Playing Keno is extremely simple. It is so simple that it should only take you a little time to understand its rules and how it is played.
First of all you will need a Keno card or ticket. On the card you will notice all the numbers from 1 to 80. All the numbers from 1 to 40 are on the top half of the card, and the numbers 41 to 80 are on the bottom half of the card.
Before the game begins you must pick out the numbers you think will win and mark them on the card. You can pick any amount of numbers you want to, but no more than 20 and at least one number.
When the game starts, 20 random numbers will be chosen. When this process is complete the game is over and you will be paid according to how many numbers you got. If you have played ten numbers for example, but you only got 8, you will be paid accordingly. Of course, the payout would have been larger if you got all ten numbers that you played.
Regarding the payouts you should know that they vary from one casino to another. Usually the payouts are large, but this is mainly because the house edge is rather high. In fact Keno is one of the casino games with the highest house edge. If you play only 2 numbers for example your odds of winning are 6%.
This is a game that appeals to lottery fans. It is very entertaining, and even though the house edge is a bit high, the large payouts compensate for that, making this a wonderful game to play.
There’s probably no other gambling game with such a rich and long history like Keno. It has gone a very long bath from ancient times to modern day casinos in Las Vegas and online casino sites. You may find some facts even surprising. So read on! Keno in Ancient Times An ancient Chinese ruler, Cheung Leung of the Han Dynasty, has invented a game somewhere around 200 BC, which was very similar to Keno. An ancient manuscript tells that Leung’s city was plagued by war for many years, which has led to an economical devastation. The manuscript states that Leung’s citizens were no longer able to contribute money for funding the war. In order to get the money he needed so bad, Leung created a game quite similar to Keno, which had 120 numbers instead of 80 of the modern Keno. The game became very popular and helped raise the necessary funds. It is also rumored that Keno was used to finance the construction of the Great Chinese Wall. The story tells that birds were used to deliver the winning combinations from the big cities to smaller villages. Thus, the game of Keno in ancient China was known as the White Pigeon game. Keno in Modern Times The large influx of Chinese immigrants in the 19th century has introduced Keno to the United States. At first the game was known as the Chinese lottery, and became very popular amongst Chinese immigrants and residents alike. But, initially the game had problems with perception from the Western players, because it was still using Chinese symbols. When the symbols where changed to the current form of numbers, Keno’s popularity exploded. With the 1931 gambling legalization in Nevada, it was still illegal to play lotto in casinos. To avoid legal issues, casinos officials have changed the game’s name from «Chinese lottery» to «horse racing keno» But instead of lotto the player was given a choice of horses each having a number. A change to legislation that followed soon, made casinos adopt the game again, turning it to Keno as we know it now. History of Craps History of craps is an exciting story that spreads from ancient dice to today’s online free casino games. Craps is probably the oldest gambling game in history of humankind. Seems like dice were around from the beginning of our civilization, with ancient variations of this game being found and dated back to Ancient Egypt, China, and Greece. Craps were played throughout the history, and can be seen anywhere from schoolyards to military facilities. But where and when did it start from? Like with any other recreational practice, like music or theater, no one really knows where are the roots of gambling in general and dice in particular. The history of craps spreads so far in Ancient times that you can’t really say what civilization has invented the game. And with constant interactions and influences, the game traveled from one civilization to another, until you could find a set of dice in virtually any tomb around the world. Although, the game of craps as we know it today has a more precise source of development. Craps were preceded by a gambling game of hazard that the British were enjoying for centuries before it was popularized in America. Some say that the British have brought the game across the Atlantic, other say that the game was first adopted by the French, and then brought to New Orleans, which was the center of gambling in the US back in the 18th century. The second opinion is supported by the fact that the name «craps» was introduced namely by the French. No matter who brought the game «across the pond», craps as we know it now was developed by a guy named John H. Winn. He has invented a table for the game that gave much more options of betting and gambling for the players. And with the creation of Las Vegas in the 1930s, the game’s popularity has exploded. Today craps are one of the most spectacular casino games, becoming a symbol of gambling. It may look too complicated at first, but once you know the rules (which are pretty simple), the games becomes very exciting and you’ll find yourself playing it for hours.
