• Casino & Gaming

Secrets to Keno Games Revealed

Like every other gambling game, keno has accrued its own collection of myths and player superstitions. When managed fairly, keno is completely random. The odds are in the house’s favor because the rules are made that way.

Many people love to play keno. In fact, some visitors to land-based casinos only play video keno games. If you’re curious about what’s so compelling about video keno, you’re certainly not alone.

There’s no magic involved. There’s no betting system that works better than any other for keno. The only differentiating quality in keno is that there are so many different versions of it. So before you dive into keno, you might want to take a look at a thorough keno gaming guide.

One keno game may not be the same as another, but if you’re comparing two video keno games in the same location, and if they have the same design and rules, then they both have equal chances of paying jackpots.

Keno Machines Do Not Need to Cheat

Many people believe that casinos try to cheat their players by rigging slot machines and video keno games to take their money.

The games are already designed to give the casinos a statistical edge. Why would they need to go any further?

Games used in legitimate, licensed casinos must conform with local regulations. For a casino to secretly tinker with these games would be a great risk to their business.

While it’s true that the machines’ programs can be modified to change the probabilities, this is not a trivial task. Each machine has a random number generator chip and a control chip with the programming that decides how the game is played. Modern video gaming machines must be taken offline to have their software updated.

The random number generators are not 100% random, but they are random enough that player interactions with the machines are fair and honest. Every player runs through statistically brief hot and cold streaks where they are more or less likely to win prizes.

There are so many variations on keno that if a casino really wants to make more money, all it needs do is replace the games it’s running with other games.

And players can then take their money elsewhere.

You Should Check Each Game’s Rules Before Playing

Because there are so many different versions of keno, it’s impossible to learn the game in one venue and play it exactly the same way in another. Not only are there multiple video keno manufacturers, there are live drawings, scratch cards, and online keno games.

Every game variant has its own rules. These rules determine how many picks players can bet on, how often the drawings are held, how the drawings are made, and what the prize amounts are.

Partial wins may be better on some numbers than full wins on others. Unless you know for a fact that any online table of payout odds is used by a video keno game you want to play, there’s no point in printing out the tables. Consider them useful in helping you understand how keno works in general.

Varying Your Rate of Play Won’t Change the Probabilities

This is a common misconception players develop around any game that uses a random number generator. The idea is based on the fact that the RNG chip is constantly generating new random numbers. Each new number is made available for use for a fraction of a second.

Some people reason that if their luck has been running bad, they should take a break and let the random number generator “burn through” some extra numbers. They hope this will shake up the sequence.

In reality, it doesn’t matter. There’s as little pattern to the random numbers as is humanly possible. You need both a supercomputer and detailed knowledge of the algorithm to figure out whether the next number is one you should use or ignore.

There’s no mathematical advantage to speeding up or slowing down your gameplay. The only reason to vary your gameplay is to give your mind a chance to snap out of any lethargy you may be experiencing. This is good for mental health and other common sense reasons.

Playing Keno Requires Minimal Skill

Unlike video poker and video blackjack, where players need strong knowledge of all the different possible hands, video keno is just a game where you pick numbers.

The most skill a player needs in keno is in interpreting the payout odds using gambling math. The more numbers you pick to wager on, the less likely you’ll hit all your numbers.

You may come across keno players promoting a strategy for picking the best numbers. These people may be sincere, or they may be selling you a scam. Either way, it doesn’t matter because there’s no strategy that improves the probabilities.

You Should Practice Good Gambling Budgeting With Keno

Keno is an easy, convenient game to play. Players can quickly lose sight of how much money they are wagering.

If you’re writing checks to the casino or making repeat trips to the ATM machine, you should stop and assess what you’re doing.

What do you really hope to achieve by playing keno? It’s a fun lottery-style game to be sure, but don’t expect to get rich from playing it.

Don’t expect to support yourself. You’ll have a better chance of winning the Hunger Games than of winning a large keno jackpot every week.

Before you play, set a limit to how much you’re comfortable losing. Only gamble with money you don’t need for anything else. And calculate how much each wager you want to make costs.

No matter how well you do, always keep in perspective that keno is intended for entertainment.

Players Often Get Too Optimistic on Beating Keno Odds

This is true of every kind of game that awards a prize.

On a typical pick 10 wager, the real probability of choosing 10 numbers that are all drawn is nearly 1 in 9 billion. You have better keno odds at winning the Powerball or Mega Millions lotteries.

On the other hand, if you compare a pick 7 wager’s probabilities to those of Powerball or Mega Millions you see the chances of picking 7 winning numbers are much better (about 1 in 41 million).

Here, the payout tables work against you. You won’t win $20 million, $40 million, or $100 million by correctly picking 6 or 7 numbers in keno.

In the end, the casino house edge always comes out on top in keno. A few players are so lucky, they win multiple prizes of substantial value. Most people are lucky if they can stay within reach of their beginning stake.

Keno odds are designed to keep people playing by creating hope and paying occasional prizes.

Conclusion

While it may not pay the best prizes in gambling, keno is a fun game for a lot of people. It’s arguably one of the most popular betting games in the world.

As long as you only play for fun and don’t count on it for a living, you should be okay. And don’t begrudge anyone if they win a great prize at keno. Envy won’t make you a better gambler.

The real secret to playing keno is to make it part of your vast entertainment repertoire. There are other things in life worth enjoying. It’s fun to take an occasional risk and even more fun to win.

It’s not necessary to make gambling all about winning. It’s better to take a friend and enjoy the whole experience together. Create some good memories that don’t depend on how much money you win or lose.