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Keno is one of the most widely played games in Australia, both online or through your local pub, club or bricks and mortar casino. It is a simple game, similar to the lottery, where you attempt to pick the numbers that will be shown during any given game. In Australia, even just having a pub lunch entices us to have a flutter on Keno, with Keno tickets and advertising usually in the centre of every table and screens showing the latest games, hot numbers, cold numbers and jackpot amounts.
Keno is played on a grid of 80 numbers, and you can pick as little as one number or as many as 40 numbers per game to receive different odds. The fact it isn’t a skill based game makes it accessible to punters from all walks of life, from the professional punter to the one-off player who enjoys the occasional flutter.
So why is are there so many myths and superstitions surrounding the game? Perhaps it’s due to players who just want to believe their lucky numbers are the real deal, or want a tried-and-true method to success. Unfortunately, luck-based games like keno are just that – luck. We debunk some of the most common keno myths.
Myth #1: Pick numbers that haven’t come up in a while because they’re due
Just because a number hasn’t come up recently doesn’t mean it is due to come up any time soon. Like an online pokie, Keno – whether online or at a bricks and mortar establishment – is run by an RNG (or Random Number Generator). This ensures that each game and each number drawn is completely independent of every other game and number drawn previously.
An RNG is a program that undergoes regular checks and tests to ensure randomness and fairness for each game and number drawn. With each number drawn being completely independent of every other number previously drawn then the concept of picking numbers that haven’t come out in some time, becomes redundant.
Myth #2: All Keno games have the worst house edge
While it’s true the house edge on Keno isn’t the most competitive, often blowing out to be as high as 30%, it is also possible to hunt around and hit a game with a 4% house edge in some online versions of the game. The trick is to shop around and find the amount of numbers to play that has the lowest house edge that you are comfortable with.
Online keno games such as those made by Microgaming uses a different pay scale to land-based keno, but house edge is similar to the basic game. The odds are provided below:
| Not hitting any numbers – | 1 in 843.380 (0.1%) |
| Hitting one number – | 1 in 86.446 (1.1%) |
| Hitting two numbers – | 1 in 20.115 (4.9%) |
| Hitting three numbers – | 1 in 8.009 (12.4%) |
| Hitting four numbers – | 1 in 4.877 (20.5%) |
| Hitting five numbers – | 1 in 4.287 (23.3%) |
| Hitting six numbers – | 1 in 5.258 (19.0%) |
| Hitting seven numbers – | 1 in 8.826 (11.3%) |
| Hitting eight numbers – | 1 in 20.055 (4.9%) |
| Hitting nine numbers – | 1 in 61.420 (1.6%) |
| Hitting ten numbers – | 1 in 253.801 (0.39%) |
| Hitting 11 numbers – | 1 in 1,423.822 (0.07%) |
| Hitting 12 numbers – | 1 in 10,968.701 (0.009%) |
| Hitting 13 numbers – | 1 in 118,084.920 (0.0008%) |
| Hitting 14 numbers – | 1 in 1,821,881.628 (0.00005%) |
| Hitting 15 numbers – | 1 in 41,751,453.986 (0.000002%) |
| Hitting 16 numbers – | 1 in 1,496,372,110.872 (0.00000007%) |
| Hitting 17 numbers – | 1 in 90,624,035,964.712 |
| Hitting 18 numbers – | 1 in 10,512,388,171,906.553 |
| Hitting 19 numbers – | 1 in 2,946,096,785,176,811.500 |
| Hitting 20 numbers – | 1 in 3,535,316,142,212,173,800.000 |
Myth#3: Betting systems for keno are the key to success
Anyone who tries to convince you that a betting system is the secret to success at Keno is a bald faced liar. In fact, systems in general, when it comes to the punt, are a load of hogs wash. Systems do not work because that implies that there is logic in the way the numbers are drawn or the way the cards are dealt or the way the ball or dice falls.
This simply isn’t true.
The whole point of Keno is that each number drawn is done so randomly and completely independently of each number drawn before it. This makes the concept of a betting system redundant.
Myth #4: The jackpot hasn’t gone off in a long time, it’s due
This is another myth that can be debunked by the fact these games are governed by a Random Number Generator.
Just because a jackpot has not gone off recently does not mean it is due to do so. With every game being drawn completely independently of every game before it, the chance of matching ten numbers, to trigger the jackpot on most land based versions of the game is 1 in 8,911,711. Every game you play trying to match 10/10 numbers is a 1 in 8,911,711 chance. Those odds aren’t reduced by each game you play.
Just remember that there are no short cuts or systems to winning at Keno.