As a popular form of entertainment, gambling has a rich history, and every player has the potential to become a winner in the blink of an eye. There is nothing else quite like the rush of adrenaline that can accompany the gambling experience! The gaming industry has grown exponentially for the past two decades, and the lure of gambling has drawn more and more people to the casinos as well as racetracks and Internet gambling web sites. Gambling is a fascinating pastime in many respects, and the list below will introduce you to some of the historical, statistical, and humorous tips and trivia that make this pastime special.
Did You Know?
1. At least 65,000,000 people in the United States play poker on a regular basis.
2. Playing cards as we know them today are still greatly influenced by the French, even though playing cards were invented in China. According to French lore, the cards with Spades represent royalty. Diamonds represent Merchants, Clubs represent Peasants, and Hearts represent the Clergy.
3. Former United States President Richard M. Nixon used money he had won playing poker in the Navy during World War 2 to finance his run for Congress in 1946. He must have been a good player, for it is never inexpensive to get involved in politics!
4. 87% of the people who visited Las Vegas during the year 1996 gambled.
5. Surveys reveal that 38% of the people who live in the United States have visited Las Vegas, typically to gamble.
6. The game called craps usually has some of the best bets in the casino.
7. Poker tournaments that take place on the Internet and on television have caused the Texas Hold’em variation of poker to have an enormous surge in popularity.
8. There is one slot machine in Las Vegas, Nevada, for every 8 people who live there. In 2005, the estimated population for the Las Vegas Valley is 2 million people. That’s a LOT of slot machines!
Gambling Bits and Pieces
9. Blackjack, or 21 as some people call it, continues to be the most popular table game in both online and offline casinos. It is also the game with the best odds.
10. You will see many versions of video poker in a casino, but every one of them is based upon the game of Five Card Draw.
11. In the English gambling dens during the 18th century, one employee had the unfortunate job of dice swallower. That’s right – dice swallower! He was to swallow the dice if and when a police officer raided the den.
12. If played correctly, video poker can offer some of the best odds in the casino.
13. The first slot machine in the world was invented by a Mr. Charles Fey in the year 1899. He was an automobile mechanic who wanted his customers to have something to amuse them while they waited for their cars.
14. Groucho Marx, one of the Marx Brothers, loved to play poker. He kept his poker money on him at all times, carrying it in a ‘grouch bag”. This is how he got the nickname of Groucho.
15. There are only two states in the United States that do not offer legalized gambling. These are Hawaii and Utah.
16. 57% of people in the United States bought a lottery ticket in the last 12 months. This fact, which was discovered by a Gallup Poll audit on gambling, proves that the lottery is the most popular form of gambling in the United States.
17. 68% of the folks in Las Vegas who gamble play the slot machines.
Fun and Interesting Facts
18. 24% of those living in the USA admit that they have participated in illegal gambling.
19. When studying the percentages of people who visit Las Vegas, it was discovered that the largest percentage group, 22%, was made up of senior citizens, those who are 65 and older.
20. One of the largest slot machine payouts ever recorded took place in Las Vegas back in 1998. A woman who had spent around $300 at a casino that day hit a $27.6 million dollar jackpot! No wonder slot machines are so popular!
21. Most historians have come to the conclusion that the legendary and colorful figure of the Wild West known as Wild Bill Hickock was not a very good poker player.
22. In the United States, it is not possible to take out a patent on any kind of gambling machine.
23. The card game of Texas Hold ‘Em was played for the very first time in a Texas city known as Robstown. This happened in the early 1900s. Texas Hold ‘Em was brought to Texas from Las Vegas by a small group of Texas gamblers.
24. Back in the 1970s, the average age of the people who enjoyed casino gambling ranged from 30 to 55. Nowadays, that age ranges from 17 all the way up to 70.
25. 80% of a survey group said that all gambling should be legal, and that casinos are perfectly okay.
26. A word of warning – You are not allowed to use your cell phone at a gaming table. This is generally true in all casinos. Of course, if you are playing at an online gaming table, you can do what you wish.
27. The largest casino in the world is located on the outskirts of Hartford, Connecticut in the United States. It is called the Foxwoods Casino.
28. Las Vegas has two nicknames – Las Vegas and Lost Wages.
29. Slot machines range from penny slots all the way up to those that range from $50 to $500 for each spin! These high-priced slots are usually located in what is called the ‘High Roller’ room or rooms of a casino. As a general rule, you will not see too many of these machines.
Gambling Facts and History
30. In 2007, more than $170 billion dollars was placed in bets in Las Vegas by gamblers. ‘The House’, or the casinos, won about $7 billion dollars of that money.
