How to Win at Keno
Of all the great games you can play at Cafe Casino, Keno might be the one with the longest tradition. As legend has it, the first Keno games were developed in China during the Han Dynasty (206 BCE-220 CE), to help raise funds for military campaigns – and eventually, the Great Wall of China. Over 2,000 years later, Keno is now a global phenomenon that can be played online anytime you like. Like our other casino guides, we’ll give you some helpful tips to win at Keno, and we’ll unravel some of the mystery behind this ancient game.
Tips & Tricks to Unlock the Keno Vault
The most important of all the Keno tips we can give is this: Keno is a game of pure chance. It’s a lottery-style game where you choose up to 15 numbers between 1 and 80, marking those numbers on your Keno card. Then the lottery happens; 20 numbers are drawn at random, and if you match enough numbers, you win a prize. The more numbers you match, the bigger the prize gets – and those prizes can get very, very big, up to 100,000X your original bet.
There are two versions of Keno available at Cafe Casino: the classic Keno game, and Keno Draw, which features a slick, modern layout. You’ll find both versions on the Specialty Games menu. They’re essentially the same – just purchase your Keno card (available denominations are 1 cent, 25 cents, $1, $5 and $10), choose your numbers, and the software will do the rest.
Because Keno is a game of pure chance, there isn’t any one Keno strategy you can use to “beat” the game. Like all casino games, it should be played for entertainment purposes only. However, the house edge for Keno depends on how many numbers you pick. By selecting the “optimal” amount, you can narrow the house edge as much as possible. We’ll help you decide what that amount should be, but first, let’s take a closer look at three Keno systems people have tried in the past – and still use to this day.
Sequential Numbers
Many Keno players like to choose consecutive numbers when they fill out their cards. It could be back-to-back numbers like 7 and 8, or a long string of numbers like 7 through 18. Some people swear this will generate more winners than picking at random, but math doesn’t back up that claim.
Cold Numbers
Then you have the idea that numbers which haven’t been drawn in a while are more likely to come up. In math circles, this concept is called the Maturity of Chance, aka the Gambler’s Fallacy. Again, picking “cold” numbers won’t improve your Keno results, but if you like, you can always keep track of which numbers have and haven’t been drawn while you’re playing.
Hot Numbers
This is the exact opposite of picking cold numbers. If a specific number has been popping up more often than the others, it may seem like that number is “hot” and more likely to appear again. It isn’t, of course; all Keno numbers are drawn at random, and have exactly the same chance of appearing from one game to the next.
When to Max Bet on Keno
When you play Keno at Cafe Casino, you have the option of playing more than one Keno card at the same time, using the same numbers you’ve just selected. With the classic Keno game, you can play one, five or 10 cards; with Keno Draw, you can also play 25 or even 50 cards all at once. This can be a great timesaver, especially if you have a preferred set of numbers that you want to play on every card.
Risk vs. Reward
To better grasp the game of Keno and what you can get out of it, understand that casino games are all about risk versus reward. Every time you purchase a Keno card, you are risking a certain amount of money, hoping to receive a reward. That potential reward will depend on how many numbers you choose, and how many of them you match. Casino games always have a house edge attached, so in the long run, the risk (in terms of dollars) will always be slightly larger than the reward. This edge represents the fee you pay the casino for your entertainment.
Keno Odds
You can get the most entertainment for your Keno dollar by keeping the house edge as low as possible. To do that, it helps to know the odds behind the game. This can be worked out by hand, or you can use an online Keno calculator, where you put in how many numbers you want to draw and the prize payouts. The calculator will show you the expected return as a percentage. For example, if you put just one number on your Keno card, your payout for matching that number is 3X, for a return of 75%. That leaves a house edge of 25%.
However, that edge goes down considerably if you put two numbers on your Keno card. At Cafe Casino, you’ll be paid out at 15X if you match both those numbers (one is not enough for a prize), which works out to a return of 90.19%, and a much friendlier house edge of 9.81%. Here are the other house edges for Keno, from three to 15 numbers:
3: 9.81%
4: 9.63%
5: 10.26%
6: 9.74%
7: 9.45%
8: 9.43%
9: 9.98%
10: 7.37%
11: 7.19%
12: 6.92%
13: 7.89%
14: 7.82%
15: 8.48%
Keno Bankroll
In addition to choosing the Keno games with the lowest house edges, you can get the most out of your Keno sessions by managing your bankroll. Plan ahead of time to play a certain session length, and use a little math to figure out how many cards that will entail. Purchase the right denomination of cards so that you can hit your target session length (on average, based on the house edge) and stay within your bankroll. Never chase your losses by buying a more expensive Keno card than what you previously planned.
Now that you have all this Keno knowledge in your back pocket, give the game a spin at Cafe Casino and see if the numbers fall your way. And for more helpful tips and tricks on all your favorite casino games, don’t forget to check out our growing archive of articles here at Cafe Casino.
