up to you. Generally the more you mark the more you stand to win, but there are a number of variables that will affect the game.
You should learn the different kinds of bets before playing too much Keno, so that you fully understand what’s going on and can play smartly.
The prize you win depends on how many numbers you correctly selected. Let’s say you choose 7 numbers. If 4 of those numbers are selected, you will win $5. If 5 of them are selected, you win $20. If 6 of your chosen numbers are selected, you will win $250.
And, if you’re lucky enough to get all 7 of the numbers, you will win a whopping $2,000. Keno is not a high-stakes game, and therefore there are pretty low upper limits as far as winning potential goes.
On the other hand, Keno is much easier to win than high-jackpot games like Lotto and state lotteries.
In the game of Keno, there are a few different ways to bet. If you select more than half of the numbers on a Keno card (8 or more to be exact), you will enable the “betting against” bet.
This means that you’re actually betting against the numbers you select, saying that none of them will be selected in the drawing.
The next type of bet is a Hit All. A hit all bet must be between 2 and 7 numbers, and you must hit every single selected number in order to win.
If you select 4 numbers and only 3 are drawn, you win nothing. A High Roller bet is when you bet on a ticket with at least 1 number selected. The payout for this kind of bet is often higher than normal.
The last kind of betting is a Top or Bottom bet, in which you need only choose “top” or “bottom” in order to bet, and you don’t even need to mark your Keno card. I have written below all the kind of bets you can find in a keno game:
BET AGAINST
This option is enabled once you have marked at least 8 Spots on the ticket. With this option you are betting that none of the numbers you mark will be hit by any of the rocks thrown.
HIT ALL
To enable this option you must mark 2 to 7 Spots on the ticket. You are betting that all the numbers you mark will be hit.
HIGH ROLLER
In order to enable this bet, you have to mark at least one spot on the ticket. The Payout is greater.
TOP OR BOTTOM
Is the only option that is enabled before you mark the ticket. You only need to place your bet to be able to use this option.
You can learn more of this game and all the other lottery games by reading all the articles in the Keno and Lotteries section.
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