31. Online gaming is cool. Where else can you play video poker in your pajamas?
32. Casinos in Las Vegas are under no legal obligation to pay off any of their gambling debts.
33. The state of Nevada in the USA, home of Las Vegas, made gambling legal in the year 1931.
During that same year, the Hoover Dam was being built by the US government.
They didn’t want the men who were working on the dam to get involved with gambling, so an entire town, Boulder City, was built as a place for the dam workers to live.
It was made illegal to gamble in Boulder City in the hopes that these workers would not squander the 50 cents an hour they were being paid.
Today, Boulder City is the only city in the state of Nevada where it is illegal to gamble.
Fascinating Gambling Facts
34. To this day, the Italians and the French will still argue over who invented the game of Blackjack.
35. Millions of people are using the Internet to gamble 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
36. Those who play the slots online as well as offline will find that a majority of the time, they will win more often playing online.
37. In horseracing or any type of sports gambling, you need to win a percentage of about 52.4% of the bets you make in order to break even. This is because a commission is charged by the house on every bet.
38. There is no rhyme, rhythm, or pattern to playing the slots. It is almost impossible to predict when you are going to win.
39. When playing poker, the Dead Man’s Hand is Aces and Eights.
40. Most people who take a vacation to Las Vegas gamble for 4 hours a day, each day they are there.
41. Some say that the game of roulette was invented by a man called Blaise Pascal, a French mathematician and inventor. Others say he merely decided what order the numbers would go in.
42. And still others claim that the game of roulette came from China. Another group swears that roulette was invented by a group of Venetian monks! It appears that no one knows the real truth.
43. Even though a line of slot machines may look identical, every one of them looks different on the inside.
44. Dice are the oldest gaming tool available to use today.
45. Blackjack was banned in America back at the turn of the 19th century. Already a hugely popular game, it went underground as folks continued to play it illegally. The ban was lifted in 1939 as Nevada prepared to introduce Las Vegas to the world.
46. Craps is an American game, but was devised as a variation of a European game played in the 17th and 18th century that was known as ‘hazard’.
47. Legend has it that a fellow by the name of Francois Blanc made a bargain with Satan in order to find out the supposed ’secrets’ of the roulette, wheel. The basis of this legend is that when you add up all of the numbers on the wheel, you end up with the number 666, a number that has always represented the devil.
48. Slot machines are capable of revealing millions of possible combinations for every minute the game is played. This is because of the random number generator, or RNG, that is inside the machine.
49. Craps got its odd name from a nickname given to the French Creoles of New Orleans, Johnny Crapauds.
50. There are two types of dice, casino dice and ‘drugstore’ dice. Casino dice are precisely made by hand to insure that they are balanced and are a perfect cube. Drugstore dice are smaller than casino dice, and are made by machinery.
Gambling Facts and Figures
51. Historians have found documentation that tells us Napoleon really enjoyed playing a game or two of 21, or blackjack when he was in exile.
52. If you add up all of the opposing sides of one dice, you will always come up with a total of 7.
53. Roulette has rules that are easier to follow and understand than most other forms of gambling.
54. Video poker has been a part of the gambling world ever since the early 1970s.
55. The game of Baccarat was once played with Tarot cards.
56. Caribbean Stud Poker is a poker variation that is very popular worldwide. It was developed from a 16th century game called Primera.
57. There are 38 numbers on an American roulette wheel, 0, 00, 1 to 36.
58. There are 37 numbers of a French roulette wheel, 0 to 36.
59. Those who live in Nevada bet around $846 each year at the casinos.
60. The game of Baccarat was invented during the middle ages by Felix Falguiere, an Italian gambler.
61. One of the fastest growing forms of entertainment all over the world is casino gambling.
62. There are 11 different ways to make a wager in the game of roulette.
63. The British call
slot machines ‘fruit machines’ and ‘one-armed bandits’.
64. The gambling game of strip poker originated in New Orleans, Louisiana around 1830.
65. Backgammon is the oldest recorded game in history. This game, which originated in Mesopotamia, is called by many different monikers.
66. Gambling has become a $40 billion dollar per year industry in just the United States alone.
Things You Probably Never Knew About Gambling
67. Blackjack tables have a little in common with baseball games. The seats at the table that are around the dealer are known as ‘bases’, and are known as first, second, and third base. 68. Baccarat came to Las Vegas in 1959 at the old Sands hotel. It probably was not well like by the hotel owners, as the Sands ended up losing $250,000 the first night on the baccarat tables!
