Keno is a popular gambling game in the United States . Its history can be traced to a Chinese game called "The Game of the White Dove" invented during the Han Dynasty (187 BC). The name "keno" descends from a form of Bingo or Lotto popular in the USA in the 19th century. There are many references to "Keno" played in a bingo like format in the eastern states prior to the influx of Chinese during the gold rush. The name appears to have been transferred to the similar format Chinese lottery in the late 1800s.
Keno is similar to Lotto. It is a very popular game and very easy to play. It is an exciting pastime and, most importantly, it offers the possibility of winning large payouts on relatively small wagers.
The following account of the history of the game is an excerpt from Stewart Culin 's paper published in 1891.
This game is an old establishment, and was first introduced by Chéung léung of the great Han Dynasty. When the city was hard pressed, and provisions were beginning to fail, they (the besieged) were anxious to increase the contributions, and to exhort the people to subscribe more for the army, but were unable to do so. Hence they established a game of chance (to guess characters), by which they hoped to tempt the people to hazard their property. In order to fix a method of losing or gaining at hazard, they chose 120 characters for the whole game and eight characters for one subdivision. If the people lost one (whole) subdivision they lost three lí of property; if they gained one division they were rewarded with ten taels. These regulations being once established, who would not sacrifice a little in order to gain much? The two games in the morning and evening were attended by men and women who tried their luck by guessing. They had only opened the game for about ten days, when they had accumulated more than 1000 pieces of silver; and after a few more decades their wealth was boundless. The money thus gained was considered a contribution to the army for the reduction of the empire….
At present the people practice the game as a profession. They borrow the characters from the Thousand Character Classic, of which eighty are chosen and arranged after a new plan, ten characters forming one division, which the people are permitted to purchase for more or less (for whatever they please.)
Three cash gaining ten taels makes the people covet the game without loathing. When they guess five characters they gain five lí; when six characters they gain five candareens; when seven characters they gain five mace; when eight characters they gain two taels and five mace; when nine characters they gain five taels; when ten characters they gain ten taels.
When this game was first established, the houses were often at a great distance, and communication being difficult and the people anxious soon to know the result respecting their gaining or losing, they employed letter doves to carry the news to the parties, whence the present designation: 'The Game of the White Dove.'
Modern Keno
Keno, in its modern form, is like a lottery or bingo in that it is a numbers game. Unlike bingo, the keno player picks the numbers for his or her ticket(s). Keno cards have 80 numbers; the keno player can pick as many (or as few) numbers as desired. This is done by circling or otherwise marking them with a pencil. Once the player has picked their numbers, they must bring their card back to the clerk at the keno booth. The clerk will then issue a receipt after recording the player's numbers.
After picking numbers and recording them at the keno booth, the player will then watch either a "big board" in which winning keno numbers will light up or on a video monitor showing the selected numbers. As the winning numbers light up, the player usually marks them on his or her card with a bright-colored marker. The amount of numbers the player originally picked that match winning numbers of a particular drawing will determine if any money is won and, if so, how much. The winning ticket needs to be taken to the keno booth immediately if it is an individual game ticket, as drawings usually take place every five minutes. If the player tries to redeem a winning ticket when the next drawing starts, it is void and no money is paid out.
To avoid having a void ticket, a keno player can purchase a "multi-race" ticket with the same picked numbers on anywhere from 2 to 20 tickets. When the maximum number of games (matching the number of tickets) is finished, the player can then redeem any winnings and avoid the peril of a void ticket. Another option is the "stray and play" ticket, which is usually a number of games greater than 30. Unlike standard keno tickets, the "stray and play" doesn't have to be redeemed immediately and is often good for up to a year after purchase.
We are the most trusted poker portal in Canada! Visit our texas holdem casino and start playing now and become one of the best jeu poker players on the net!
Uruguayan defender Diego Godin looks set to join Atletico Madrid after his alleged attempts to earn a transfer to Real Madrid failed, while strikers in both Ligue 1 and Serie A could be on the move...
He definitely won't be at Portsmouth next season, however David James could join one of their Championship rivals, after Bristol City joined the battle to sign England's number one.
We showed you a selection of the worst kits ever on Tuesday, but quite frankly that small selection didn't even scratch the surface. So here's the second instalment of horrible kits for you to 'enjoy'...
We've picked out five memorable recoveries from first-leg deficits in an attempt to convince Celtic fans that their Champions League dream isn't necessarily over despite yesterday's 3-0 loss in Portugal.
And so it begins... after the 'revelation' yesterday that Chelsea are looking to buy new players this summer, the rumour mill has started turning faster then ever...
The Europa League qualifier between Ruch Chorzow and Austria Vienna is live on Betfair Live Video, and we fancy our chances of winning for a second straight week by backing the Austrian side.
Roy Hodgson begins his Liverpool reign tonight against Rabotnicki in their Europa League qualifier, and we're convinced he'll get off to a winning start...
West Ham co-owner David Gold has never been shy in coming forward, and it seems he's more than happy to keep talking about the possibility of David Beckham joining the Hammers in the new year...
The BBC are reporting that Mark Hughes has agreed to succeed Roy Hodgson as Fulham manager and could be confirmed as the new man in charge at Craven Cottage later today.
Martin O'Neill must have had a few sleepless nights recently, with several of his players being targeted by other clubs. Stiliyan Petrov is the latest Aston Villa man to be linked with a move away...
We get our first look at Roy Hodgson's Liverpool tonight, but their clash against Rabotnicki is not the only game of interest. There are plenty of intriguing games, and another two of them are in our today's multiple...
Unlikely celebrity/footballer friendships, a rise in the number of babies being called Rooney and an unusual team-building exercise make it into our look at the week's vaguely football-related news...
Steven Gerrard, Joe Cole, Glen Johnson and Jamie Carragher won't be making the trip to Macedonia, however Liverpool are still resounding [1.36] favourites to beat Rabotnicki.
Was it ever really in doubt? Chelsea chief executive Ron Gourlay has told the world that Carlo Ancelotti will be allowed to bring in new players this summer. That must be a weight off his mind...
This site is for persons 18 years of age and over!
Warning: You
must ensure you meet all age and other regulatory requirements before entering
a Casino Game or placing any bet. Online Gambling and the playing on Online
Casinos and Online Poker Rooms is not legal in all jurisdictions, so please
ensure that its legal in the country you reside in. Casino Diamonds accepts
no liability whatsoever for the information contained in this site. This
information is for entertainment purposes only. Casino Diamonds brings you the latest online casino news,
online casino games reviews, online casino tips and the top online casino games.