Keno Strategies, Odds and Better Ways of Winning At Keno

Big Board Keno was at one time called the Chinese Lottery. This is because the game originated in ancient China. Throughout the centuries this game has remained virtually unaltered. The only modifications, especial for modern casino play, lie in the amounts of money you can win, and in the use of combination tickets, called Way Tickets. In the Bird cage are 80 ping-pong balls, painted with numbers from 1 through 80. When the game is played, the bird cage rotates and spits out 20 of the 80 numbers. These 20 numbers constitute the result of that particular game, and a player picking any combination of the wins.

How to Play Big Board Keno

On any Keno game you can pick from one to 20 numbers. The Keno ticket is about 5 inches square, and on the face of it is printed a grid of 80 numbers divided into what is called the Top, containing 40 numbers, and the Bottom, containing the other 40 numbers. You can mark these numbers by crosses, circles, ticks, or any manner as long as you make it clear. Then you mark the Amount you want to bet in the top right-hand corner of the ticket where it says amount. Then below on the right-hand side, you write the total number of numbers you picked. Gaming regulations stipulate that winnings must be collected on any ticket prior to the start of the next game. If you fail to do this, you forfeit any winnings. Keno also allows for so-called Multirace tickets. You can play whatever numbers you pick on the same ticket for up to 20 consecutive games. You must play the same numbers for each game. With Multirace tickets you must wait until the final game in your series of 20 games to collect any winnings. However, a new Multirace variation called Stray and Play was introduced to allow players to play from 21 to 1,000 consecutive games without having to be present and with up to one year to collect winnings.


Straight Up
There are four basic betting options offered by most casinos, of which the simplest and most common is the Straight Up ticket, commonly known as the Regular Game ticket. For example: a popular Straight Up ticket is a 6-spot. You select any six of the 80 numbers available in the game. When the game is then played, the bird cage machine draws 20 of the 80 available numbers. A typical payoff for a $2.00 bet on a 6-spot Keno ticket would run as follows:

• 0 out of 6 = No Win
• 1 out of 6 = No Win
• 2 out of 6 = No Win
• 3 out of 6 = $2.00
• 4 out of 6 = $6.00
• 5 out of 6 = $176.00
• 6 out of 6 = $3,00.00 (Jackpot)

You can bet more, a $5.00 bet pays a top jackpot of $7,500.00; a bet of $15.00 pays $22,000.00; and so on. The maximum bet is $70.00! All casinos will allow you to select a single number up to 10 numbers. Some casinos offer 12-, 13-, 14-, 15-, and 16- numbers; however, it is harder to win the jackpot.