69. There are three different varieties of baccarat. They are called ‘Chemin de fer’, or railway, ‘Baccarat Banque, or Adeux Tableaux, and Punto Banto, which means North American Baccarat.
70. Blackjack team play was invented by a man known as Al Franesco. 71. The zeros on roulette wheels are called the ‘House Edge’. The zeros were originally added to the wheel by its inventor in order to increase the house odds.
72. Caribbean Stud Poker found its way to the United States in the 18th century. It first surfaced in Louisiana, and then spread west. 73. Nowadays, you can learn how to play Craps on your Iphone!
74. A pair of dice has several nicknames. They can be called ‘Boxcars’, ‘Snake Eyes’, ‘Mississippi Marbles’, or ‘Memphis Dominoes’.
75. The fastest growing industry in the world in Indian gaming, which is a $27 billion per year industry in just the United States.
76. The name ‘Blackjack’ was derived from a variation of the original game rules, in which a player who had the black Jack of Spades received a payout.
77. The worst roulette bet, and why? It’s known as the 5 number bet, 0, 00, 1, 2, 3, and once made, the house edge jumps from 5.26% to 7.89%.
78. The game of Baccarat gets its name from the worst hand possible, zero.
79. The original name of Blackjack was ‘Ving-et-un’, which translates into the word ‘blackjack’.
80. The largest win at an online casino was $1, 683,524.64.
81. A sailor had 27 wins in a row playing Craps at a Las Vegas casino back in the 1950s. The odds of this happening are 12,467,890 to 1!
82. The game of Bingo originated in Italy during the year 1530.
83. In Australia and New Zealand, the term “Housie” is used for Bingo.
Gambling Trivia You Never Would Have Guessed
84. In the entire time the game of Keno has been played, a prize of $500,000 has been won four times, two times by the same player.
85. Roulette is the oldest of all casino games.
86. Keno was used in ancient China to raise money that was used to build the Great Wall of China.
87. Keno came to the United States in the 19th century.
88. It is possible to come up with 1,474, 200 different Bingo cards. 89. Playing cards as we know them today first appeared in Europe sometime during the 1300s.
90. Modern Bingo was devised from a game known as Beano. When a player mistakenly called out “Bingo” instead of “Beano”, the name caught on everywhere.
91. A little more than 70% of the high rollers in Vegas who enjoy playing Baccarat are Asian bankers and Asian industrialists.
92. Keno goes back to the Han Dynasty in Chinese history between 205 and 187 B.C.
93. In South America and Europe, the game of Baccarat goes by the name of Punto Banco. Punto Banco is usually a high roller game.
94. The age of the youngest person to win the World Series of Poker main event was a tender 24.
95. It is possible to make 2,598,960 poker hands from a standard 52-card deck.
96. The odds of being dealt the hand known as a ‘pocket pair’ in Poker are 16 to 1.
97. There are only 4 possible Royal Flush hands in a standard 52-card deck.
98. The odds of getting a Royal Flush hand are 649,740 to 1.
99. More than 70 million decks of standard playing cards are sold each and every year.
100. That sandwich you ate yesterday got its name from a poker player. The Earl of Sandwich loved poker so much he was loathe to leave the game table, even to eat. So, he would have someone bring him bread and some meat, and the sandwich was born!
101. The nickname for a pair of 8s in the game of poker is Pocket Snowmen.
Two games that you may enjoy playing when you are entering an online casino are Keno and slots. While slots are offered at just about every online casino, Keno is not. You should learn as much as you can about the game of Keno before you start to play.
When you are looking for the ideal online casino site, you will want to look for one that will not only feature the games that you are looking to play, but will also makes it easy for you to play them. While slots are pretty easy for anyone to pick up, Keno requires you learning the rules. If you would like to try to play this game but are not sure of the rules, read up on the rules and then start playing on paper. Playing on paper means that you are not playing for real money. Many online casinos will allow you to do this. You cannot win any money if you wager when you are playing on paper, but this is the best way to get the hang of the game.
When you are looking to play slots online, you will find jackpots, progressives and many other types of slots at just about every site. One thing that you should be aware of is that if you use a bonus for the online casino, in many cases it is not good for progressive slots. Even with a simple game like slots, it pays to know the rules. This is especially true if you are planning on taking advantage of casino bonuses.
