Quarter Keno Win up to $50,000 for a Quarter The QUARTER KENO Paytable DOES NOT Qualify for the Progressive Jackpot. To Play QUARTER KENO, Simply Mark “Q” on Your Ticket. The Georgia Lottery also hosts the ever popular game Keno, complete with Multiplier and Bulls-Eye options for more ways of winning. Drawings are held everyday every 3.5 minutes.
The Georgia Lottery's Keno game is standard Keno (20 numbers picked from 1-80). However, there are two wrinkles: (1) for double the bet, you can buy a 'Multiplier'. (2) Sometimes they run a '30% more' promotion where for a limited time (usually Monday 6-8PM) all winnings are increased 30%.I THINK I have calculated the returns for all the applicable betting combinations (excluding the max payout limits)... Any corrections or feedback would be greatly appreciated.
Does this look right to you?
Ga Lottery Keno Watch Drawings
Pay Table and Rules:Base Game Return (7 spot):
This portion was as simple as using The Wizards Keno Calculator:
| Match | Collect ($) | Frequency | Probability (%) | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 386206920 | 12.1574251954 | 0 |
| 1 | 0 | 1001277200 | 31.519250506592 | 0 |
| 2 | 0 | 1037687280 | 32.665405070468 | 0 |
| 3 | 1 | 555903900 | 17.499324144894 | 0.1749932414 |
| 4 | 3 | 165795900 | 5.219096674793 | 0.1565729002 |
| 5 | 15 | 27442080 | 0.863850484104 | 0.1295775726 |
| 6 | 125 | 2325600 | 0.073207668144 | 0.0915095852 |
| 7 | 4000 | 77520 | 0.002440255605 | 0.0976102242 |
| Total | 3176716400 | 100 | 0.650263523681 | |
| House Edge: | 34.974% |
Multiplier Wheel weights:
The wheel is made up of 5 '1x' spots, 6 '2x' spots, 4 '3x' spots, 2 '5x' spots and 1 '10x' spot. I calculated the natural wheel probabilities and then downloaded 10098 trials to get the actual wheel weights (I suspected that the wheel was not naturally weighted.) Here are the results:
| Multiplier | Trial Count | Trial Probability | # of Spots | Natural Probability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mult x1 | 2452 | 0.242820360467419 | 5 | 0.277777777777778 |
| Mult x2 | 5167 | 0.511685482273718 | 6 | 0.333333333333333 |
| Mult x3 | 1740 | 0.172311348781937 | 4 | 0.222222222222222 |
| Mult x5 | 623 | 0.061695385224797 | 2 | 0.111111111111111 |
| Mult x10 | 116 | 0.0114874232521291 | 1 | 0.0555555555555556 |
| Grand Total | 10098 | 1 | 18 | 1 |
According to the 10098 trials downloaded, the wheel is not weighted naturally.
Per the official Keno rules, the overall odds of a Multiplier being 2x or greater are 1 in 1.33. The 10098 sample produced odds of 1 in 1.32069 (pretty close). I wonder if the wheel weights change slightly during the 30% promo, or if 10k samples is not enough to get closer to the 1 in 1.33 number stated by the Georgia Lottery.
Base Game Return with Multiplier and 30% Promotion (7 spot):
To calculate the impact that the Multiplier has on the return, I created a table of all possible outcomes of matched numbers and multiplier results. I then calculated returns based on the combined probability of multiplier and numbers matched. Finally, since the multiplier costs and additional $1 to play, I divide the overal return by 2 in order to get the return per dollar bet and overall house edge.For the 30% promo, I simply added 30% to the return of each possible combination.
