How to Play Keno

If you want to gamble without risking too much, keno is the right game for you. It's easy to learn and play, with no strategy or reasoning involved. Keno is available at many restaurants, bars and casinos as well as online. Playing keno really only involves picking numbers. If your number is selected, you win.

Steps

1. Acquire a keno card. The numbers on the card (1 through 80) match the numbers on balls in the aerated keno machine.

2. Select numbers and mark them on your keno card or select them with a keno worker. Each number you select is called a keno spot and the keno card is arranged with 8 rows and 10 columns of numbers.

3. Determine the amount of money you want to put down on your selected numbers and how many keno games you want to play. Indicate your choices on your keno card.
You can play keno using a straight bet, which is when a player can select up to 15 numbers per game. Some online keno games allow you to single bet up to 40 numbers. You can wager as little as $1 on a single bet.
Players can wager on groups of numbers within the same game using a way bet. This tends to get complicated because you have to pick combinations from groups of numbers, making it difficult to keep track of your picks.
Split keno bets are when you select several groups of numbers within the same game. A line or circle on the keno spot indicates which group it belongs to.

4. Give your keno card to a keno worker who will get your wager into the next game. An electronic ticket copy of your card will be issued back to you so you can follow along with the games as they are announced.

5. Watch as the keno machine randomly selects 20 balls. Most modern keno machines use computer software to generate winning numbers. The numbers are then displayed electronically on keno boards throughout the establishment.

• See if the numbers you selected on your ticket match the numbers the keno machine pulled. If you have a match, you win. How much you win will depend on how many numbers you matched and how much you wagered.
• The payoff depends on the number of keno tickets in each game. In some instances a single dollar can net a payoff of tens of thousands. Ask a keno worker for an explanation if you're unsure. Some keno parlors also utilize a special payoff for selecting a bonus number.

6. Call over the keno worker to declare your winnings. You'll have to submit your electronic keno card for verification.

Tips

• Many people will try to strategize and figure out a way to beat the system and win it all. However, in keno, your odds will always remain the same regardless of the number of games you play and the numbers you select.