To Bet or Not to Bet in a Game of Keno

Keno is a popular game that pretty much resembles a lottery or bingo. This game is played in a lot of today's casinos and also on the Internet. You can also find keno being played in a lot of social gathering areas like restaurants, bowling alleys, bingo halls, and others. The game is indeed popular in spite of the negative publicity it has received from critics and gambling experts alike.

What makes this game interesting and why the negative public opinion if it was so popular? Your first impression when playing keno will be that it is a game that is really fast-paced and is quite entertaining. It can be enjoyed with friends or you can also choose to play it all alone.

One of the reasons why keno is endearing to a lot of people is due to the ease of play. You'll be given a card or ticket with 80 numbers on it. Players are then to select a set of numbers on the ticket. The actual number of selected numbers on a ticket varies depending on the sort of game you're playing. Some will allow you choose 10 numbers, some 15, while there is also a game that allows you to choose up to 20 numbers. Though the odds of striking all your selected numbers at one time will be close to impossible.

The more numbers on your ticket gets drawn or selected the higher your pay out. A computer will do the selection of winning numbers and displays it on a screen. You will definitely win depending on how many of the numbers you'll be able to match on the screen.

Since the pay out depends on how many numbers you match don't be surprised to find a $100,000 prize for a 10 spot game. The odds for winning that game will be one to 9.05, whereas the one spot game has one to four odds but pays only even money. Check out the pay out chart next time you see a keno game.

So, why all the negative input about the game? The answer is found in keno's starting house edge, thus making it part of the worst casino bets you can make. The house immediately has a starting advantage of 25% and it can rise even higher depending on the casino. This house edge definitely comes from the pay out which varies from casino to casino. Though there are keno games online that do offer a low four percent house advantage, but they are quite rare.

Keno attracts a lot of customers through ease of play and its huge prizes. But the high house edge makes us place this game among the worst casino bets players can make.