Keno
Keno came from a form of Bingo or Lotto and is a very popular gambling game in the United States. The history of Keno can be traced back to a game played in China called “The Game of the White Dove” established during the Han Dynasty in 187 BC. “Keno” has been known and played like a bingo like format in the eastern states prior to the arrival of Chinese during the gold rush. In the late 1800’s, it was changed to a similar format of Chinese lottery.
History of Keno
This game is an old establishment, and was first introduced by Cheung leung of the great Han Dynasty. When the city was hard pressed, and provisions started failing, the besieged were anxious about to increase the contributions and to exhort the people to subscribe more for the army but they 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 in 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 li of property; if they gained one division they were rewarded with ten taels. Once these regulations was 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 as a contribution to the army for the reduction of the empire..
At present, 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 li; 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 in a great distance and communication were difficult and the people were anxious soon to know the result respecting their gaining or losing, they employed letter doves to carry the news to the distancies - 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 way 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 his numbers, he must bring his card back to the clerk at the keno booth. The clerk will then issue a receipt after recording the player's numbers.
After recording your numbers at the keno booth, you will watch the "big board" or a video monitor where the numbers light up showing the numbers selected. You will mark the numbers on your card with a brightly coloured marker. The winning ticket should be turn back into the keno booth. The amount of money that will be paid out is determined by the amount of players in the game. Your ticket will be void if you try to redeem a winning ticket after the next game has started and no money will be paid out.
Purchasing a "multi-race" ticket or a "stray and play" ticket to avoid having your ticket becoming void. The multi-race ticket is multiple tickets (from 2 to 20) with the same numbers picked. The other option is the stray and play, this is when you purchase an amount of cards bigger than 30 - this type of ticket is good for up to a year after purchase.
