Keno
Ever wondered how did the Chinese build the Great Wall of China? Legend says it was because of Keno, the popularity of the game helped to raise the funds to build the wall. Another legend says Han Dynasty invented the game 3.0000 years ago, to collect taxes for a war that is going on for centuries. Legends say a lot of things, but one thing is certain: Keno is a game of Chinese origin. It looked very different back in those days of course, there were no keno numbers and Chinese alphabet was used instead. Since there are 120 letters in that alphabet, winning odds were very low! Chinese sailors introduced Keno to the US and Europe in the 19th century. They named it “boc hop bu”, but the Western people preferred the name “keno”. Keno is a French word in origin, it means “five winning numbers”. The US and European casinos loved the game, but back in those days, lottery games were not allowed in casinos. They tried to advertise the game as “Racehorse Keno” because of this reason. Basically, each Keno card was tied to a racing horse and each drawing was called a “race”. After the legalization of lotteries, casinos started to use the name “Keno” again. Today, it is one of the most popular games in casinos.
Latest Keno
The Basics of Keno
Playing Keno is easier than you think, because there are no complex rules. You start with buying a keno ticket (or a keno card). On this card, there are 80 numbers. You pick any 20 numbers you like and mark them. Then, you place your bet at the booth and 20 numbers are drawn at random. Most casinos use computerized devices for this job, or ball machines, like the ones you can see in Bingo games. Each participant can see the keno winning numbers and if they match with your card, you win the round.
Keno games are very fast and each round takes around 3 – 4 minutes to complete. You can enter the game anytime you want, and the higher your bet, the larger payout you get. In some casinos, you can bet on more than one card, these versions are called “multi card keno” or “keno bonus”.
The payout values of Keno differs from casino to casino and there is no fixed paytable. For this reason, choosing the casino you are going to play is very important. Some casinos house edges as high as %35. In other words, RtP (return to player) values are as low as %60. Playing free keno games (or live keno games) is much advisable because of this reason, because their house edges are usually %3; maximum. You can find lots of free online keno games on the internet, just search for “free keno games no download”.
The Odds of Keno
Casinos prefer to advertise the highest possible payouts in Keno games, but these can only be won if you manage to match all 20 numbers on your card. The possibility of this is 1 in 3.5 quintillions. In other words, you have more chance of getting hit by a meteor on the head. On the other hand, these numbers are very possible to hit: 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7. For some statistical reason, getting these numbers at each round has a possibility of %23. In other words, always place these numbers on your card at each round. Keno has bad odds already and it is wise to use any advantage to increase your luck.
You don’t need to match all 20 numbers on your card, but the higher you match, the bigger you get paid. As we mentioned above, paytables differ from casino to casino, so don’t forget to check the payout values before you start to play.
Play Keno Online
As with all casino games, practice makes perfect. Before risking real money, play online keno games to understand the rules and become a better player. Playing keno online is risk-free; you don’t need to download anything and/or install a shady software. There is no need for even registration, just click on the “free demo” button and start to play. A browser and an internet connection are the only things you need to play keno games.
How to Play Keno
Keno is one of the most popular and easy to play casino games available. This because of its simplicity, you can learn the game in mere seconds. First, you need to get a keno card. There are 80 numbers on this card and you are expected to pick 20 of them. (In some casinos, you can pick 10 or 15 numbers too.) After the picking, you make a wager and give the card to the booth. Right after that, the casino starts to draw the winning numbers. Usually, random number generators (RNG) are used for this job, but some casinos still prefer to use ball machines. If the numbers you picked are displayed on the screen, this is called “catch” and you win the round. If not, this is called a “miss” and you can try your luck on the next round.
This happens sooner than you think – Keno is a very fast game and each round takes 3 or 4 minutes to complete. You can play 20 – 25 keno games in one hour easily. The keno payouts are determined by how many numbers you catch. If you manage to catch all 20 of them, you hit the jackpot and get the big prize, usually hundreds of thousands of dollars. But what if you catch, let’ say, 5 numbers only? How much does it pay? This changes from casino to casino – each place has its own paytable. For example, you can get 500 USD for catching 5 numbers in one place and 1.000 USD for the same amount in another. The paytables are clearly visible in each casino, so it is important to view them all before starting to play.
How to Win At Keno
Keno is a game with very low odds. To give an example, we can look at the RtP (return to player) values of video poker and slot machines. Video poker games have a RtP percentage of 100.2 and higher. For slot games, this percentage is usually around 92 – 96. In most Keno games, RtP percentages are 60, maximum. In other words, the house edge is very high in Keno and that is why it is important to find a good casino. As we mentioned above, each casino has its own paytable and this affects your winning odds and payouts. Don’t get fooled by the big jackpot prizes; to win them you need to catch all 20 numbers. Mathematically, the probability of this happening is 1 in 3,535,316,142,212,180,000. In other words, you have a much better chance of finding a bag full of million dollars on the street. Check for “small” payouts. For example, if a casino pays 100.000 USD for catching 20 and 100 USD for catching 5, this means you need to try your luck elsewhere. But if a casino pays 10.000 USD for 20 and 500 USD for 5, this means you have better odds in there.
Keno strategy depends on how many numbers you picked. Unfortunately, there are no mathematically proven tactics to win at Keno, the probabilities are too high for that. But we can give tips and recommend numbers to pick to increase your odds. For starters, always pick the minimum amount of numbers allowed. This may seem odd, but your winning odds significantly lower with each number you pick. Never pick all 20 numbers available, this will increase your wager too and result with a heavier loss. Play with 5 or 6 numbers if possible, if not, play with the minimum number allowed in that casino. Let’s take a look at the odds of how many numbers you can catch:
| Number | Odds |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1 in 843.380 |
| 2 | 1 in 86.446 |
| 3 | 1 in 20.115 |
| 4 | 1 in 4.877 (%20) |
| 5 | 1 in 4.287 (%23) |
| 6 | 1 in 5.258 (%19) |
| 7 | 1 in 8.826 |
| 8 | 1 in 20.055 |
| 9 | 1 in 61.420 |
| 10 | 1 in 253.801 |
| 11 | 1 in 1.423.822 |
| 12 | 1 in 10.968.701 |
| 13 | 1 in 118.084.920 |
| 14 | 1 in 1.821.881.628 |
| 15 | 1 in 41.751.453.986 |
| 16 | 1 in 1.596.372.110.872 |
| 17 | 1 in 90,624,035,964.712 |
| 18 | 1 in 10,512,388,171,906.553 |
| 19 | 1 in 2,946,096,785,176,811.500 |
| 20 | 1 in 3,535,316,142,212,173,800.000 |
In other words, it is almost impossible to catch more than 7 numbers in any game. So, your maximum pickings should be 7. Other than this, there are no real Keno strategies available, this is a game based on pure luck and your odds are really low, if you insist on playing in the land-based casinos.
Best Way to Play Keno
This is why it is recommended to play keno online. In online casinos, the house edge is very low and the RtP values are significantly higher. You can check paytables very quickly and find more alternatives. It is possible to find a Keno game with a RtP percentage higher than 80 in online casinos. This percentage is maximum 60 in land-based casinos, as we mentioned above. Before risking real money, you are advised to play free keno games online. These are instant play games and no download & no registration are needed. Rules (and the game) are the same; the only thing missing is the real money. Practice first, become the better player and take risks only after that. But if you want to play for real money keno you can do it too.