The Bingo 99 team have created a simple Learn how to play Bingo guide for our readers to enjoy.
Traditional Bingo Gameplay
In the game, each player has to buy several bingo cards to participate (one player can play as many cards as he wishes). Each card has a 5 × 5 grid with random numbers in each square. The caller randomly selects a number through a draw, and announces the number aloud. When the caller announces the selected number, and if that number is present in a player’s card, then the player can dab or mark off the corresponding number on his bingo cards with a bingo marker.
To win the game, a player needs to dab or mark a full row on his card horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. When the player completes a row on his card, he calls out “Bingo” to announce his victory. One of the assistant hosts verify the numbers on the winning card and declares the winner of the round. Following the announcement of the winner, the host begins a new round of play. Normally, a bingo session contains multiple bingo rounds, and the winner of maximum rounds receives a pre-announced cash or prize.
Breaking-down Bingo
Before playing Bingo, it’s good to have an understanding of equipment and materials of the game. Below is a brief detail of the equipment which is often used during the game.
Bingo Cards
In a traditional bingo game, players have thousands of unique bingo cards to pick from. These are simple paper cards, and each card contains 5 rows and 5 columns, creating 25 square spaces. 24 square spaces are filled with numbers and the center space of the card is called a free space. All five columns are labeled with letters B, I, N, G, O from left to right. The numbers are arranged in five columns as follows.
If you want to play bingo at home, you can easily make bingo cards using paper cards, markers and a scale. All you need to do is to follow the standard card pattern.
Cards Strip and cards book
Bingo cards also come in strips. Each strip contains 3 bingo cards, and a player can purchase multiple card strips at the beginning of the game. A player can also buy a book of cards for the entire bingo session. Each book can contain as many strips as the player needs.
Learn mor about Bingo Caller or Host
The host or caller is responsible for running the bingo game. The main task of the bingo caller is to select a random bingo ball and announce the number for other players in a professional manner. The caller’s duties are not limited to selecting and announcing the bingo ball but also include controlling the entire game and running it efficiently which requires certain qualities and skills.
Bingo Marker or Dauber
To mark numbers on a bingo card, you need a bingo marker or dauber. Bingo dauber contains a special type of translucent ink which is used to mark bingo cards. These bingo markers are specially designed to use on paper. A player can use the bingo dauber to create transparent marks for each called number on his card. Whether you are playing bingo at a bingo hall or at home, it is recommended to use these daubers to mark numbers. Some people also use small bingo chips to mark numbers on cards. Why not learn some new bingo strategies here and become a better player.
Learn about Bingo Balls
The caller or host of the game uses bingo balls to randomly select a bingo number during the game. These bingo balls are made of wood or plastic with numbers and letters written on its surface in black color. These bingo balls can contain numbers from 1 to 75.
If you are playing bingo at home you can also use pieces of paper to write numbers and letters instead of bingo balls.
Bingo Spinner
In a bingo hall, a caller or host uses a bingo spinner to mix the bingo balls and randomly selects one ball at a time. A traditional bingo spinner is a circular cage with bingo balls, and as you spin it, a ball slips out through the spinner. Some of the bingo halls are also using electric blower devices for random draws. If you are playing bingo at home, you can also use a bowl or a bucket to mix the balls.
Here are a list of recommend Online Bingo operator and useful websites based in the UK.
How to Play Bingo
- Plan your game – first of all you need to decide what type of bingo game you want to play. You can either play traditional bingo in a bingo hall, or online bingo from any online gambling platform.
- Set your budget – Bingo is a great source of fun and entertainment, but it is wise to plan and stick to the budget for your game before taking part. If you are thinking of participating in Bingo Hall, you need to bring cash with you, and if you want to play online bingo games, you need to use an online payment method to purchase your cards.
- Buy bingo cards – whether you are playing bingo in the hall or online, you need to buy a bingo card first to participate in the game. You can buy any number of cards you want. More cards means more chances to win, so try to buy as many cards as you can handle.
- Participate in a Bingo session – Once you bought bingo cards, you can participate in a bingo session. You can either participate in a whole session, or you can take part in a few bingo rounds. To participate in a bingo session, you need to purchase multiple bingo cards.
- Mark the Caller’s number – when a bingo round starts, a caller or host selects a random bingo ball through a draw, and announces the number of the bingo ball. You need to carefully listen to the caller’s number and mark that number on your bingo card if it is present. Mark sure to mark your cards with a dauber, not an ink pen or permanent marker.
- Complete a pattern – to win a bingo game, you need to complete a required pattern on your card. Normally, a player needs to mark all 5 numbers horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. Some of the bingo games offer jackpot prizes for a full house.
- Yell out “Bingo” – Once you complete a required pattern on your card, you need to yell out bingo to let others know that you have completed the pattern.
- Caller announces winner – when someone calls out bingo, caller stops the game and verifies the player’s card. If a player successfully completes the required pattern, the caller announces the winner of the game, and starts a new round.
Bingo Patterns to learn and understand
To win a bingo game, a player needs to complete a required pattern on his bingo card. Different bingo games offer prizes for different patterns. Some of the famous bingo patterns are follows,
Horizontal Line – mark all 5 numbers in a horizontal direction on any row of a bingo card.
Vertical Line – mark all 5 numbers in a vertical direction on any column of a bingo card.
