Updated On: June 30, 2011, 3:08 am

  • Is Keno Another Beano?

    Even though Keno has been around quite a while, many people do not know what Keno is all about. Some people might wonder if Keno is another card game or a new invention, but the Keno game rules are quite similar to games and lotteries you might now. Somehow you cannot deny that Keno seems very similar to Beano or more commonly known as Bingo.

    Keno is supposedly a mix between the ordinary lotteries and Beano aka Bingo. The actual game play of Keno is really quite similar to both a lottery and a Beano game. The game is usually played in modern casinos for Keno is still quite a young game. Although it came to Europe and the USA in the 19th century from the Chinese were the game originated, most of the casino gambling games are far older or have been introduced to the western world much earlier than Keno. Examples of these gambling games are blackjack, poker, or even backgammon.

    Now let us not go into deep into the history but focus on the game play of Keno and why exactly it is so similar to beano. The players of Keno each have a lottery ticket which contains numbers 1-80. Just like in Beano aka Bongo, you mark the numbers of your choice with an "X". You have to mark twenty numbers and place bets on the numbers you picked.

    The numbers are written on white balls like in the lottery and resemble ping-pong balls. They have to be light because they are to be filled into a glass bubble with uses an air blower to mix up the balls. The caller, who is responsible for determining the numbers, presses a handle which opens the bubble and the balls can be lifted into it one by one until they arrive at the so-called rabbit ears. The "rabbit ears" is a V-shaped tube where the final twenty balls are being recorded.

    For the payouts of the wagers each player has to refer to the paytables of the individual casinos they are playing in. The paytables are the pay scales which are set by the casinos. There are also many different paytables a player can chose from only one casino they are playing in. The game play also allows the playtables to have special wagers. Those wagers for example would be a win of $500-$1,000 if you win 0 out of 20. These unusual bets can be found mostly in Las Vegas.

    As you now may see, Keno and Beano are quite similar if not the same. The odds in Keno are as minimal as in Bingo, but special paytables in casinos make the game still quite enjoyable.