| Straight
Tickets
Everywhere in the lounge. You'll also find a glossy
brochure with the various payouts. The basic bet
is a straight ticket (one set of numbers). Scan
the brochure and decide how many numbers you want
to play. Let's say seven numbers. The minimum bet
on a straight ticket is usually $l. Larger bets
win more, but only in direct proportion to the additional
amount wagered; $2 doubles the $1 payout. There
is no bonus for betting extra money as with slots
and video poker.
Use a crayon (also provided by the casino) to mark
an X over each of the seven numbers. Write the amount
wagered, the number of games, and the number of
spots in the appropriate spaces above or to the
right of the grid. Then take the ticket to the desk.
A keno "writer" will take your money,
process the ticket, and return a printed copy.
Now just grab a seat, order a free drink, and relax.
A new keno game begins about every five minutes.
The drawing takes approximately thirty seconds.
You've seen something like it in bingo halls or
during the lottery break on the evening news. Air
pushes Ping-Pong balls around in a container. Gradually
they are trapped one by one in a device called a
gooseneck or simply a goose. One of the keno writers
will call out the numbers printed on the balls.
They'll be displayed on the big board and on closed
circuit video screens throughout the casino. Some
casinos have a newer electronic version without
the balls, but most still use the traditional system.
Perhaps plastic balls seem more benevolent and trustworthy
than computer chips.
Check your ticket. If it's a winner, then one of
the most important keno rules becomes urgently significant.
In many casinos the ticket must be redeemed before
the next game begins. It is otherwise invalid. No
exceptions. This rule was once universal, but some
casinos have recently extended the time to hours
and in some cases days for redeeming single game
tickets. Multiple game tickets have other rules
and we'll cover them later in the next page. The
important thing to remember here is that you should
know exactly how much time is allowed. If you don't
know, then assume a ticket must be redeemed before
the next game begins.
Does the payoff seem $1 short? Keno keeps your original
wager, so a $1 win on a $1 ticket is actually a
push. If your ticket isn't a winner but you want
to play the numbers again, just hand it back to
the writer with more money. You'll get a new ticket
and a new chance to win thousands of dollars. Sit
down and order another drink. |
