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Keno is a real record-breaker in terms of the house edge, which in some variations of this game can reach an astonishing 66%. Nonetheless, despite its history of several hundred years and regardless of the predatory house edge, Keno remains a highly popular game in the modern world of gambling. It is played worldwide, from the US in the West to Israel in the East, and is featured in a variety of gambling establishments including gaming clubs and online casinos.
History
The word 'keno' is derived from the French 'quine', meaning 'five winning numbers,' which came from the Latin 'quini' ('five each'). Despite its name, however, the game was devised in ancient China. The legend has it that the game emerged during the rule of the Han Dynasty, approximately two thousand years ago, and even helped to protect one Chinese city from an invasion of the enemy. In fact, the game is claimed to have been so popular in ancient China that it allowed to raise funds to build part of the Great Chinese Wall. It is not clear whether this account is true or not, but for all we know, in modern China, until relatively recently, lottery as a means of fundraising had been illegal for a long period of time.
The first somewhat official mention of Keno took place in 1847 when the Portuguese colonial administration legalized lotteries in Macau. Some time later Chinese emigrants leaving for the West brought this game to the US, and as early as 1866 it already became one of the most popular games at casinos in Texas. Certainly, in the course of time, Keno underwent a number of modifications. For example, originally Keno was played with cards with Chinese characters on them, but, as Keno acquired popularity in the West, the characters were replaced with the standard Arabic numerals.
General principles
The process of playing Keno is very similar to the process of playing Bingo or lotteries. The rules of the game are not difficult at all, and Keno is very easy to learn. Eighty numbered balls are placed in a spinning metal ball cage. Players participating in the game mark anywhere from 1 to 20 numbers on their game cards having a total of 80 spaces each. The dealer draws the balls (no more than 20) and announces the winning numbers. In modern casinos, let alone online casinos, this process is automated and conducted electronically. The more numbers the player matches to those drawn, the greater the payout.
Payouts in Keno are determined by two factors: the total of the numbers selected by the player and the number of matches. The number of matches, or ’hits,’ is multiplied by the proportion of the player’s bet to the ’base rate’ as set forth in the pay schedule. The exact amount of the payout varies from casino to casino.
The odds of a player having 20 hits out of 20 are approximately 1 in 3,535,316,142,212,173,800. In other words, even if all the people presently living in the world were playing Keno every second of their lives, to date there would be only one straight 20-number hit. Nonetheless, the probability of having a smaller hit is not this low, after all. The following chart compares the odds of winning depending on the number of hits made.
| Number of Hits | Wining Odds |
|---|---|
| 0 | 1 in 843,380 (0.11857057%) |
| 1 | 1 in 86,446 (1.15678605%) |
| 2 | 1 in 20,115 (4.97142576%) |
| 3 | 1 in 8,009 (12.48637168%) |
| 4 | 1 in 4,877 (20.50318987%) |
| 5 | 1 in 4,287 (23.32807380%) |
| 6 | 1 in 5,258 (19.01745147%) |
| 7 | 1 in 8,826 (11.32954556%) |
| 8 | 1 in 20,055 (4.98618021%) |
| 9 | 1 in 61,420 (1.62814048%) |
| 10 | 1 in 253,801 (0.39401000%) |
| 11 | 1 in 1,423.822 (0.07023351%) |
| 12 | 1 in 10,968.701 (0.00911685%) |
| 13 | 1 in 118,084.920 (0.00084685%) |
| 14 | 1 in 1,821,881.628 (0.00005489%) |
| 15 | 1 in 41,751,453.986 (0.00000240%) |
| 16 | 1 in 1,496,372,110.872 (0.00000007%) |
| 17 | 1 in 90,624,035,964.712 |
| 18 | 1 in 10,512,388,171,906.553 |
| 19 | 1 in 2,946,096,785,176,811.500 |
| 20 | 1 in 3,535,316,142,212,173,800.000 |
Rules
The main thing to remember when playing Keno is that while the basic rules of the game are similar regardless of the venue, some special rules may apply depending on where the game is played.
In a traditional casino or a gaming club, a player may play multi-race Keno, participating not just in the nearest race, but also in a number of sequential races. Normally a player does not even have to handle the wager payment. This is done by a Keno runner. Moreover, it’s not necessary for a player to be near the ball cage since the results of each draw are displayed on special electronic boards or monitors located all over the casino.
Not so long ago there appeared a video version of this game, and it quickly gained popularity. Video Keno machines resemble regular slot machines and are even easier to play than traditional Keno. While the rules of playing video Keno do not differ from those used in the live version, a player receives his or her payout much faster.
To participate in a Keno race, one needs to mark at least four, but no more than 20, numbers on his or her special card. The exact number depends on the establishment where the game is being played, and some casinos allow to mark a minimum of two and a maximum of ten numbers.
A bet in Keno may be as low as modest 5 cents although some casinos impose a minimum bet of one dollar and more. The payout is determined by the number of hits made, and the number of races in unlimited. Given the payout formula, there is always a possibility of winning, for example, $50,000 by wagering $1 only. One has to keep in mind, however, that the house edge in Keno is at least 30%, sometimes reaching the record-breaking 66%. Therefore to succeed, a player needs to use an effective strategy or at minimum know the Keno winning odds.
Keno — video review
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