| Numbers Matched | Collect ($) | Multiplier | Collect Incl. Multiplier ($) | Base Probability | Multiplier Probability | Total Probability | Total Return | Total Return: +30% Promo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.121574251954 | 0.242820360467419 | 0.0295207036830271 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0.121574251954 | 0.511685482273718 | 0.0622077797431489 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0.121574251954 | 0.172311348781937 | 0.0209486233313488 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0.121574251954 | 0.061695385224797 | 0.00750057030771856 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0.121574251954 | 0.0114874232521291 | 0.00139657488875659 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.31519250506592 | 0.242820360467419 | 0.0765351576967356 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0.31519250506592 | 0.511685482273718 | 0.161279428963716 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0.31519250506592 | 0.172311348781937 | 0.0543112456738662 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0.31519250506592 | 0.061695385224797 | 0.0194459230200107 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| 1 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0.31519250506592 | 0.0114874232521291 | 0.00362074971159108 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.32665405070468 | 0.242820360467419 | 0.079318254340253 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0.32665405070468 | 0.511685482273718 | 0.167144135471488 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0.32665405070468 | 0.172311348781937 | 0.0562862000620066 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0.32665405070468 | 0.061695385224797 | 0.0201530474934656 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| 2 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0.32665405070468 | 0.0114874232521291 | 0.00375241333746711 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0.17499324144894 | 0.242820360467419 | 0.0424919219679937 | $0.04 | $0.06 |
| 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0.17499324144894 | 0.511685482273718 | 0.089541501145442 | $0.18 | $0.23 |
| 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0.17499324144894 | 0.172311348781937 | 0.03015332146179 | $0.09 | $0.12 |
| 3 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0.17499324144894 | 0.061695385224797 | 0.0107962754429283 | $0.05 | $0.07 |
| 3 | 1 | 10 | 10 | 0.17499324144894 | 0.0114874232521291 | 0.002010221430786 | $0.02 | $0.03 |
| 4 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0.05219096674793 | 0.242820360467419 | 0.0126730293588755 | $0.04 | $0.05 |
| 4 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 0.05219096674793 | 0.511685482273718 | 0.0267053599907461 | $0.16 | $0.21 |
| 4 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 0.05219096674793 | 0.172311348781937 | 0.00899309587456904 | $0.08 | $0.11 |
| 4 | 3 | 5 | 15 | 0.05219096674793 | 0.061695385224797 | 0.00321994179876811 | $0.05 | $0.06 |
| 4 | 3 | 10 | 30 | 0.05219096674793 | 0.0114874232521291 | 0.000599539724971269 | $0.02 | $0.02 |
| 5 | 15 | 1 | 15 | 0.00863850484104 | 0.242820360467419 | 0.00209760485940088 | $0.03 | $0.04 |
| 5 | 15 | 2 | 30 | 0.00863850484104 | 0.511685482273718 | 0.0044201975157114 | $0.13 | $0.17 |
| 5 | 15 | 3 | 45 | 0.00863850484104 | 0.172311348781937 | 0.00148851242061889 | $0.07 | $0.09 |
| 5 | 15 | 5 | 75 | 0.00863850484104 | 0.061695385224797 | 0.000532955883934236 | $0.04 | $0.05 |
| 5 | 15 | 10 | 150 | 0.00863850484104 | 0.0114874232521291 | 0.000099234161374593 | $0.01 | $0.02 |
| 6 | 125 | 1 | 125 | 0.00073207668144 | 0.242820360467419 | 0.000177763123677053 | $0.02 | $0.03 |
| 6 | 125 | 2 | 250 | 0.00073207668144 | 0.511685482273718 | 0.000374593009803969 | $0.09 | $0.12 |
| 6 | 125 | 3 | 375 | 0.00073207668144 | 0.172311348781937 | 0.000126145120390731 | $0.05 | $0.06 |
| 6 | 125 | 5 | 625 | 0.00073207668144 | 0.061695385224797 | 4.51657528755318E-05 | $0.03 | $0.04 |
| 6 | 125 | 10 | 1250 | 0.00073207668144 | 0.0114874232521291 | 8.40967469271539E-06 | $0.01 | $0.01 |
| 7 | 4000 | 1 | 4000 | 0.00002440255605 | 0.242820360467419 | 5.9254374563874E-06 | $0.02 | $0.03 |
| 7 | 4000 | 2 | 8000 | 0.00002440255605 | 0.511685482273718 | 1.24864336611557E-05 | $0.10 | $0.13 |
| 7 | 4000 | 3 | 12000 | 0.00002440255605 | 0.172311348781937 | 4.20483734670232E-06 | $0.05 | $0.07 |
| 7 | 4000 | 5 | 20000 | 0.00002440255605 | 0.061695385224797 | 1.50552509597445E-06 | $0.03 | $0.04 |
| 7 | 4000 | 10 | 40000 | 0.00002440255605 | 0.0114874232521291 | 2.80322489780154E-07 | $0.01 | $0.01 |
| Return per 2$ bet: | $1.43 | $1.87 | ||||||
| Return per 1$ bet: | $0.72 | $0.93 | ||||||
| House Edge: | 28.260% | 6.739% |
Provided the approach above is correct, here are the overall results for all of the games offered:
| Probability of a Win | Probability of a Jackpot Win (1:n) | House Edge | House Edge w/ Multiplier | HE after 30% Promo (no Multiplier) | HE after 30% Promo w/ Multiplier | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Spot | 25.00% | 4.00 | 50.00% | 44.84% | 35.00% | 28.29% |
| 2 Spot | 6.01% | 16.67 | 39.87% | 33.67% | 21.84% | 13.77% |
| 3 Spot | 15.26% | 72.07 | 37.56% | 31.11% | 18.83% | 10.45% |
| 4 Spot | 25.89% | 326.44 | 35.67% | 30.32% | 16.37% | 9.41% |
| 5 Spot | 9.67% | 1550.57 | 36.86% | 30.34% | 17.92% | 9.44% |
| 6 Spot | 16.16% | 7752.84 | 36.09% | 29.49% | 16.91% | 8.33% |
| 7 Spot | 23.66% | 40979.31 | 34.97% | 28.26% | 15.47% | 6.74% |
| 8 Spot | 10.23% | 230114.64 | 35.28% | 28.60% | 15.86% | 7.17% |
| 9 Spot | 15.31% | 1380687.64 | 37.16% | 30.68% | 18.31% | 9.88% |
| 10 Spot | 5.90% | 8911710.79 | 36.33% | 29.76% | 17.23% | 8.68% |
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What can You Do to Win More at Keno?
