Keno has been around during the time of Han Dynasty, somewhere between 205 and 187 B.C. It was first played in China, was eventually brought to the United States by Chinese people who immigrated to the United States. Keno has 80 original Chinese characters which were eventually changed to 80 Arabic Numerals when it was brought and played in the United States in the early 19th century.

According to old stories which used to circulate in China, the invention of Keno has actually saved an important ancient city from complete destruction during the difficult time of war and its very extensive popularity has made it even more useful to the country which is in the verge of collapse and famine by raising funds to be used for the construction of China’s still existing pride and one of the World’s wonders – The Great Wall of China.

Keno is now played in almost all modern casinos all over the United States. From Las Vegas to Atlantic City, one can never run out of gambling house to play Keno and how much bet they want to make. Keno aficionados can actually play either live or video version. Some players would say that playing this game live is still the best way to enjoy it but others who play its video version loves it because of its flexibility and bonus rounds that it offers to the players.

To play this game, in a card which has 80 numbers, a player should choose and mark the numbers from 1 to 20 and then takes the card with the chosen 20 numbers to the Keno writer and places the bet, which is the only time that the card will be drawn in the next game. When luck is on your side and the numbers you have chosen hit, the winning tickets will be paid accordingly which differs from house to house. For instance, if two numbers hit in a four-spot ticket with a dollar staked, you will get back your one dollar; 5 bucks will be added to your fortune when three numbers hit and if you really are super lucky and all four numbers hit, you will be paid 120 dollars.

Players can choose what kind of bets they want, straight ticket is the simplest of all because the bet are placed in a single wager, but numerous players love to play more combinations. The most well-known combination of all is the “way ticket”. It is played by marking six numbers, circling two groups and threes and finally putting a mark at the edge of the ticket, 2/3, and 1/6. And the player would then put the bet one dollar on each combination.

Video keno is essentially played just like the live keno, it also has 80 characters, and the only difference is that the players will just have to touch the screen when choosing the numbers. The risk in video game is much higher compared to live keno.

Summary

Keno is the staple of every casino because of its flexibility, easy to play, and the stakes are not really high compared to other games in the casino. Players can actually play this game in either live or video version. Either way, the most important thing to remember is to enjoy the game.