Best 10 Spot Keno Numbers

Best 10 Spot Keno Numbers 5,8/10 6062 votes

When playing a 20 spot game, so you choose 20 of the 80 numbers available, the odds are as follows: The odds of picking 0 correct numbers is around 1 in 843. The odds of picking 1 correct number out of 20 is around 1 in 86. The odds of picking 2 correct numbers out of 20 is around 1 in 20. Payouts vary widely by casino. Most casinos allow paytable wagers of 1 through 20 numbers, but some limit the choice to only 1 through 10, 12, and 15 numbers, or 'spots' as the numbers selected are known. The probability of a player hitting all 20 numbers on a 20 spot ticket is 1 in 3,535,316,142,212,174,320.


Some experts like to say that there is no keno strategy, this is not true. There is always a way to get an edge in any game no matter how small. It may not generally be considered the sexiest game in the world of gambling, but keno has millions of devoted enthusiasts. And why not? It’s a consistently thrilling lottery-style game that’s easy to learn, readily available in a number of different formats, and one that can yield mega-dollars for those who master its many subtle intricacies. But let’s deal with the basics here.

When describing keno to beginners, some gambling experts compare it to bingo. This is at least partially apt, in that both are essentially numerical. Yet to take that comparison too far would be to underestimate the many unique traits that make keno so compelling. Unlike bingo, keno players have the freedom to choose the numbers for each card.

How to Play keno

  1. You decide how much you wish to bet on a particular round, and how many numbers you wish to choose. You can choose between 1 and 20 numbers, the payouts vary depending on how many numbers you pick and how many of them get drawn.
  2. You now get to pick your numbers as you would if you were playing a Lottery. As with most Lotteries, many sites will give you an option to get the numbers picked for you at random. The numbers in Keno go from 1 to 80.
  3. The game now starts and 20 of the 80 numbers are chosen at random.
  4. If one of your numbers is picked, this is known as a ‘Catch’. You get paid depending on the number of Catches you get during the game.


Example
In the example free play game above, you start with $1,000 free credits. You can change the value of each game, this can be from $0.01 to $10.00. Click on Quick Pick and 10 numbers will be randomly chosen. You can change these if you wish, remove some or add more. Note that each time you add or remove a number, the paytable changes, both in terms of the minimum number of ‘catches’ you need to receive a payout and the level of each payout.

Once you are happy, click either Play 1 to play 1 game with those numbers, Play 5 to play 5 consecutive games with those numbers, or Play 10 to play 10 games with them. Remember that each game will cost you the same amount, so if you choose $1 per game and then Play 5, you will pay $5 – 5 games X $1 per game.

You will then see 20 numbers of the 80 get drawn at random, these will be marked off on the main game area with a red cross, and that you have will be marked off with a yellow square and will show on the right-hand side.
After each game, all winnings will get paid automatically into your balance and once all games have been played, you can start again.

Keno Payouts

The payouts for Keno differ from casino to casino, so ensure you look around to get the best payout if Keno is your game of choice.

A standard payout structure is shown below (all amounts are payouts to 1):

CatchPick 1Pick 2Pick 3Pick 4Pick 5Pick 6Pick 7Pick 8Pick 9Pick 10
00000000000
13000000000
2N/A1522000000
3N/AN/A485331000
4N/AN/AN/A1001342210
5N/AN/AN/AN/A83875221365
6N/AN/AN/AN/AN/A1,6604221004424
7N/AN/AN/AN/AN/AN/A7,0001,670362146
8N/AN/AN/AN/AN/AN/AN/A10,0004,7001,000
9N/AN/AN/AN/AN/AN/AN/AN/A10,0004,500
10N/AN/AN/AN/AN/AN/AN/AN/AN/A10,000

Keno Odds

When playing a 20 spot game, so you choose 20 of the 80 numbers available, the odds are as follows:

