The game of Po-Ke-No is one that is a combination of two other well-known games. These two games are poker and Keno. By combining these two games together the result is a game that resembles quite closely to bingo.

Steps

  1. 1
    Label money holding containers (pots). Po-Ke-No is a game in which players play for money. In order to be organized and have the game run smoothly it is necessary to label these containers, also known as pots. It is possible to play the game without these containers but it is not recommended. This is because as the game progresses players will begin to add money to each pile respectively and it may be difficult to distinguish one pot from the next. There are several different labels that can be placed on each pot, but there are usually four standard pot labels that are typically used by players universally. The labels for the pots are Corners, Centers, Five in a Row, & Four of a Kind.
    • Centers is for when a player covers the center space on their game board.
    • Corners is for when a player covers the four corners of their game board.
    • Five in a Row is when a player covers five in a row across their game board. This can either be diagonally, horizontally, or vertically.
    • Four of a kind is for when a player has four of the same denomination, such as 4 Jacks.
  2. 2
    Determine who the dealer will be. The dealer will be the person who shuffles the cards and draws the cards from the deck.[1]
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  3. 3
    Select a game board. All game boards, mathematically speaking, have the same chance of winning any of the pots. (Although it should be said, some vets of the game find some game boards “luckier” than others).[2]
    • At the time of selecting game boards, if there are any game boards left over after everyone, except the dealer, has selected one, the dealer may then select a board themselves and participate along with the other players.
  4. 4
    Determine how much each pot will be worth. Each pot can have its own individual value or there can be a uniform value for all of the pots. Pots can range from 1 cent on up. Typically pots are worth no more than 25 cents, as this makes the game more fun. This is because the lower each pot is worth the longer the game can go on.[3]
  5. 5
    Add money to each pot.
  6. 6
    Have the dealer begin drawing cards. The dealer is to draw cards, one at a time, from the top of the deck. As the dealer draws cards, if the card matches one of the spaces on a player’s game board they are to cover it with one of the poker chips. This process of the dealer drawing cards and players covering the corresponding spaces on their game board continues until one of the players’ game boards meets the requirements needed to win one of the pots.[4]
    • Centers
    • Corners
    • Five in a Row (Diagonal)
    • Five in a Row (Horizontal)
    • Five in a Row (Vertical)
    • Four of a Kind
  7. 7
    Yell “Po-Ke-No!”.[5]
    • When a player yells “Po-Ke-No!” this is a signal to the rest of the players that they believe they have won one of the aforementioned pots
    • Before the player can claim the money that is in the pot, it is necessary to go back through the cards that have been drawn and to cross check them with the spaces the winner has covered.
  8. 8
    Change dealers (and game boards as necessary). After the winner of the previous round has claimed their prize, they will then become the dealer for the next round.[6]
    • It is not required that a person change their game board after initially selecting one at the start of the game, but they may choose to do so if they want.
  9. 9
    Repeat steps 5 through 9 until completion of game. The game can go on as long as all the players have money and a desire to play. In the event that all players involved decide to end the game, it can end at that time. Players can count how much money they have at the end of the game and subtract how much they started with to determine who the overall winner was.
    • In the event that the players want to end the game but still have money in the pots they can do one of two things. They can either divide the money remaining money in the pots evenly amongst themselves or play one final round known as “cover-all.” In the “cover-all” round, all remaining pots are combined and the game continues until one player has covered their entire game board.
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Community Q&A

  • Question
    I am the dealer. At end of game, the cover-all noticed I had not covered on an already called square. Am I entitled to half the pot?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Usually not unless the other players say it is all right. If you miss your cards, your bad.
  • Question
    If two players call Po Ke No at the same time, who wins?
    Chyrel Garner-Curran
    Chyrel Garner-Curran
    Community Answer
    You split the Po Ke No pot if two or more players call Po Ke No at the same time.
  • Question
    What is it called when I have four corners and the center in Po Ke No?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Not possible. You would have to have previously missed the center call in order to get four corners and the center at the same time.
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Things You'll Need

  • A standard deck of cards (52 cards, 2 jokers not included)
  • A game board for each player
  • At least four cups (or anything else that can be labeled and used as a container for money that will be used during gameplay)
  • Poker chips
  • Money (amounts may vary from game to game, see explanation about money in step 5.)

About This Article

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 9 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 123,833 times.
27 votes - 80%
Co-authors: 9
Updated: January 20, 2023
Views: 123,833
Categories: Casino Card Games
Article SummaryX

Po-Ke-No is a fun combination of the games Poker and Keno. To play, you’ll need special Po-Ke-No boards, poker chips, 4 cups, and a deck of cards. Each player starts with one Po-Ke-No board and some chips. Label the cups “Corners,” “Centers,” “Five in a Row,” and “Four of a Kind,” and decide on a chip value for each cup, or how many chips players will have to put in each cup at the beginning of the round. Each cup can have a different chip value. Once the cups are set up, have each player put the required number of chips in each cup. Choose one player to be the dealer. The dealer draws and plays one card face up from the deck at a time, calling out whatever card they draw. If any player has that card on their board, they place a poker chip on the space. For example, if the dealer draws a king of clubs, any player with a king of clubs on their board places a chip on that space. The dealer continues drawing and calling out cards until one player either covers the center space on their board and wins “Centers,” covers the 4 corners on their board and wins “Corners,” gets 5 cards in a row horizontally or vertically on their board and wins “Five in a Row,” or gets 4 cards in the same rank on their board and wins “Four of a Kind.” When a player wins, they call out “Po-Ke-No!” and collect all of the chips in the corresponding cup. Then, that player becomes the dealer for the next round, and all of the players add more chips to the cups. The game can continue as long as players have chips.

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