Leave blackjack and roulette alone for a while: those less popular casino games could be your ticket to success. Two classic games that do not always get the attention that they deserve online are keno and scratch cards. Let’s take a closer look at them to find out how to play them and (more importantly) how to win. You may find yourself with a new favourite game.
Playing keno online
Though the name ‘keno’ comes from the Latin word for ‘five each’ (quini, a reference to the need for five winning numbers), and though it is only properly documented from the mid nineteenth century onwards, this game derives from ancient China. Legend has it that it was even used to help to raise the funds that were needed to build the Great Wall of China. Keno is essentially a lottery game. It was initially played using scraps of paper or other objects with Chinese characters on, but now it is played with 80 numbered balls – either in physical or virtual (online) form. Keno players fill out their virtual betting slips and then 20 balls are drawn from this pool of balls. The size of payouts to individual players depends on the number of balls that are drawn that match the numbers on their betting slip. The likelihood of matching all 20 balls with all 20 numbers on your betting slip is estimated to be less than one in three and a half thousand billion. Matching just one number comes with a healthy probability of just over 0.1%, however. The house edge with keno can be huge (between 5%, which is typical for online casino games, and a whopping 35%). Nevertheless, it is a very popular, fun game and something that is different to the usual casino games that you may usually gravitate towards.
Playing scratch cards online
When purchased in shops, scratch cards provide almost instant gratification after a small moment of suspense as you scratch off those mysterious silvery veils with a coin. Online scratch cards are just the same, and many online casinos even offer simulations of coins to scratch the surface of your card with so that you can have the full experience. Casino scratch cards can come in a wonderful variety of themes, from pirates and treasure islands to wizards and magic, so take your pick!
Don’t fancy either of these? Play bingo online instead!
The raucous fun of the bingo hall is recreated in many online casinos, with both 60 ball and 90 ball options available. Plays can opt for live games of bingo via video link or choose to play a computer generated version at any hour of the day. Payouts can be large, and the whole game can be fun and suspenseful, so ready your digital card and have a flutter on the bingo. Online bingo is steadily becoming more and more popular, and some online casinos even offer huge annual bingo tournaments that fans from all over the world can participate in. Bingo has stereotypically been thought of as the preserve of older gamblers, but a quick look at the player statistics of any online casino will tell a different story. Gamblers of all ages love the unique thrill of a bingo game, the sense of community that it brings, the quirky names for numbers (such as ‘legs eleven’) and the feeling of excitement as you manage to mark off more and more numbers on your bingo card, bringing you ever closer to a glorious victory.
Is your new favourite past time lurking among those lesser known casino games?
You will never know until you give them a go. Before allowing the flashy, Bond style games such as roulette to grab and hold your attention the next time that you log on to your favourite online casino, why not start to explore the more neglected options? Keno, bingo and online scratch cards can be very lucrative if you are lucky, and at the very least they will provide you with a welcome break from the more run of the mill games. You are guaranteed to return to that roulette table refreshed after a ‘holiday’ playing keno instead. However, once you discover the delights of these lesser known casino games, you may well be so hooked that you do not wish to return to your old haunts at all.