The odds of picking 0 correct numbers is around 1 in 843

The odds of picking 1 correct number out of 20 is around 1 in 86

The odds of picking 2 correct numbers out of 20 is around 1 in 20

The odds of picking 3 correct numbers out of 20 is around 1 in 8

The odds of picking 4 correct numbers out of 20 is around 1 in 4.8

The odds of picking 5 correct numbers out of 20 is around 1 in 4.2

The odds of picking 6 correct numbers out of 20 is around 1 in 5.2

The odds of picking 7 correct numbers out of 20 is around 1 in 8.8

The odds of picking 8 correct numbers out of 20 is around 1 in 20

The odds of picking 9 correct numbers out of 20 is around 1 in 61

The odds of picking 10 correct numbers out of 20 is around 1 in 253

The odds of picking 11 correct numbers out of 20 is around 1 in 1,423

The odds of picking 12 correct numbers out of 20 is around 1 in 10,968

The odds of picking 13 correct numbers out of 20 is around 1 in 118,084

The odds of picking 14 correct numbers out of 20 is around 1 in 1,821,881

The odds of picking 15 correct numbers out of 20 is around 1 in 41,751,453

The odds of picking 16 correct numbers out of 20 is around 1 in 1,496,372,110

The odds of picking 17 correct numbers out of 20 is around 1 in 90,624,035,964

The odds of picking 18 correct numbers out of 20 is around 1 in 10,512,388,171,906

Best 10 Spot Keno Numbers

The odds of picking 19 correct numbers out of 20 is around 1 in 2,946,096,785,176,811

The odds of picking 20 correct numbers out of 20 is around 1 in 3,535,316,142,212,173,800

The odds of getting all 20 numbers are a virtually impossible one in over 3.5 quintillions! As you can win by selecting significantly fewer numbers though, there are good returns to be had if your luck is in. As a result, when playing Keno, it is important to research the paytable to ensure you are getting the best possible returns for guessing between 2 and 8 numbers correctly as these are the payouts that you are most likely to win.

Keno Strategy

There is no magical Keno strategy that will guarantee you a win but there are many tips you will learn here to give you the best possible odds.

Although you can win higher amounts if you pick more numbers, the odds of winning reduce as you need more Catches in order to win.

As the numbers are chosen using a Random Number Generator, each of the 80 numbers has just as much chance as the others of being drawn, there will always be some Players who have numbers that they consider to be lucky though.

Generally speaking, the odds in Keno are about the same as those in Slots. There are better games with a higher chance of winning than Keno.

Keno cards have a total of 80 numbers, but the player is granted an additional level of personal responsibility by being able to choose as many (or as few) numbers as he or she desires. And it doesn’t take a nuclear physicist to figure out how to fill out a card: all you do is a circle or otherwise mark each of your chosen numbers with a good old #2 pencil as you used back in school (assuming you were born before the computer age). If this is the case, fear not. Keno does not discriminate against anyone’s age.

Once you’ve selected your numbers, carry the card back to the clerk at the keno booth. The clerk will record those numbers and then hand you a receipt. Don’t lose this (potentially) valuable piece of paper! Even if the clerk remembers your face and would like to help out, without a winning receipt in hand you will collect precisely $.00 for your efforts.

OK, so there you have tip #1: always be sure to keep your keno receipt. Let’s move on to something a bit more complex, shall we?

Once you’ve picked your numbers, settle into a comfy keno booth and watch the action unfold on big a video monitor. That’s where the winning numbers show up in lights. If you’ve got winners, mark your card accordingly. Be sure not to dally, or sit there congratulating yourself for an obnoxious length of time. You need to get back to the keno booth to redeem your winnings, as a new drawing will probably start within five minutes.

Tip #2: always get back to the booth on time!

Assuming you don’t trust yourself to beat that five-minute margin every time, you always retain the option of purchasing a “multi-race” ticket. These include the same set of your chosen numbers anywhere from 2 to 20 tickets. When the maximum number of games (matching the number of tickets) is finished, you can then get off your butt and go redeem your winnings.

Yet an additional option is known as a “stray and play” ticket, which usually lets you make number choices for 30 games or more. Heck, you can take an ocean cruise and not have to worry about getting back to port in time to redeem your numbers. Most “stray and play” tickets are good for up to a whole year after purchase!

So now you know a few essential strategies for winning keno. If you are an experienced player, they may seem stupidly obvious. But it never hurts to brush up on the fundamentals, and if you are a new player, every bit of information will help make your keno experience more enjoyable.

