Who wants to win loads of cash? I sure do. Keno is the name of the game today and I’d challenge you to find many other games that have bigger payouts for such a low wager. Yes, I know that Keno is a bit like the lotto in that the game is challenging to win, but when you do win, it’s lovely. Want to win $1,000 for a 40-cent wager? How about $25,000 for a $1 wager? Keno can do this for you and more.
Without getting to technical with game play, you can play a 6-spot Keno ticket and get paid 1,500 – 1 for hitting all of your numbers. So, a $1 wager pays $1,500. That’s pretty sweet. I’ve seen people hit huge amounts of money in Keno and I’ve won myself.
Quick history lesson. Keno isn’t some original game concocted in the dark basements of Las Vegas testing labs. The Chinese brought it to America when they helped work on the railroad. It was the 1800s and Chinese railroad workers were spreading this fun, lucky game to Americans. It caught on and here we are today.
So, Keno is the lotto miniaturized. Rather than having a 190,000,000 to 1 shot of winning, like the lotto, you have better odds in Keno. It’s the same concept. You pick numbers and wait for them to come up. Keno has 80 numbers, numbered 1-80. Each game, 20 of these numbers are drawn each game. As a player, you can pick 1-15 numbers—some casinos offer 20-number tickets too. When a number you selected is drawn, it’s called a “hit.” Unlike the lotto, you don’t need to hit all of your numbers to win. For instance, hitting 3 out of 6 pays. The more you hit, the more cash you win (obviously).
Keno can be played online and in regular casinos. In the real world, there’s “live” keno and video keno. Live keno is conducted in a lounge with people. Usually the computer calls out the numbers and games are run every few minutes. In video keno, you play at your own pace. Live keno offers more options (way tickets, etc), but video keno is just as fun and profitable. So, try some online keno if you want.
Here’s a big tip to new Keno players. Payout amounts are not standardized. For instance, if you play Blackjack and win a hand (not Blackjack), it’s going to pay even money ($5 wins $5). With Keno, the house determines the payout. I’ve seen $1 6-spots pay $1,000 – $3,000. Make sure you shop around if playing online. Decide what you’re most likely to play and look for the best payouts for that type of ticket.
Keno is a blast and winning can yield a large cash windfall for a small wager.