Let’s say it straight away, Keno is, like any lottery, basically a guessing game. Winning keno numbers are selected completely at random. So the bottom line is that no keno strategy is ever going to be really successful at predicting what will come out.
Having said that, there are some things you can do to edge the odds in your favour. In short, our top tips for winning at keno are as follows:
Look for the best payout schedules
Keno Mass Lottery App
By analysing the payout table you can find out before you play what the expected payback over time will be. Not a clue how to do that? Well luckily, we’ve done it for you – at least if you want to play online! If you’re playing keno online the pay schedule is determined largely by what type of gaming software the casino runs on. And we’ve worked out the expected payouts on all the main software brands and listed for you which casinos run on each type.
Play the right number of spots
How many keno numbers should you pick? Most keno games allow you to choose 1 to 15 spots (numbers). You might also find special games that allow a lot more numbers to be chosen. The numbers of spots you pick doesn’t affect the cost of your bet.
The more you pick the better your chances that at least some of them will be drawn out. But, that doesn’t necessarily mean you have a better chance of winning because you will need to catch more of them before you win anything.
For instance, if you pick a 6-spot, in most casinos you wouldn’t win anything unless at least 3 of them were drawn. So it’s a balancing act between selecting enough numbers to give you a reasonable chance of catching a few, but not so many that you have to catch lots before you get a payout.
Regular players tend to opt for between 4 and 8 numbers. If you choose less than 4 spots, the payout schedules mean that it isn’t worth it – the payouts are relatively low and the house has too large an advantage.
If you choose more than 9 spots, the odds of all your numbers actually getting picked are so small that it’s hardly worth even trying. In the extreme case, the odds of getting 15 catches out of 15 spots are about 428 BILLION to 1 (pretty much impossible)!
If you play a high number of spots, some casinos pay out if none of them come up, but you’d need to check their schedule to make sure of this. If you’re a Jackpot hunter: On any pay schedule the BIGGEST jackpot is on maximum spots. But sadly, the more spots you pick, the more remote your chances of winning.
Play several ‘ways’
You can increase your chances of some kind of win from the set of numbers you have selected by betting on a variety of ‘ways’. If, for instance, you have selected 8 numbers as an 8-spot, you could at the same time group them as two 4-spots.
You would then have 3 separate wagers on the same set of numbers. If all 8 came up you would collect 3 lots of winnings (But of course if none of them came up you would lose all three stakes!) You should note that these multi-bet options are usually only available in live, offline keno. But we’ve found one site where you can bet several ways on the same keno draw.
Set a good wager level
How much to wager? Well it depends on such factors as what you can afford, how much the casino will allow, the details of the payout schedule.
Choose lucky numbers!
Everyone has their own superstitions and favoured methods of picking numbers. How about trying some of these:
- try our picker.
- family birthdays or ages (although this is likely to slant your picks towards
- smaller numbers)
- telephone numbers or street address numbers
- a particular layout of numbers on the card
- a ‘psychic feeling’ – just close your eyes and see what comes to mind
- a ‘quick pick’ where the computer picks your numbers for you at random
Statistically it really shouldn’t make any difference how you pick your keno numbers – but who knows?