June 29, 2011, 2:06 am

Keno: What Is It, Really?

What is keno?

The answer lies in another question: Have you ever played lotto? If you have, then that's Keno. That's because Keno and the traditional lotto share many of the basic principles.

Chinese immigrants to the United States were the ones responsible for bring the game from their native China to US shores. As stated earlier, Keno is very much like lotto in its simplicity, and its main attraction lies in the large returns and jackpots in exchange for a small wager. This is why the game is widely circulated nowadays in many clubs, bars, casinos, and community centers all around the globe. While many who are largely unfamiliar with hardcore gambling might be prone to ask the question, "What is keno?" regular gamblers are familiar with the sight of Keno players lugging around hundreds of Keno tickets. Sadly though, the odds of winning at Keno are the same as that in lotto - extremely low.

What is Keno - a short background on its online life Online casino operators saw a vast potential in developing Keno for the internet, due to its simple principles - thus making it easy to provide online. Despite what some might think, there is a huge real-time following for Keno, and online casino operators were eager to cash in on this, aided largely by the fact that real-life Keno was played in casinos through video monitors, which provided very little obstacles in terms of familiarity for Keno players. Unlike blackjack, for example, where players really had cards and held their bets, the only significant difference real-life Keno had compared to online Keno was that a player needed to go to as casino in the former, while he or she could play in the comfort of home in the latter.

What is keno - how to play To start off, a player chooses four to ten numbers from a total set of eighty numbers. The term "spot" is used to describe each selection. Buying multiple tickets for one draw is possible, and is allowed in many online Keno games, some even allowing a player to pre-buy tickets for Keno draws in the future.

A player then submits his or her selection, and then the draw is made. A tube is filled with twenty numbers that fall from a barrel. You win if enough of your submitted spots are drawn. More numbers mean more winnings. See? Just like lotto. It's very simple. Ticket prices rage from 5 cents to 5 dollars, so the wager's aren't that high, especially given the fact that jackpot prizes of $50,000 are not unheard of.

What is keno - the catch The game is extremely easy and simple to play, but here is a catch, of course. The house advantage for Keno is one of the worst - if not the worst - as far as casino games go: 30%. The advantage is even more noticeable given the chances for a spot to hit - 0.25%. So, the next time you ask yourself, "What is Keno?" be sure to completely absorb the odds completely because while the game promises whooping returns for your 5 cents to 5 dollars, very few really win it big.