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On This Page

Introduction

Note: The page addresses the conventional keno game, known as Spot Keno, where the player picks 1 to 20 numbers from 1 to 80 and the game draws 20 balls. There are links to keno variants towards the bottom of the page.

Keno is a simple game of luck, much like most lottery games, where the player chooses numbers and hope as many as possible match those randomly drawn by a hopper or machine. The simple form with no multipliers or extra balls is called Spot Keno and is addressed on this page. See the Internal Links section below for many keno variants.

There are two formats for playing keno: live and video. In live keno, the player uses a crayon and paper to indicate his picks. Every few minutes numbers will be a live draw from a hopper filled with numbered balls. In video keno, the player touches a screen, sometimes using a wand, to pick numbers and the machine does the draw randomly.

Like most games of pure luck, the odds in keno are pretty poor. Keep reading to learn more about the rules and how much you can expect to lose on the game.

Rules

Following are the rules for basic keno:

Best 10 Spot Keno Numbers For Today

  1. The player makes a wager and indicates which numbers he wishes to pick. The picks are made on a slip of paper in live keno and by touching the screen in video keno. The range of numbers the player may pick from is 1 to 80.
  2. The number of picks the player may make depends on the game itself. Usually the range is 2 to 10 or 1 to 15.
  3. The game will randomly choose 20 out of 80 balls.
  4. If the game chooses a number the player chose that is known as a 'catch.' The player is paid according to the number of balls he catchs.

Examples

Following are some common video keno pay tables found mostly on Game Maker machines. The bottom row shows the expected return.

Pay Table 1

CatchPick 2Pick 3Pick 4Pick 5Pick 6Pick 7Pick 8Pick 9Pick 10
0111111111
1000000000
2521000000
3115321100
4401052210
540049221055
61,000275404025
72,500500400120
85,0001,000500
95,0002,000
1010,000
Return86.08%84.66%85.97%85.79%84.96%85.33%84.57%84.25%86.43%

Pay Table 2

CatchPick 2Pick 3Pick 4Pick 5Pick 6Pick 7Pick 8Pick 9Pick 10
0000000000
1000000000
21422000000
3403221000
41001442110
580092151233
615003481124728
777601500352140
8800047001000
990004800
1010000
Return84.18%83.25%86.14%85.31%85.21%85.31%84.17%84.87%86.72%
Hit frequency6.01%15.26%25.89%9.67%16.16%23.66%10.23%15.31%6.47%

Pay Table 3

CatchPick 1Pick 2Pick 3Pick 4Pick 5Pick 6Pick 7Pick 8Pick 9Pick 10
0----------
13---------
21522------
3435331---
477124221-
575055211265
61,600335984021
77,0001,450300142
810,0004,7001,000
99,0004,000
1010,000
Return75.00%90.19%87.41%87.74%88.06%88.02%87.68%89.07%87.57%88.80%

Pay Table 4

CatchPick 2Pick 3Pick 4Pick 5Pick 6Pick 7Pick 8Pick 9Pick 10
0000000000
1000000000
21422000000
3455331-00
4851142210
580468201265
61,500390984423
77,0001,550300132
810,0004,7001,000
910,0004,500
1010,000
Return84.18%90.19%90.19%90.33%90.76%90.85%90.67%89.93%89.79%

Pay Table 5

CatchPick 1Pick 2Pick 3Pick 4Pick 5Pick 6Pick 7Pick 8Pick 9Pick 10
0----------
13---------
21522------
3465331---
491124221-
581070211265
61,600400984424
77,0001,652335142
810,0004,7001,000
910,0004,500
1010,000
Return75.00%90.19%91.58%92.03%91.93%92.67%92.44%92.31%92.00%92.55%

Pay Table 6

CatchPick 2Pick 3Pick 4Pick 5Pick 6Pick 7Pick 8Pick 9Pick 10
0000111111
1000000000
21531000000
33712311-00
46428144111
517062333082
6300175706536
7325250178115
8350325225
9375300
10400
Return90.19%92.96%92.77%92.72%92.66%92.64%92.62%92.66%92.69%

Pay Table 7

CatchPick 1Pick 2Pick 3Pick 4Pick 5Pick 6Pick 7Pick 8Pick 9Pick 10
0----------
13---------
21522------
3485331---
4100134221-
583875221365
61,6604221004424
77,0001,670362146
810,0004,7001,000
910,0004,500
1010,000
Return75.00%90.19%94.35%94.78%94.95%94.99%94.92%94.90%93.60%93.20%

The following Pay Table 8 I saw on a 25¢ Aristocrat video poker game at Binion's Las Vegas on October 13, 2019.

