In the common sense of the word there are no rules to Keno. It is impossible to cheat. So long as you complete your card properly and submit it before the draw, all you have to do is enjoy the show. However there is some terminology that you should remember; doing so will bring clarity to your gaming experience.
The numbers that a player selects on the card are individually called “spots” or “picks.” You need to know this in order to recognize how many numbers must be selected for any particular Keno game. The title of the game will provide this information, for example, in 10-Spot Keno you will only be selecting 10 numbers. That said Keno commonly involves choosing 20 picks.
There are two names for your card and ticket. The blank card that is first filled out is referred to as the “inside ticket.” The ticket that you receive as your official receipt stub is called your “outside ticket.” It is the player’s responsibility to verify (before the draw) that the two tickets match.
A “hit” is the name for each ball/number selected at the draw. Finally, if someone starts talking about your catch, they are talking about your correct pick.
There are four types of Keno draw devices:
- The traditional “Rabbit Ears” machine which blows number balls up into a V-shaped tube for verification.
- The AKV which operates like the “Rabbit Ears” machine except a human verifier is not needed. Each ball is digitally encoded and a scanner reads the balls as they are pushed into the tube.
- A Random Number Generated is most commonly used for online Keno games but may also be used in casino buildings. As its name suggests, a computer randomly selects the 20 numbers for the draw.
A “Hand Cage” machine is the most rudimentary of the four devices. The Keno balls are spun in a transparent tumbler, are stopped, the cage opened and the balls hand-picked and verified at the draw.