If you do not have time to read all of the rules of the online casino with regard to rules on slots and even Keno, then you should read reviews of the casinos. Casino reviews can be found at online casino guides. They are written by people who have played at various sites and who are not only familiar with the rules of the game, but also with the way that the site operates regarding paying out and even the ease of using the software. These reviews are unbiased and can tell you which are the best online casino sites for games such as slots or Keno, as well as any other game that you have in mind. Not all online casinos are equally created. But it can be difficult to tell one from another by visiting them as they all promise you big money and a chance to have fun.
The best way to do anything right is to prepare by reading. This means that you should not only read up on rules regarding games that you do not understand, but also read up on online casinos so that you can tell one from another and discover which might be the best for you. Once you have read all you can, get the feel of playing at the online casinos by playing on paper – even when you are playing slots – until you get to the point where you are ready to start playing with your money and winning cash.
Keno is a simple number game that is highly popular among casino goers. This is because just for a dollar it gives you the chance to win a million dollars. You can choose your numbers for a keno ticket from one to twenty. The ticket has space for eighty numbers arranged in the form of a grid. The player has to mark these numbers as the keno writer calls them out during a game. Before the game begins, you must specify the betting amount in the given column.
Next, you enter the total numbers you have selected. Remember that you must claim the winnings of one round within five minutes before the next round begins; else you lose the entire amount. You can use the same ticket for twenty games in the multi-race version of keno. In this variation, you get your prize at the end of the twentieth round and you must retain the same numbers for all the rounds. A new version of this game permits players to play almost a thousand games and gives them a huge period of a year to claim their winnings.
You must keep the receipt issued by the keno writer so that you can claim the prize. The computer randomly picks twenty numbers and the winner is the player with the maximum number of matches. You cannot predict the outcome of the computer as it is a random selection and every number has an equal chance of occurrence. So do not fall for keno winning systems that help you predict the numbers.
Before you learn the tips and tricks to win at keno, familiarize yourself with the basic rules and terms associated with it. The first type of bet is the straight up bet where you select six numbers. The machine them selects any twenty numbers and you get your prize depending on the payoffs. You get back your bet only if you get three out of six numbers, three times the bet for four numbers, more than eighty times for five numbers and hit the jackpot of three thousand dollars for getting all six numbers.
Your payoffs increase if you bet larger amounts. The smallest permissible bet is of two dollars and the largest one is of seventy dollars. You can select up to fifteen numbers with some casinos permitting even twenty numbers for this bet. However, your chances of winning reduce when you choose more numbers. For variety, you can play with a pair of numbers on a ticket, but this has no effect on your chances of winning.
Keno games are heavily biased in the casino’s favor; however, the chance of hitting the jackpot is what lures players to the game. Hence, the idea is to play fewer numbers and never more than six or seven at the maximum. First, choose your six numbers and write them in the provided space on the keno ticket. The idea is to choose more numbers and then shorten your list to the chosen six numbers.
Do not mark the numbers and then move the four numbers on every row to a standard keno form. You will then have three tickets with twelve numbers in all. If you put three dollars for three tickets, it gives you three attempts at wagering on the four numbers on one ticket. A single win will net you more than a hundred dollars while a full six jackpot will net you three hundred and fifty dollars.
Besides a straight bet, you can make a way bet by placing several wagers on the same ticket without paying any money for these extra wagers. For this, you must choose three groups of three numbers and make three bets instead of one. You may combine way bet by placing six bets on a single ticket.
Today, you can play keno both offline as well as online. If you are new to Keno, you would do well to know the different terms used in the game. What is an ‘all or nothing’? Or a ‘ball game’? What does someone mean when he uses the term ‘buy-in tournament’? This article provides a glossary of these and some other terms used in Keno.
Some Important Keno Terms to Know
Keno: This is today’s version of an ancient Chinese lottery. You get to draw 20 numbers out of a total of 80 (nowadays the total is 120), and you win if you are able to correctly guess the numbers drawn.
All or Nothing: This is a term used in Keno to represent a ticket that pays only if you draw all the numbers picked, or if you draw none of the numbers picked.
Ball Game: This is the most common form of Keno nowadays. In this form of the game, plastic balls represent the numbers.
Blank: This is a term used to represent an unused Keno ticket.
Blower: The blower is part of the machine that is used to dispense the plastic balls used in Keno. With the blower, the game operator can force the balls into a tube, using air.
