Frequently Used Terms in Keno

Unlike card games, Keno is a game that is easy to learn, with very little in the way of complex rules or procedures to follow. However, when playing in casinos or online, you may hear players use terms that you are not familiar with.

The following are some of the most common Keno terms used in casinos and over the Internet, ranging from game play definitions to the devices being used.

Keno terms related to game apparatus include Balls. These are numbered from 1 to 80, and are used to indicate the drawn numbers. Almost all Keno games played in casinos make use of these, hence the term "ball game". This practice was probably derived from Bingo, which also uses balls.

As with Bingo, Keno uses blowers to "hurl" the balls from the cylinder where they are placed; the "bowl" is the Keno term used to denote the container where the balls are held. During the old days, a cage was used to contain Keno balls. Nowadays plastic hoppers are used, and the word cage denotes the employees-only section of the casino.

The following are the essential Keno terms related to game play. A single Keno game is called a race; spot means picking a number from the Keno ticket and marking it; "catch" indicates that a marked or spotted number has been called; "catch all" refers to a situation wherein all your spotted numbers must be called; "catch zero" connotes the opposite; in order to win, none of the numbers you spotted must be called.

A combination ticket is a special Keno ticket which allows the player to place different bets in it. Purchasing a High End Ticket entitles a player to higher payouts, but if the spots hits are low, the payout will be much less than a regular Keno ticket. To distinguish tickets, there are terms written on them, referred to as "conditioning". Tickets also contain information on the bets allowed.

A lot of Keno terms deal with the "way", the different wagers that a player can make with a way ticket (also sometimes called a combination ticket). A split ticket denotes a bet on sets of numbers on a single ticket; a Quick Pick stands for Keno numbers randomly generated by the computer, always made at a player's behest.

The Pay Table displays information on the bets and possible winnings; sometimes they are called Rate Cards, although technically speaking the rates refer only to the payoffs.

There are a lot of other Keno terms and definitions that you will become aware of as you play the game. However, these are the phrases most commonly used, and they will help you understand the rudiments of the game.