If you've ever played a state lottery, you know how to play keno. In fact, the numbers game known as “lottery” is based on keno, although there are some differences between the modern versions of these two games. In lottery, you choose a fixed set of numbers to play — five numbers plus a bonus number, for example — and that fixed set must be the same as the set of numbers pulled in the drawing. To win the jackpot, you have to match every number in the drawing.

In keno, you can choose how many numbers you want to play in a given game, usually between one and fifteen numbers. Each keno race pulls twenty numbers, and you only have to match fifteen of the twenty numbers drawn to win the jackpot. As with the lottery, the thrill of keno lies in the possibility of winning a huge, life-changing sum of money in exchange for a nominal wager. It's not uncommon for keno jackpots to be in the tens of thousands of dollars.

You also can win smaller amounts by matching fewer of the numbers drawn. Payout schedules vary from casino to casino, but at some places you can even win your wager back by matching none of the drawn numbers. These are called “special pay rates,” and they may not be available at all keno lounges. Check your casino's keno brochure or ask keno personnel.

The Keno Ticket

The keno ticket is a piece of paper with two blocks of forty numbers each — 1 through 40 on the top half of the ticket, and 41 through 80 on the bottom half. To select your numbers, simply mark them with an “X” on the ticket.

At the top or along the side of the ticket are areas for you to indicate your wager per game, how many games you want to play, and the total wager for the ticket. If you want to play the same numbers for five games and you want to bet $1 per game, for instance, the total wager for the ticket will be $5.

Also at the top or side of the ticket is a box to indicate how many numbers, or “spots,” you want to play. If you play four numbers, it's called a “four-spot ticket”; if you play ten numbers, it's called a “ten-spot ticket.” You also indicate here whether you want to play combinations of numbers (explained in the following section) or special rates, if these are available at your casino.

▲ A typical keno ticket. The boxes for listing spots played, number of games, etc., may be on the top of the ticket as shown here or down one side, usually to the right. Some tickets don't label the area but simply provide a blank area for you to note your choices.

Keno Lounges

Keno lounges provide supplies of tickets, black crayons for marking, and brochures explaining rules, payouts and special rates, or betting options. These lounges usually have rows of seats facing the keno counter, with small desktops on the arms with the supplies you'll need and a place to set a drink. A large LED board behind or to the side of the keno counter displays the current game number and lights up the numbers as they are drawn. The last number drawn in a given game will usually flash several times to alert players that the game is over.

Keno Runners

Virtually every casino has keno runners who roam the property to collect tickets and wagers from patrons who are playing other games or sitting in the restaurant or coffee shop. You fill out your ticket the same way you would at the keno lounge. The keno runner takes the ticket and your money to a keno writer to place your bet, then returns to you with a computer-generated ticket that shows which numbers you have selected and which games your numbers are good for. Monitors around the casino — either smaller versions of the board in the keno lounge or television screens — let you track which game is being played and which numbers have been drawn.

The Catch

Any number you match is called a “catch.” Rules vary on how many catches you need to win any money, and the number of catches is usually tied to how many numbers you select. For example, if you play fifteen numbers, you usually have to catch six to win any money. If you play six numbers, you have to catch three to win your wager back. Sometimes on special games, you can win your money back even if you don't catch any numbers. Check the keno brochure or ask keno personnel for the house's payout rules.

Selecting Your Numbers

Keno, like the lottery, is a game of pure chance. Any given number in any given race has the same chance of being drawn, no matter what happened in the drawing before. The odds of, for example, the number 5 being drawn in this game are 79 to 1, and theoretically those are the odds of the number 5 being drawn in the next game.

However, mathematical purists will note that computer programs to generate random numbers — which is how most keno games are operated — sometimes have flaws that skew the actual results. But the average bettor should assume each number is indeed randomly drawn. Operate from this assumption, and you can view keno as an entertaining way to pass the time without succumbing to wild (and baseless) theories of probability.

When you play keno, you should play whatever numbers you like, based on whatever rationale you like. For example, you might want to play the birthdays of everyone in your family, or the number of pets you have, or the number of letters in your first and last names.

Some people like to play the numbers that came up in the last game, because sometimes it seems as though one or two numbers keep turning up in consecutive games. Others like to play back-to-back numbers, such as 4 and 5 or 42 and 43, because it seems that consecutive pairs are drawn fairly regularly. Choose whatever pattern appeals to you, but remember that the probability of any given number being drawn in any given game is exactly the same each and every time.