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What exactly is Keno? Well, if you've ever been in a live casino, you may have taken a break to eat at a restaurant, bet on some horseracing or sports betting at the casino's sports book betting parlor. While there, you may have seen someone come around offering small pieces of paper, which patrons fill out and return to the Keno runner with a certain amount of money. Once that's done, you will see these patrons watching a board on the wall with rabid interest. This board contains a wide array of numbers, many of which become highlighted once the game begins. These individuals are playing Keno, and now, thanks to the magic of online casinos, you can too.

Online Keno is essentially a lottery. It is similar in many ways to Bingo, in that you are hoping that one or more of your numbers will be selected. Once you have navigated to the Keno screen from your online casino's main page, you will be presented with a board of 80 numbers. When the game begins, 20of those 80 numbers will be selected by the computer, one at a time. The trick is to make sure the computer selects as many of your numbers as possible.

Before the number selection begins, you will make your own selections. In most Keno versions, you will get to pick up to a maximum of between ten and 20 spots. The more of your spots that are selected by the computer, the more you win when your spots hit. However, you must also hit more spots to be paid off. For example, if you select only three numbers, you will get some kind of payout if even one of your numbers hits, and a significant payout if all three hit. If you select ten numbers, however, you will get little or nothing for hitting three spots, but an enormous payout for hitting all ten.

These are the basics of Keno. Simply click on as many numbers as you want to play and start. Once all 20 numbers have been picked, you will be paid according to how many of your numbers were selected. You may then play another game with the same numbers, choose new numbers, or quit with your winnings. That's all there is to it. If you can play Bingo or if you have ever played the lottery, you can play online Keno.

Managing Your Online Keno Bankroll

The first thing you need to understand is the paramount importance of managing your bankroll. The inherently elevated level of chance involved in keno can wipe out a pile of money with devastating speed, especially when a player adopts a reckless betting pace. While online keno is generally kinder to fast-and-loose plan than the brick-and-mortar variety, you will still be well served by taking a measured approach when it comes to placing wagers on any given ticket. For example, you might elect to establish a bankroll of no more or less than $50 and make $1 bets by choosing seven spots per ticket. Under this arrangement, you'd need to hit three spots in order to win your sawbuck back. Obviously, what you really want is for all seven spots to hit. A long shot, certainly, but one that could pay out anywhere from $5,000 to $7,000, depending on the site where you are playing. Some online casinos only allow minimums of $1 tickets and you are allowed to bet 11 spots on a $1 ticket. Under this structure, you'd only need to hit three spots in order to get your dollar back. The payout structure you will find here is a bit less massive, but still respectable. You could pocket a nice $3,000 for hitting all 11 spots.

Managing your bankroll, as you can see, is largely based on the number of spots you choose on a ticket (so much for the elitist theory that there's no strategy involved in keno!). The difference in your potential winnings, not to mention the amount of time you'll be able to play with the same bankroll, will vary wildly depending on how aggressively you wager.

As a general rule of thumb, you should remember that going with anything less than four spots on an online keno ticket will only yield moderate winnings, and this holds true even if you should be fortunate enough to hit all four spots. Say, for instance, you're playing at a casino that enjoys a house edge of about 30percent. Hitting all four spots on $1 ticket will kick you back about $80. Not too shabby, but that is hardly enough to elevate the heart rate of your average gambler. By picking more spots per ticket, you raise your potential payout, but you also raise the risk. This is the thrill of keno.