How to Play Keno

Keno is a game of chance which is thought to have originated in China and has become one of the main attractions in many casinos around the world. Similar to a lottery game but played at regular intervals on the casino floor rather than just once or twice a week, keno gives fans the chance to land some massive rewards.

Playing keno is as easy as playing the lottery, and is even offered as a supplementary game by some lottery operators. There are 80 numbers to choose from and players will typically be asked to select up to ten or 15 numbers, sometimes referred to as “spots” by marking on a ticket their chosen selection. Rules vary between casinos, but participants can usually decide to mark just one or two numbers if they so wish, all the way through to the maximum of 10 or 15 numbers.

A random draw will then take place, producing 20 balls out of a machine from the pool of 80. A player’s success is determined by how many numbers they chose initially and how many of them they matched. Selecting the most numbers possible and matching them all will result in the biggest available prize. Selecting as many numbers as possible and matching just one would not give any return to the player, but selecting just one number and matching it would result in a win.

The prize payouts vary between casinos, so it is best to check with the venue to discover what payouts are available. Below is an example of a payout table (the horizontal row indicates the amount of numbers selected, and the vertical line indicates how many numbers were matched)

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15
0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
1	3	1	1	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0	0	0	0	0	0
2		9	2	1	1	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0	0	0	0
3			16	6	3	2	1	1	1	1	1	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5
4				32	15	6	3	3	2	2	2	1	0.5	0.5	0.5
5					50	30	12	6	4	3	2	2	2	2	1
6						75	36	19	8	6	5	4	4	3	2
7							100	90	20	15	12	10	5	5	5
8								720	80	30	25	22	20	15	12
9									1200	600	250	180	80	50	50
10										1800	1000	500	240	150	]150
11											3000	2000	500	500	300
12												4000	3000	1000	600
13													6000	2000	1200
14														7500	2500
15															10000

Etiquette

Players will usually have a lounge area to relax in while they wait for the next game, and keno runners will be on hand to process your wagers and return with the official receipt. You may also be able to play keno in the main area of the casino depending on the venue. Keno writers supervise the game and input the information you wrote on to the computer. They are busy and have lots of other players to help, so try not to take up too much of their time by asking lots of questions. As well as treating the staff with respect, it is traditional to tip them if they provide good service.

You can use a keno ticket for a second time, without writing out a new one, just by turning in your copy of the ticket. However, it is a good idea to check your entry as soon as a game is completed, because some will not be valid once the next session starts, so if you do win make sure to collect your money quickly.

Strategy

Keno is a game of chance and success ultimately comes down to luck, but strategy comes into play when deciding how many numbers to select. There are bigger rewards for matching more numbers, but the odds are slimmer, so it is worth considering how much of a risk you are prepared to take and checking out which casinos will provide the best possible payout.

A low-risk strategy involves selecting just one or two numbers, where the return would be smaller but the odds of winning are better. If you are going in search of a life-changing amount of money, it is a better idea to select as many numbers as possible and hope to match as many as you can, if not all.

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