| Casino
Keno is simple. Twenty numbers are domly from a
field of eighty. The process is similar to bingo
and state lotteries: Numbered Ping-Pong balls are
randomly blown into a tube. Players try to accurately
predict one or more of the numbers that will be
selected.
A wager can be made on a single number or a combination.
If the player's numbers "catch" in the
machine, the player wins. As with a lottery, the
match doesn't have to be exact, but a closer match
wins more.
One glance at this abbreviated pay table quickly
shows how keno is different from other casino games.
Nearly every winning combination has odds that are
greater than 10:1. The odds are mostly in the hundreds,
thousands, and millions. On the other hand, a $1
wager can win hundreds, thousands and occasionally
hundreds of thousands of dollars. Keno is obviously
not the kind of game where the winning and losing
alternates while the house edge steadily nibbles
at your bankroll. A typical keno session is a lot
of losing with an occasional modest win. Every few
hundred or few thousand wagers bring a bigger payoff.
The biggest payoffs are rare. Most people will never
see them.
Gamblers who are unwilling to accept this reality
sometimes bet large amounts on keno in an attempt
to force big wins. That's really dangerous. The
approach is not good with any casino game, but it
often works with contests that have a narrow house
edge, like blackjack or craps. Throw a pile of money
at craps and there is nearly a 50 percent chance
of seeing big wins. Keep doing it and there will
be a lot of winning and surely even more losing.
Lots of action. Not with keno. Throw money at keno
and it will swallow most of it. Gone. Two weeks
later the game will dump the cash on a little old
lady who bet a dollar.
Keno can't be rushed. It moves at its own speed.
The only way to win is with patience, patience,
and more patience. In fact, that is the greatest
pleasure of the game. A few dollars can buy hours
of unhurried enjoyment. |
