| The Rules of Keno |
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Picking up on the nuances of
standard keno rules takes about
three seconds. This uncomplicated game still
offers a million miles of fun, so taking those
three seconds is well worth your time. Even more
so than merely presenting a set of keno rules,
this page hopes to take you from not knowing how
to play, to being comfortable trying keno at any
casino, and not getting intimidated by complicated
sounding multiple bets.
What is called standard keno for
casinos these days is the variation sometimes
referred to as 'race horse' or Nevada keno. The
naming conventions are explained a bit in our
history section. In this familiar version of the
game, one or more people are playing against the
house. You grab yourself a keno
card, which has 80 different numbers, and pick out
a bunch. Just circle them or mark them, usually up
to fifteen and bring your card back to the keno
clerk. The clerk will then record your numbers and
issue you a receipt.
So as you watch the numbers come up, you can mark
them down on your card, much like bingo. At the
end of the drawing, the number of matched numbers
determines whether or not you're a winner. The
more numbers (or, more precisely, the greater
percentage of your chosen numbers) that match, the
more you win!
If you have enough matches to claim a winning
ticket (depends on how many you picked in the
first place), its time to head back over to the keno
clerk and let them pay you! If you are playing
individual games, be sure to keep on top of
things, because if you have a winning ticket on a
game and you fail to get your butt to a keno clerk
before the next game starts, your ticket is void
and you cannot collect any winnings. This sucks,
and the casinos understand this. That's why they
allow you to buy a large number of tickets using
the same numbers. Usually this number is limited
to twenty games. After this 'multi race' ticket
has lasted the 20 (or however many you choose)
games, you can go to a keno clerk and have them
check for winning games.
A third option exists for people who really don't
want to pay attention to the numbers being drawn.
At many casinos you can buy a 'stray and play' keno
ticket which applies to the next 'X' number of
games ('X' is usually greater than 20, or whatever
the maximum 'multi-race' game number is). The
difference here is, you don't have to show up
after your 25 or 30 games have run through. You
can come back any time. Most stray and play
tickets are good for up to a year. This means you
can buy a ticket for the 'next' 60 games, and if
you happen to match all the numbers without even
realizing it on the 36th game, you can leave the
country and come back to Vegas in eight months,
walk to the keno clerk, have them check your
ticket, and pick up your winnings.
Although payouts vary, there are some examples we
can look at just to give you a better sense for
playing the actual game. Players can pick from one
to 'X' numbers on their card, and winning is
dependent on a certain portion of those numbers
matching the computers. If you pick five numbers,
you usually have to hit three numbers to be able
to claim any cash. If you do hit three the odds
are paid back to you at (usually) 3 to 1. If you
were to hit on four of those five numbers, you
would be paid back at odds closer to 26 to 1. If
you were to hit all five you would be paid back at
close to 332 to 1. This is why keno is loved,
because 1 dollar could bag you 332
instantaneously. There's none of that slow
bankroll building you have to do in craps or
blackjack.
Another option for keno players
is the choice of combination or way tickets. A way
ticket allows the player to group different
numbers, where each group has the same number of
numbers, to create more than one way to win. Take
for example a 3-3-3, 9-spot ABC way ticket. Long
name, not that long to figure out. It means you
can select a combination of three 3-spots. To do
this you simply mark your ticket in three groups
of three numbers. You can visualize this by
marking the first group of three numbers with big
A's instead of circling them. Mark three more with
big B's and three more with big C's. Now you have
a 3-3-3, 9-spot, ABC, way ticket! What does this
mean? It means hitting any 3 out of 3 will pay you
as though you had a single 3-spot win. This common
3-3-3 bet can be expressed as a 3-way-3 or simply
3/3.
The purpose of all of these confusing ticket
variations is to make it supposedly easier, and
supposedly more exciting, for players to wager
more money on more numbers. The fact of the matter
is, playing a way or combination ticket offers no
advantage, and also no disadvantage, to the
player. The only possible thing you could take
advantage of is discounted minimums. If you are
playing three or more ways many casinos will
discount the price per 'way' (say they let you
place $0.50 per bet instead of the usual $1
minimum). This isn't much of an advantage though,
since you're only paid back on what you actually
bet.
Do you want to read more about Keno:
• Introduction
• History
• Strategy
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