online-keno-548x300

Keno is said that have originated in ancient China, a time when it was used to finance wars and the development of the infamous “Great Wall of China.” You can imagine how slanted the house edge was back in those days, but today’s keno games are a little more favorable. In this article we will show you a few strategies that can better assure a higher winning percentage online.

Conservative vs. Aggressive Tables

Most online casino games follow the same basic approach. You check off between 1 to 15 numbers on your board and then 20 balls are randomly drawn. You are paid out based on how many of those balls have numbers that match the numbers you selected.

The real difference lies in the payout structure. In the game of keno, there are mainly two types of payouts table. One table is more conservative as payouts usually do not rise to phenomenally high levels. The other is more aggressive with payouts that typically start out at around 50% of the matching numbers and substantially higher payout amounts.

When trying to determine which table you want to play at, the best way to approach it is select the degree of risk you are willing to take against what type of return. For example, if you conclude that you will not be satisfied with the returns provided by the conservative table, you may prefer to take the aggressive option. If you are not a risk taker, then the conservative returns are probably suitable. In either event, you should know what you are up against. Conservative tables have an average payout ratio of 95.2% while aggressive tables are at 84.4%.

In addition, aggressive tables often have limitations that may prevent you from cashing out your entire winnings expressed in coins. These are big differences you must take into account and more reasons why you need to think wisely about the type of online keno game you want to play.

Making Smart Bets

Many keno players are faced with the challenge of deciding how many numbers to mark on their board. It is pretty obvious that the more numbers you check off, the greater the probability of some of them matching up with the 20 drawn balls. Keep in mind however, that this also means that you must put down larger bets. The good thing is that most games make it possible to calculate the average payout ratio.

Take Microgaming keno for example. These games offer tables with a 93% payout ratio for 3 matching numbers. As to be expected, selecting 14 to 15 numbers results in a greater average payout ratio at just above 95%. However, 13 numbers on the board has an average payout of 96.5%. Therefore, a good rule of thumb for the serious keno player is to mark off 13 numbers on the board as it gives you the greatest return.

Simple strategies like this can go a long way in helping you become a winning keno player.

393 Comments