Basics of Keno

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By Alan Kirk
eHow Contributing Writer

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Keno is a gambling game. It is a game based on the odds of a player choosing the numbers that will be drawn out of a total of 80 total numbers. Keno is similar to lotteries in that it is a game of pure luck where skill will not have any effect on the outcome of the game. When playing Keno, players get to make decisions such as how many numbers to try to guess in each game, how much money to play per game and how many games to play in a row with the same numbers.

Function

Keno is a gambling game where a player tries to pick the numbers that will be drawn at random. The player can choose anywhere from one to 10 numbers that he thinks will be drawn at random. Depending on the number of numbers the player chooses, he can win money based on the number he chose that are actually drawn. In most cases the player must have at least half of the numbers he picked drawn for him to win. The amount paid back to the player is dependent on the number of numbers he chose and the amount that matched his picks.

How Many Numbers

There are 75 numbers on a Keno board. These are in numeric order from 1 through 80. In a game of Keno, there are 20 numbers picked at random. The most numbers a player can pick in a game of Keno is 10. If she picks 10 numbers and all 10 are drawn at random, she wins the largest prize possible in the Keno game. Some individual casinos will have a special jackpot for players, and allow a player to try to pick all 20 numbers. This is not offered at all casinos though.

Where Is Keno Played

Keno is played in a variety of locations. Many casinos, such as the ones in Las Vegas, offer Keno as a game for gamblers to play. A gambler does not have to play at a casino though. Some states such as Maryland have its lottery commission run a game of Keno that players can play at bars and other establishments. If you wish to practice for free, you can play at websites that have free versions of Keno.

Variations

Keno can be played at casinos in a couple of different ways. Casinos offer a Keno booth where players can pick up Keno forms and fill them in before the next Keno game. There are also video game versions of Keno in casinos. These can be found by themselves or as part of multi-game machines that offer other video gambling games such as video poker, slots, video roulette and video blackjack.

How To Fill Out A Keno Card

Start out by selecting the number of games in a row you want to play. Then determine the amount of money you want to play on each game. After that, you need to select your numbers. On a Keno card you will draw an "x" through the numbers that you wish to play. Keep in mind you can play anywhere from one number through ten in standard Keno, and some casinos and video versions offer to let you play up to 20 numbers. Once you have filled this information out, either turn in your paper Keno card or click the button to submit it in the video game.