Keno Strategy Guide – Beginner and Expert Tips

The Basics

There are a number of things that you have to keep in mind when playing Keno and the first is the most important. No matter what you do, you cannot affect the outcome. Therefore, strategies that work will be those that relate to things such as bankroll management, but anything that claims it will guarantee a win is complete rubbish.

Before looking at strategies, it is worth quickly recapping the game. Keno is much like a lottery game, you are required to pick numbers and then a draw takes place. You then win depending on how many numbers you managed to match. There may be some slight variation depending on the version that you are playing, but the basics never change.

Before You Play

Before you even start playing, there are a few tips that you should take into account to ensure that you have the best possible chance of success. Some of these are extremely obvious, but it doesn’t hurt to go quickly go over them.

To begin with, when choosing a Keno game, make sure that you take a look at its Return to Player (RTP) percentage. This will give you a rough idea of how the game pays out. If you notice that it is significantly lower than other Keno games, then it is worth looking for another one.

On a similar note, you should also consider the odds. If you select 20 numbers, then you  have a 1 in 86 chance of picking one that is correct and the odds of getting all 20 is over 1 in 3.5 million. The odds of winning depend on how many numbers you choose. However, the more numbers you choose, the smaller the potential winnings. Therefore, you need to decide which method suits you best. Both are valid, but it will depend on things such as your bankroll and how many rounds you wish to play. Before you start playing, take a look at the odds for the different keno bets to help you make an informed decision.

It is also worth spending some time practicing the game that you are going to play. Sometimes the cards and the layout will differ from one game to the next and it is important to be fully aware of how your chosen version works. You can always play the games in demo mode first to familiarise yourself with them before you start to risk your hard earned cash.

Start Small

It may be tempting to jump in and start making big bets, especially if your bankroll allows for it. However, it is much more sensible to start with small bets. You can also experiment with playing several cards at once. This way you may get some idea about which choices lead to the better outcomes.

Whatever you decide, you need to always keep your gambling budget in mind. It goes without saying that you should never bet money you can’t afford to lose. You should set aside a budget for your session and then divide that budget by the number of rounds you wish to play. That will give you your bet per game and ensure that you do not run out of funds.

Keno Betting Tips

As noted, you cannot influence the outcome of a game of Keno. There are just two things that you have control over, your number choices and the size of your bet. Therefore, you actually have a bit more control than you may have first thought and there are some best practice tips that you should be following.

Choosing Numbers

In most Keno games there 80 numbers on the card and normally you will be able to choose as many or as few as you wish. If you choose lots of numbers, then the chances of you having winning numbers increases. However, the payouts decrease. If you don’t have many numbers, the reverse is true, the payouts are higher but the chances of your number being drawn is lower.

Most Keno strategists will tell you to choose between four and eight numbers. This provides a balance between the chances of your numbers being drawn and the potential payout. In fact, the game’s name gives you a hint about this. Keno comes from the Latin for ‘five’, which suggests that even the earliest players were aware of this concept.

Four Card Keno Strategy

You may well have heard of four-card Keno strategy. However, the strategy can actually be used for any multi-card version of the game. The idea is to play four cards simultaneously and to choose six or seven numbers in a cluster. That way you are aiming to hit 6 or 7 numbers for a big payout with low bets.

The four-card Keno strategy of 6/7 spots is a long-term strategy. It will pay small amounts when one number is draw and far larger amounts when six numbers are drawn. Therefore, when you do eventually hit a big win, it should go a long way to covering your losses.

Round Robin Keno Strategy

This Keno strategy works best with 20-card keno and live keno games. The idea is to play three sets of numbers on each card and then to rotate the sets to create different winning combinations on each card. It is another long-term strategy, which means you should be prepared to go for long periods without significant winnings.

Keno Betting Strategies

In addition to strategies for how you pick your numbers, there are also strategies that relate to how you place your bets. There are several betting strategies and most often they are used for games such as Blackjack and Roulette that have even money bets. However, there is no reason why some of these strategies cannot be adopted for Keno.

For example, you may well have heart of the Martingale strategy. It is a very famous and simple betting strategy and it can work very well with Keno. The strategy is simple; just double your bet every time you lose and then return to the original bet once you win. When you do win, it will cover your losses. However, there are problems. For instance, if you hit a long losing streak, then your bets will become very big. Furthermore, you may reach the game’s upper betting limit.

Keno Strategy Myths

There are several Keno strategy myths and it is very important that you are aware of them as there is a chance they could cost you a great deal of money. Here are four common mythos that you should avoid:

• Picking Consecutive Numbers. Some people advocate choosing a string of consecutive numbers in the hope that the cluster will be luckier than spreading them across the board. This is simply not true.
• Choosing Hot/Cold Numbers. The outcomes of previous rounds of Keno will have no impact on the future games. Therefore, there is no such thing as hot or cold numbers. Each number has an equal chance of being drawn.
• Stay With the Same Numbers. Some people believe that if they keep picking the same numbers they must eventually win. Just like with hot and cold numbers, this is completely false. There is no reason why they should eventually win.
• Using Lucky Numbers: Some people believe that they have lucky numbers. While there is no real harm including them in your picks, it is false to think that they will give you any better chance of winning.

The truth is that none of these myths are likely to do you any great harm, but nor are they likely to help you win. If you have a lucky number or like a particular sequence, then feel free to pick them. However, never play under the misapprehension that they will give you a better chance of winning. Don’t start trying to chase your losses using these strategies as it won’t work. Stick to your budget, pick whichever numbers you choose, remember that the game is all about luck, and have fun!