Buy-in Tournament: This is a type of Keno tournament where you have to pay a pre-determined fee upfront. Once you pay the fee, you are eligible to play in a specific number of games or play a set number of tickets. In a buy-in tournament, you get to keep any money you win.
Cage: The cage is no longer used in Keno games today. Basically, it was a wire cage used in the earlier days to hold Keno balls. Today, you mostly find plastic hoppers. The term ‘cage’ also denotes a specific area in a casino where only employees are allowed, and where you can find Keno workers.
Catch: This is a term used to denote a number that you have called in a Keno game.
Catch-all: This is a type of Keno game where you have to get all the numbers marked on your ticket. Another game is Catch-zero, where you must ensure you do not get any of the numbers that you have marked on your ticket.
Close: This is a term used to identify that period in time when the casino stops writing any more Keno tickets. The time period usually stretches from just prior to the draw till immediately after the draw.
Fractional Rate Ticket: This term is used to represent a ticket that you can play for a fraction of the standard rate.
High End Ticket: This term is used to refer to a Keno ticket that pays you more if you catch a high number of spots. However, if you catch a lower number of spots compared to the standard ticket, you win less or even no money.
High Roller Ticket: This is a Keno ticket whose minimum pricing is high.
House Edge: This term is used to represent the percentage of bets that the house, i.e. the casino, can hope to win over time. The standard house edge is 30%, though this number is not necessarily the same for all casinos.
Keno Glossary ? Summing Up
The above are some of the terms that you will encounter when you start playing Keno. This is not an exhaustive list by any means, and you would do well to read up more about the large number of terms related to Keno before going ahead and trying your luck at the game.
The ‘average’ online casino player is female, aged between 46 and 55.
The reason why is obvious, when you think about it – for years, land based casinos were male-dominated spaces where women, if they were allowed in at all, were seen as either waitresses, glammed-up escorts to ’serious’ gamblers or blue-haired pensioners piling coins into slots.
With the advent of online gambling, that all changed. Now, women can gamble where and when they like, without the pressure – real or imagined – of feeling like an unwelcome outsider.
Surprisingly, though, the online casino industry has been relatively slow in picking up the opportunities offered by this demographic. Most of those online gambling sites that do focus on female gamblers tend to assume that all they want to do is play bingo and chat on online message boards.
Whilst there’s no doubt that many female gamblers enjoy those aspects of online casinos, there’s an entire group who are interested in more traditional casino games.
If you’re one of those gamblers, and you feel a little neglected by the marketing of casino sites, this article is intended to point you towards games I know you’ll enjoy!
First up is probably the most male-dominated game of all, Baccarat (pronounced Back-a-rah and also known as Punto Banco) As the game that introduced James Bond to the world in Casino Royale, it has always had an aura of class and glamour. Think of Bond girls in strapless black dresses, draped over the players as they gamble, and you’ll see how women are generally regarded by Baccarat players!
In traditional bricks-and-mortar casinos, Baccarat is often played in a separate room, out of the way of the ‘rowdier’ tables, as it is the game preferred by ‘high-rollers’, those high stakes players that get treated so well by the management. This is another reason why land-based Baccarat can feel so intimidating, for men as well as women.
Online, however, there are no such restrictions to playing Baccarat. Gone are the trappings of glamour and secrecy – and what’s left is a straightforward, enjoyable card game, with room for a little strategy.
I designed Fortune Palace (see resource box) to introduce players to game such as Baccarat. If you visit, you’ll see all the rules and bets clearly explained, an explanation of strategy for all levels of risk – and, best of all, you’ll be able to practice absolutely free, so you won’t need to chance any money until you’re familiar with the game.
The second game I’d like to recommend is one of my personal favourites – Sic Bo. Not many know of this game as it’s played mainly by Asian and Far Eastern gamblers. In fact, a lot of Western casinos fail to offer the game. Online, though, it’s one of the most popular table games.
Unusually, Sic Bo is widely regarded as a ‘game for women’ amongst gamblers. This disparaging attitude ignores the possibilities that the game has to offer. To describe it briefly, it’s a game played with three dice that has similarities with Craps and Roulette. I’m always amazed by how Roulette players look ‘down their nose’ at Sic Bo. True, the odds in Sic Bo are not exactly the most favourable in the casino, but it’s not as if Roulette is a guaranteed money maker! In fact, if you’re looking to try out a strategy on a close-to-evens chance bet like Red/Black, Sic Bo offers a very similar bet in Big/Small.
