The Basics of Keno

Keno is a lottery-style casino game that is rapidly growing in popularity among online gambling sites.

Players try to determine which numbers will be randomly selected from a group of 80 and are paid out according to how many they chose correct. Keno exists in various exciting forms including live keno, video keno, and internet keno.

In a casino, live keno consists of a glass bubble that contains 80 balls numbered 1 through 80. Air is blown into the bubble to mix up the balls. Twenty keno balls are then blown into a tube to decide which numbers are the winning numbers. Unlike live keno in the casino, internet keno and video keno use a computer that randomly selects the winning numbers.

The house edge in keno varies from casino to casino; practically no two casinos have identical keno games. Often internet keno and video keno are advantageous over live keno because they are able to offer higher payouts for the gambler. Live keno in a casino requires expensive equipment and people to run the game, whereas internet keno and video keno are played electronically. This decreases the cost of play, and thus online gambling sites can afford the higher payouts with better player odds, both common occurrences at many of the best online keno sites.

Keno Rules

Keno Board

Keno players are given a ticket with 80 boxes, numbered 1 through 80. Each box corresponds to the matching keno ball. Players pick at least four, up to 10 (and sometimes 20) numbers. Twenty numbers are randomly selected from the lot of 80 and these are designated as the "winning numbers." Payouts depend on how many of the players numbers match the winning numbers.

Video keno is similar to live keno; the payouts work in the same general manner. The more winning numbers the player picks, the higher the payout. In some cases, picking as few winning numbers as possible also wins a hefty cash payout.

Betting

Keno betting works the same way as nearly every other gambling game.

The highest payouts are awarded to players who bet the most money and place the most difficult bets. This makes keno a very lucrative casino gambling game. With some keno gambling games, if you are lucky enough to hit the right numbers you could turn a $5 bet into $250,000!

Betting the maximum amount in keno is one way to increase your payouts. For many online gambling sites this maximum may be around $5, however this varies from site to site.

Remember: Keno consists of a large lot of numbers, and thus there are many combinations of winning numbers possible.

This means that your chances of winning are difficult. Whether you play live, internet, or video keno the odds are still stacked against you. Even though the payouts can be extremely rewarding, you should only bet what you are willing to lose.

Keno Strategy and Tips

Like many other casino gambling games, keno is entirely random and there is no winning strategy that can increase a gambler's odds of selecting the winning numbers. However, there are a couple of keno tips that may help you make the most of your money.

TIP #1

Bet the maximum amount allowed. This can greatly increase the payout if you are lucky enough to select the winning keno numbers. Most casinos have a maximum bet of $5 but this may vary from casino to casino. Video keno is a classic example of this high bet to high payout ratio. Betting the maximum will not decrease the house edge, but it can make for a considerable cash payout for any gambler lucky enough to win.

TIP #2

The next thing to remember is that there are many false keno strategies out there that should be avoided. Whether you are playing live keno in a casino or video keno at an online gambling site, there is no strategy that can increase a gambler's likelihood of winning. Watch out for the false keno strategies described below.

Many keno players purchase multiple tickets so that they can select more numbers. However, this does not increase a player's chances of winning. Each keno ticket is treated separately and payouts are based on numbers selected on a single card. This may make the game more exciting since multiple tickets can be played at once, but it will not serve as a winning keno strategy.

Another false keno strategy involves analyzing the numbers to see which ones should be selected. Keno in both the casino and online gambling sites is completely random. Keno numbers selected in the past have absolutely no bearing on future numbers to come. In other words, picking numbers that have either been "hot" or consecutively picking numbers that are "due to hit" will not increase the gambler's chance of winning. This misconception is also seen in online Roulette.

These are false strategies and should be avoided when playing keno.

Check out our full strategy guide to the game of Keno

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