Diagonal Line – mark all 5 numbers in a diagonal direction on a bingo card.
Large Square – mark all 16 numbers in outer rows and columns on a bingo card.
Full House – mark all numbers present on your bingo card.
Types of Bingo Jackpots
Bingo is known as a low-cost game in the gambling world and it can help players win attractive cash prizes and jackpots. Different gambling platforms offer two types of jackpots for players.
1.Fixed Jackpot – most gambling platforms offer fixed jackpots for bingo games. In fixed jackpots, a prize is set for each bingo game, which does not depend on the number of participants and sessions. In the case of multiple winners, the fixed jackpot is evenly distributed among all of the winners.
2.Progressive Jackpot – some gambling platforms offer progressive jackpots for bingo games. In progressive jackpot game, a base value of the winning prize is set at the start of the game, which increases with increasing number of participants and profit. In the end the jackpot is also evenly distributed among all winners.
Types of Bingo Games
Since the invention of bingo, the game has undergone many variations, leading to the creation of different types of bingo games. Traditionally, Bingo is played with 75 bingo balls, but there are other types of bingo games which contain different numbers of balls. The number of bingo balls can affect your chance of winning. Bingo games with less number of balls offer higher chances of winning. Here is the list of different types of bingo games that you can play.
Learn about 30 Ball Bingo Game
The 30 Ball Bingo game is for players who want to enjoy high speed bingo. The game offers players a quick and easy gaming experience to win. In the game, players have to play with 30 balls and 3×3 grid bingo cards. 30 Ball Bingo is for players who have limited time to play bingo. This allows players to win more than one bingo game in an hour.
Each 30 ball bingo card contains a 3×3 grid with 3 rows, 3 columns, and 9 squares. You will have to complete a required pattern to win the game. Each column of the card contains a set of numbers as follows,
- The first column of the 30-ball bingo card contains numbers 1-10
- The second column of the 30-ball bingo card contains numbers 11-20
- The third column of the 30-ball bingo card contains numbers 21-30.
Understanding the 80 Ball Bingo Game
The 80-ball bingo game is also known as the Shutter Bingo in a bingo hall. It is a popular type of bingo game, but it is not as commonly played as 75-ball or 90-ball bingo games. There are 80 balls in the game, which makes it difficult for players to win. Each 80-ball bingo card has a 4 × 4 grid layout with 16 random numbers arranged in 4 columns and 4 rows.
Just like other bingo games, you need to match your card to a winning pattern to win the 80-ball bingo game. Compared to other types of games, 80 ball bingo cards are very colorful. The numbers 1 to 80 are divided into four columns of the bingo card as follows.
- The first column of the 80-ball bingo card contains numbers from 1 to 20.
- The second column of the 80-ball bingo card contains numbers from 21 to 40.
- The third column of the 80-ball bingo card contains numbers from 41 to 60.
- The fourth and last column of the 80-ball bingo card contains numbers from 61 to 80.
90-Ball Bingo Game explained
90-ball bingo is one of the most famous bingo variations in the world, especially in the UK. The 90-ball bingo card is different as compared to the other types of bingo. There are 3 rows and 9 columns in the card and 15 random numbers from 1 to 90 are arranged in the card. Each row of the card has 5 random numbers and 4 empty spaces. You can Learn more about Bingo regulations and legal requirements for compliance online. As featured on the official Bingo 99 Google Podcasts in 2021.
There are three winners in each 90-ball bingo game. The first place winner of the game is the one who first completes the one-line pattern (marks all numbers in a single row). Second winner of the game is the one who completes a two-line pattern (marks all numbers in two rows). Third winner of the game is the one who completes a full house (marks all 15 numbers on the card).
- The first column of the card contains numbers from 1 to 9.
- The second column of the card contains numbers from 10 to 19.
- The third column of the card contains numbers from 20 to 29.
- The fourth column of the card contains numbers from 30 to 39.
- The fifth column of the card contains numbers from 40 to 49.
- The sixth column of the card contains numbers from 50 to 59.
- The seventh column of the card contains numbers from 60 to 69.
- The eighth column of the card contains numbers from 70 to 79.
- The ninth column of the card contains numbers from 80 to 90.
75-Ball Bingo Game in detail
75-ball bingo is the most played version of the game in the world. The 75-ball bingo cards have a traditional 5×5 grid layout. Five rows and five columns layout creates 25 squares, and 24 random numbers are arranged in these squares except the middle square. All five columns of the card are labeled with letters B-I-N-G-O from left to right. We have already discussed the 75-ball bingo card layout and numbers arrangement.
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Brief History of Bingo
The modern version of the bingo game was first introduced in the United States in 1920. The game was originally named beano, in which a dealer selected a number of discs and players filled their cards with beans, shouting “Beano” if a player won the game. In 1929, a toy merchandiser named Edwin S. Lowe created a standardized version of the game. He also changed the name of the game to Bingo, when his friend accidentally yelled “Bingo” instead of Beano during the game.
Edwin hired a Mathematics professor, Carl Leffler, to create Bingo cards with different combinations. They created over six thousand bingo cards to reduce the repetition and controversy of multiple winners during the game. Soon after its invention, Bingo gained so much popularity at community halls, churches, casinos, and pubs. Over the years, the game has undergone numerous changes, and evolved into multiple variations.
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