But that’s missing the point. The fun in Sic Bo lies in the betting permutations and combinations. Basically, there are 216 ways that three dice can be rolled – and you can place any number of bets on these possible outcomes. For example, you could bet on the overall total, on a pair, on a triple, on a specific number – the possibilities are numerous.
The way the board is laid out, the way the dice are rolled, and the way the results are presented all go towards the excitement and enjoyment of the game. For some fun in the casino, I think Sic Bo’s unbeatable.
Blackjack is a very popular game and it’s unlikely that you’re unfamiliar with it so I won’t go into detail in this article. All I will say is that I’ve devised a simple 3-stage strategy for Blackjack that is intended to take players from beginner to high-roller whilst still keeping the enjoyment in the game. If you’re a Blackjack player – or would like to be! – you might care to check it out.
Another unusual game we describe at Fortune Palace is Pai Gow Poker. This is a game I like to describe as Blackjack for Poker players. In other words, you need a basic knowledge of poker hands (don’t worry – Fortune Palace has a hand ranking chart for beginners!) but the game itself is a you-versus-the-dealer kind of game.
You’re dealt seven cards and you have to make two poker-based hands, one of five cards and one of two. The dealer does the same – if both your hands beat the dealer’s, you win!
It’s fast and exciting and a game that I know is very popular with female visitors to the site. The strategy can seem complex at first, but once you’re familiar with it it’s a game you can really get into.
A variation of the game is Bonus Pai Gow Poker. In that version, you can place a side bet that your seven cards will contain a significant poker hand (eg full house, straight). The advantage of this bet is that you win the wager even if you don’t win the two hands ie you get the bonus regardless of how you set your hands! If you’re lucky enough to get a Royal Flush, the bonus pays out a massive 8,000 to 1!
Sadly, not all online casinos offer the Bonus version. But if you’re playing at one that does (eg Spin Palace or Ruby Fortune) it’s worth checking out.
Roulette is possibly the most popular and familiar of all casino games. As with Blackjack, I’m sure you know most of what you need to know about Roulette, so I won’t go into detail here. But if you’re attracted by one of the many Roulette ’systems’ available on the market, at Fortune Palace we’ve tested the most popular ones and give you our verdict. I won’t tell you here which work and which don’t – that would spoil the surprise!
The last game I’d like to introduce you to is Keno. True, this is a game similar to Bingo, which may seem to contradict the initial point of this article, but I feel it’s a game female players may enjoy. Put simply, it’s a cross between Bingo and Lotto, where you have an element of control over how many and which numbers you choose.
You mark the numbers on a card and then 20 balls are drawn at random. You win depending on how many ’spots’ you choose and how many of those come up. Winning small amounts is relatively easy – winning big is relatively hard! But if you’re lucky enough to get 10 from 10, the payout is 100,000 to 1.
Keno is more of a ‘fun’ game than many others, but it has its charms and offers a diversion when you’re looking to relax between hands of more ’serious’ games.
Overall, then, I hope this article has given female players a taste of the kind of games that are available to them and will encourage some to try their hand at online gambling.
Remember, in the past, casinos were a male preserve. Online casinos have made things much more democratic – everyone’s welcome and everyone’s treated equally.
Women have a right to play where and when they want – make sure you exercise that right!
Keno is a game of eighty numbers drawn at random from a lottery like tumbler machine. Almost every live casino offers Keno gambling to its patrons. The game is played via keno boards throughout the casino. A player marks a Keno ticket with a crayon and turns it in with his bet. The player gets back a similar ticket from the Keno runner or from the house teller that shows the numbers the player picked and the amount of the bet. This is proof of the bet and when it wins is used to collect on the ticket. That is the basic rules for the simple Keno bet.
There are many combinations of bets that a player can play on one ticket. For example, a player could play an eight spot ticket and 4 two spot tickets on the same ticket. They could also play the four corners, which is simply the four numbers found in the corners of the printed ticket. Another combination could be the eight spot and each number played individually. The combinations are limited only by the imagination of the players.
Many players when they go to dinner play a ticket, which repeats for the next five to eight games. In this way they do not miss a play while eating. Nothing would make a dinner lose its flavor faster than watch your eight spot come up while eating and not have a wager on the game.