Pay Table 8

CatchPick 2Pick 3Pick 4Pick 5Pick 6Pick 7Pick 8Pick 9Pick 10
0---------
1---------
21522------
3455331---
485114221-
580468201265
61,500390984423
77,0001,550300135
810,0004,8001,000
910,0004,500
1010,000
Return90.19%90.19%90.19%90.33%90.76%90.85%90.67%90.26%90.28%

Surveys

In 2001 I did a survey of every live keno casino game in Las Vegas. The returns ranged from 65% to 80%. In other words, the house edge was 20% to 35%, making live keno among the worst bets you can make in Las Vegas.

In 2012 I did a similar survey of live keno in Laughlin, which showed a range of return of 50% to 74%.

In 2008 I did a survey of video keno in San Diego. The returns ranged from 84% to 95%.

In 2017 I redid my Las Vegas video keno survey, which can be found at Wizard of Vegas.

Advice

If you must play keno, the only skill is choosing where to play to play and then how many numbers to choose. It makes no difference which numbers you choose. Contrary to popular myth, legitimate keno games, like those in Las Vegas, are fair and every ball has a 1 in 80 chance of being drawn each game. To determine the odds of any keno game you can use my keno calculator. Just put in the pay table and you will see how much you can expect to get back every bet.

Best 10 Spot Keno Numbers Generator

However, I tend to think anybody who would take the trouble to analyze the game is probably not playing it in the first place. The odds in video keno are about as bad as slot machines. If you want to lose a lot less money gambling I would highly recommend converting to video poker. For live keno players, I would suggest converting to bingo.

Practice Game

Get your keno fix right here on my practice game.

Calculators

We have calculators to determine the payback for any pay table for the following keno games:

  • Keno.
  • Power Keno/Super Keno.
  • Cleopatra Keno.
  • Caveman Keno.
  • Caveman Keno Plus.
  • Triple Power Keno.
  • Extra Draw.
Best 10 Spot Keno Numbers

Best 10 Spot Keno Numbers Winning

Scouting Guide

When you're in the casino it would take a long time to put in every pay table through my many calculators above to determine the best game to play. That is why I created two printer-friendly guides you can print out and take with you:

  • My Keno Scouting Guide is a short reference to the best available game for any pay table for all the most popular forms of keno. Each game has a table showing the possible pick-10 pay tables available and the best number of picks for that game and its return. See the last page of the guide for a full explanation how to use it.
  • My Full Pay Table Report is a longer guide showing every known pay table for all the major keno games and their associated return. For those who want to know the return for any number of picks, not just the best number (which the Keno Scouting Guide provides).

For a printer-friendly document showing keno pay tables and returns for several major keno games please see my Keno Scouting Guide (PDF). Perfect for printing and taking to the casino to find the best game and pay table available.

Popular Keno Variants

What Numbers Come Out The Most In Keno

  • Caveman Keno.
  • Triple Trouble Keno.
  • Power Keno.
  • Super Keno.
  • Extra Draw Keno (three extra balls).
  • Ultimate X Keno.
  • Book of Keno.
  • Alien Attack Keno.
  • Wolf Run Keno.

Internal Links

  • Las Vegas Hilton keno games.
  • Atlantic City Tropicana keno.
  • Jumbo Keno Progressive/Mega 10 — Progressive keno games found at Station Casinos of Las Vegas.
  • Progressive keno games at the Boyd and Station casinos.
  • Nevada numbers — a progressive lottery game.
  • High/Low/Middle Keno — keno game seen at the Lisboa in Macau.
  • Extra Draw Keno (two extra balls).
  • Jumbo Keno Progressive — kenogame at the Station Casinos.
  • Laughlin keno survey.
  • Keno sums — Math behind the sum of all 20 balls drawn

Keno games by U1 Gaming

Following are keno games by U1 Gaming.

External Links

  • German translation of this keno page.

Written by:Michael Shackleford