The
game of keno is played with cards bearing numbered squares;
a number on the card may be marked when an announcer selects
and calls that number from a randomly selected pellet. The standard
version of keno is similar to lotto or bingo except that the
numbered balls are rolled out of a container called the keno
goose.
The
most widely played form of keno is a variation called race-horse,
or Nevada, keno. This version of keno is played in gambling
casinos, in which any number of players, even one, play against
the house. In racehorse keno the player is given a card with
80 squares numbered from 1 to 80 in rows of 10. The player may
bet on any number or numbers but not more than 15, marking them
on his card or ticket, which a clerk then records as the player
pays out his wager for each number selected.
The
keno numbers are also printed on 80 individual ping-pong balls,
which are either blown around in a large clear plastic sphere,
or spun around in a wire bird cage. As each ball is selected,
the winning number is electronically highlighted on the keno
boards throughout the casino.
The
keno players can bet on numbers singly (a one-spot ticket),
several at a time, or in various combinations. With a five-spot
ticket, at least three of the numbers picked by the player must
be called to win; then the house pays off at 3-1 odds; if four
of five the player gets 26-1; and if all five get picked, 332-1.
Actual odds, of course, are significantly higher, favoring the
house by from 20 to 25 percent.
A
ticket can be marked with individual numbers creating a straight
keno ticket, or with a group of numbers that give a better chance
of winning. These are called way and combination tickets. A
way ticket allows players to group different numbers (each group
containing the same amount of numbers) to create more than one
way to win. Players are given credit for hitting all three numbers
if any one of the group hits. A combination way ticket is one
in which groups of numbers are bet several different ways, allowing
money to be sprinkled over more combinations. Many experienced
keno players will use these methods for a wider selection of
numbers with a lower minimum wager, and a better chance to win.
Minimum
bets and payoffs are different from casino to casino, but this
information can be found in the keno lounge or in the instruction
booklet. Players present their ticket along with their wager
to a keno writer, and are issued a computerized ticket with
the game number, date, ticket code, choices and the amount of
the bet. It is the player's responsibility to compare the computer
generated ticket to their original copy in the event of a discrepancy.
Once the keno game is ready to start, betting will be cut off.
When the 20 randomly drawn numbers are put up on the keno boards,
players compare their ticket with the numbers displayed for
the game played.
Multi-race
keno allows multiple games to be played on one keno ticket.
Most casinos allow anywhere from two to 20 games in a row, but
some offer up to 1,000. The keno writer or runner must be told
that a multi-race ticket is wanted. At the conclusion of the
last game selected, players bring their multi-game ticket to
the counter and claim their winnings from all the games played.
Also
realize that if you are a winner at keno, you must cash in your
winning ticket before the next game begins. If you are playing
more than one game on a ticket, you don't have to collect until
after the last game has been called but before the next game
after that begins. The exception to this rule is if you are
playing from 21 - 1000 games (this can vary from casino to casino).
When you place bets for this many keno games, you have up to
one year to collect. Before assuming this is true at the casino
you are playing, be sure to ask a keno employee for assistance.