The Keno runners can be found throughout the casino to take wagers from players who are gambling at another game like poker or craps or roulette. Poker room’s players seem to have a real fondness for Keno. They make their bet out of their stack and if they are winning at poker it seems like a free bet.
The race book is another area of the casino that the Keno runners seem to get a lot of play. Serious horseplayers consider handicapping a skill rather than gambling and they take a small flyer playing a dollar Keno ticket for fun.
One of the other popular plays is a five spot ticket with all of the three number combinations played along with the five spot total. Fad tickets come and go in Keno Some have a decent rational behind their play and some just come up with a name the players like. Four corners is an example of a play with a name.
Keno games
Keno game otherwise known as Chinese lottery is believed to have survived 150 years. The proponents in this game believed that the original keno game had up to 120 beautiful characters; derived from a thousand character poem of ancient China. The game has been revolutionized several times; from simply a wagering game to a horse race keno and finally the name was changed to simply keno in 1930’s when betting on horse race became under the gun.
How to play keno
Online keno is similar to Bingo; it is both played for fun as well as gambling for real money. There is always a numbers board and a big bowl with the 80 numbered balls. Players are expected to pick numbers among one to ten to play. Once you have picked your number the bowl turns [that is the computer spins its number].and the winning numbers are displayed. The amount you win depends on how many of your choices match the winning numbers.
Poker games
The origin of this game is quite controversial; historian seems not to find a precise date for this game nor is there any precise origin for the game. Some historians believe that the game must have originated from the Chinese empire with emperor Mu-tsung conversant with card games.
Others argue that the game should have emerged from the French game called ‘Poque’ played as far back as 1400s which involved betting and bluffing. Some others believed that it is derived from the Germany’s pochspiel and yet other believed it’s a Hindu game called Pukka.
Hence there are so many allusions to this game. However, this game that is normally regarded as one the most popular online games; has ten notable games which will be merely listed in this article.
1. party poker
2. titan poker
3. empire poker
4. paradise poker
5. doyles room
6. poker room
7. inter poker
8. ultimate bet
9. poker stars
10. bet365 poker
Slot machines
Slot machine was designed late back as 1800’s by Charles Fey. This machine that was invented in the basement of Mr. Fey became popular years after it was invented and was installed in an infamous Flamingo Hilton hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.
It is standard playing card imagery-of hearts, diamonds, spades, bells, horseshoes and stars. The game device is operated by depositing a nickel in a slot to release the handle, when the right combination of symbols stops in the window the player is awarded coins ranging from 2, on 2 horseshoes to 20 for3 bells.
I’ve played Bingo a time or two in my life and I never really saw it for what it could be. Bingo was always played at church functions or in the senior citizen’s centers around where I grew up and that was all it was. The stakes never got any higher than the Afghan blanket that someone had made, or a cake and it was seen as a type of fundraiser. But that has all changed.
Online casinos, as industrious as they are, have learned to capitalize on this classic game and make it that much more exciting. Who would have ever thought that Bingo would be a sweat inducing, anxiety filled gaming experience? I sure never would have until I saw it with my own two eyes and realized the kind of money that could be won just by putting a few lines together.
Of course, the online casinos haven’t merely left the game of Bingo alone; they’ve improved it to make it more exciting. One of the ways that they have done this is by letting the player play four cards at a time, or more, and then raising the stakes as the game progresses.
This isn’t entirely new either, however, because I remember once seeing a little old lady rapidly scribbling on eight Bingo cards as she huddled over them like a fresh kill on the Kalahari. I shudder to think what would have happened had I attempted to get in between her and her cards. I don’t know where she’s at today but I think that she would fit in well on an online casino that is progressive enough to offer something as non-traditional as Bingo.
By non-traditional I mean non-traditional in the online gambling sense. You just don’t normally come across Bingo games online, much less Bingo games online where you can wager money and win big. This is great for the small segment of online gamblers that haven’t taken to the more traditional online casino games like Poker and Blackjack. Some people just don’t like those games and prefer games like Bingo and its cousin, Keno. There is nothing at all wrong with this but unfortunately there have always been a lack of online casinos that cater to these players needs.
While Bingo will never take over the online casino market, or even register as a blip on the radar screen of online gambling, it is a good alternative for those players that are looking for something that they can play and remember a time that is fading away. Like warm apple pie Bingo will always remain etched in my mind as a game played with good friends in a comforting environment, just like it is meant to be played today.
